All bow down before me as I bestow you the ultimate chicken patty recipe. Lightly crispy on the outside, flavorful and juicy on the inside. You can cook this in any form and the add-in possibilities are endless. Rejoice!!
This recipe came to fruition when I wanted to make my ginger chicken meatball soup but soup was not feasible in my apartment with my shitty portable AC in the violently hot throes of summer. So I decided to pan sear them instead, the result of which blissfully didn’t involve ingesting scorching hot liquid in a 30°C apartment. Throughout the process I changed the shape and some of the ingredients to better suit the new method of cooking…several weeks of wonderfully delicious taste testing later I had perfected it. One day I took a bite and just thought, “This is it” (and yes it’s being posted in the winter because I’ve been procrastinating).
And so voilà, here’s the recipe. I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud to call a recipe my own, by far one of the things I’ve made with the highest taste-to-effort ratio. It’s so so easy and everything comes together in one bowl, just mix, shape and fry. I shallow fry these in a large pan that gets the job done quick while making sure things don’t get too crowded, and you can mix in really anything you want! My go-to add ins are shiitake, shallot, and green onion, and ginger, but I’ve also added finely chopped garlic scapes, grated carrot, chopped celery leaves etc.
Two things in this recipe that really make it shine: rice flour and tofu. I learned this from my mother; mixing in ground tofu guarantees extra tenderness and gives the patty more body. Rice flour acts as a binding agent to counteract the extra moisture and allows the patty to develop a crispy outer layer. You can use corn starch too, but I prefer that more for coating things, but sometimes I use a mix of both.
Do not use extra-firm tofu. This isn’t some white woman’s health blog teaching you how to press the fuck out of tofu so it’s a dry, sad meat substitute. We’re looking for soft and tender here. Tofu has existed as a complement to meat for centuries in Asian culture, along with being the star of it’s own show in many dishes. This isn’t a weird combination and if you’re uncomfortable cooking with soft tofu or think that for some reason tofu shouldn’t belong in the same dish as chicken, I highly encourage you to try this as an introductory recipe into the wonders of tofu. Plus, crushing the tofu with your hands is pretty cathartic.
Non-recipe related: As you can tell by the title and the contents of this post I’ve truly stopped caring about this blog’s performance. The search engine can go suck it, I’m putting out the content I wanna put out and people can take it or leave it. I’ve been trying to reduce my need for validation and instead hold on to my desire to just share what I know is good food to you all. God-tier is a bold claim and I proudly stand by it, someone I made this for called these marriage-worthy so if that doesn’t convince you to try this well….idk don’t try it then. If you’ve read this far thank you and hope you enjoy the recipe <3
God-Tier Chicken Patties
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 450 g ground chicken ~1lb
- 1/2 pack silken tofu 150g
- 3~5 stalks green onion chopped
- 4 tbsp rice flour
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon or msg
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- Couple drops maggi sauce optional
Add-ins (select any you want or add your own!)
- 4~8 fresh shiitake mushrooms chopped
- 1 large shallot finely chopped
- 1/2 large carrot grated
- 2 tsp ginger grated
- 2 tsp garlic grated
- oil as needed (I use avocado oil!)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except for the frying oil in a bowl (wow simple eh?). To mix the tofu in more easily I chop it very gently in my hand over the bowl with a knife, you can also just crush it in your hands.
- Use two spoons to gently mix together until everything is JUST combined (do not overmix, this isn't dumpling filling). The texture should not be too wet; if you think there's too much moisture you can add more flour bit by bit. (If you're unsure, you can fry a little test piece and see if it's crispy enough for you)
- Heat up oil on medium high heat in a large flat-bottomed pan. Add enough oil so that the bottom is completely covered. Too little oil and you'll have a hard time developing a crust and it'll take longer.
- Use the two spoons to shape little balls. Once the oil is hot (the oil is shimmery but not smoking) add the balls into the pan and press them flat with the spoon to form a patty. Do not overcrowd the pan; cook the patties in batches if needed.
- Cook for 5~6 minutes. Flip the patties once one side is golden brown and crispy. Cook for another 3~4 minutes or until completely cooked through.
- Enjoy :)
