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Ground Chicken Cutlets (Куриные Котлеты)

These ground chicken cutlets (kotletki) are the perfect comfort food! They are beautiful little ground chicken cutlets that are lightly flavored with fragrant dill and savory onion and pan fried or baked until golden brown.  

Ukrainian Chicken Cutlets...котлетки

Growing up, food was not a priority in my life.  I really had no need for it and my scrawny body showed it.  However, there were few foods that pleased my finicky palate and these little fluffy chicken kotletki were one of those foods. Chicken kotletki are most closely related to a mini meatloaf.  Well no, not really a meatloaf more like hamburgers, without the bun.  To put it simply, it’s a meager mixture of ground chicken, onions, soaked bread, salt, pepper and some binders and seasoning.  They are fried up or oven baked and enjoyed while piping hot as the juices ooze out.  Basically simple ground chicken cutlets that are full of juicy flavor.

This is one of my go-to’s when hubby is out of commission and run down with the flu.  He promptly asks me to whip him up a batch these grouch chicken cutlets, aka kotletki to make him feel warm inside.  It reminds us both of our childhoods and close family time spent around the dinner table with loved ones, where food was not the emphasis but instead the stories and anecdotes were.

Ukrainian Chicken Cutlets from the Girl and the Kitchen

I find it interesting how practically everyone that has a Russian, Ukranian (like my hubby), Belrussian or Moldovian (like me) background all have a different recipe for kotletki.  For instance the Ukranians typically make them out of beef and prefer them very fried and frankly a tad too oily for my taste.  I actually made them before, however, it has been quite some time since I made that recipe.  For me these tend to be lighter and even more flavorful…but hey I’m not gonna like I would not turn either one down.

I have two secret ingredients that I use to make them both flavorful and moist.  We all know that sometimes ground chicken can be dry and a bit blah.  I use a tad of Greek yogurt to spruce it up.  It makes them unbelievably moist and oh so very yummy.  The Greek yogurt adds a tiny bit of tartness and rounds the flavors out nicely.  My other ingredient is fresh dill.  Hubby is not too keen on it, but for me it’s a must.  Either way, these little, scrumptious patties are the perfect go to dinner or lunch.

Cut up 2 slices of bread of your choice into small cubes and let sit in a bowl with 1/2 a cup of milk for a few minutes.

Ukrainian Chicken Cutlets Ingredients - Girl and the Kitchen

In another larger bowl, combine ground chicken, eggs, shredded onion, chopped dill, Greek yogurt, salt and pepper.  As an FYI in this particular recipe I used ground turkey as well as ground chicken.  It turned out great.

Ukrainian Chicken Cutlets Ingredients - Girl and the Kitchen

Squeeze out the access milk out of the cubes of bread and add them into the meat mixture.  Mix well with your hands until all is combined.  Do not overmix as overworking the meat will lead to dry patties. (not yummy)  I sometimes have a heavy hand with my salt with these little patties.  So I always fry up a tiny little piece and test it out for seasoning.

Pour some olive oil into a large pan and heat up on high.  There will be some massive splatters going on once the frying begins.  Save yourself the trouble of cleaning up a greasy mess and tape your stove up like I did here.

Easy kitchen cleanup - Girl and the Kitchen

While the pan is heating up, go ahead and create a little work station for yourself.  You will need 1 bowl with water, 1 platter lined with paper towels and the bowl with the meat mixture.

Once the oil has heated up for about 2-3 minutes you are ready to fry.  Dip your hand into the water and take some meat mixture into your hand.   Make a ball with the meat, then flatten it out and shape it quickly. Shape the meat patties into little flat footballs, basically the size and thickness of your palm.

Slide into the oil, careful as to not to burn yourself.  After 4-5 minutes, flip them carefully with a spatula to continue cooking on the other side.  Turn the heat down to medium and continue cooking them.  You can also transfer them to a baking sheet and finish cooking them in a 375-degree oven for 10 minutes.  This will eliminate the need to fry them on the other side.  I have done both methods and they turned out great either way.

Lay them out on the paper towel once they are done so the excess oil can drip off a bit.  You can use a meat thermometer to test for doneness.  They should reach a temperature of 160-degrees.

Serve hot.

Want more slavic recipes?

Try my stuffed cabbage:

"Galuptsi" - Traditional Ukrainian Cabbage Rolls...Голубцы

Or a perfect  breakfast:

Ricotta and Apple Syrniki (Ukrainian Cheese Fritters)

And the ultimate in comfort food:

Ukrainian Home Fries- ЖАРЕНАЯ КАРТОШКА from Girl and the Kitchen

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Russian Chicken Cutlets from the Girl and the Kitchen

Ground Chicken Cutlets Куриные Котлеты


  • Author: Mila Furman

Description

These ground chicken cutlets (kotletki) are the perfect comfort food! They are beautiful little ground chicken cutlets that are lightly flavored with fragrant dill and savory onion and pan fried or baked until golden brown.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 slices of bread (cut into cubes)
  • 1/2 a cup of milk
  • 1.5 pounds of ground chicken (turkey or a combination of both)
  • 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • 1 egg
  • 1 onion (shredded in a food processor or on a microplaner)
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill (roughly chopped)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • olive oil for frying

Instructions

  1. Cut up 2 slices of bread of your choice into small cubes and let sit in a bowl with 1/2 a cup of milk for a few minutes.
  2. In another larger bowl, combine ground chicken, eggs, chopped dill, Greek yogurt, salt and pepper. As an FYI in this particular recipe I used ground turkey as well as ground chicken. It turned out great.
  3. Squeeze out the access milk out of the cubes of bread and add them into the meat mixture. Mix well with your hands until all is combined. Do not overmix as overworking the meat will lead to dry patties. (not yummy) I sometimes have a heavy hand with my salt with these little patties. So I always fry up a tiny little piece and test it out for seasoning.
  4. Pour some olive oil into a large pan and heat up on high.
  5. While the pan is heating up, go ahead and create a little work station for yourself. You will need 1 bowl with water, 1 platter lined with paper towels and the bowl with the meat mixture.
  6. Once the oil has heated up for about 2-3 minutes you are ready to fry. Dip your hand into the water and take some meat mixture into your hand. Shape the meat patties into little flat footballs, basically the size of your palm Do this by making a ball with the meat, then flatten it out and shape it to be about the size and thickness if your palm..
  7. Slide the patties into the oil, careful as to not to burn yourself.
  8. After 4-5 minutes, flip them carefully with a spatula to continue cooking on the other side. Turn the heat down to medium and continue cooking them. You can also transfer them to a baking sheet and finish cooking them in a 375-degree oven for 10 minutes. This will eliminate the need to fry them on the other side. I have done both methods and they turned out great either way.
  9. Lay them out on the paper towel once they are done so the excess oil can drip off a bit. You can use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. They should reach a temperature of 160-degrees.
  10. Serve hot.
  • Category: Main Entree
  • Cuisine: Russian

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20 Comments

  1. These are my very first kotletki and they turned out great! Making these gave me inspiration to cook more russian dishes, like tufteli and golubtsi.

  2. Hi Mila,

    My late grandmother used to make these for me so I am so excited to see this recipe. The only question I wanted to ask is if there was a way to make it without the bread? I’m currently on an elimination diet so not allowed to eat wheat/flour and though some katletki would be an easy bulk meal to make with salad.

    thank you

    1. Hey Liz! You can try making it with some cooked rice. Just look at my stuffed cabbage recipe for the por portions. I think that would work out quite nicely for you!

  3. I swapped out the bread for oats since my hubby is diabetic. I also used plain soymilk instead of regular milk, and you wouldn’t even be able to know the difference! Awesome recipe! =) I served it with a side of baby tomato salad and baked cinnamon apples.

    1. I’ve done it with oats too!!! I have diabetic clients who we put on Keto and instead of bread crumbs i do Parmesan cheese!!! It’s even better 🙂

      1. Hi Mila, How much Parmesan Cheese would you add to make it Keto please, also loved the video of you and Mark doing the omelette, could the omelette
        Work in a NutriBullet??

        Thanks a lot love your recipes and videos , I am in Redcliffe Queensland
        Australia and did your Ricotta Meatballs last week and tagged you in Instagram but not sure if you saw it, #kris.annecooking

        Cheers

        1. Thank you!!! You totally can do the omelette in a bullet 🙂 Thats what he used to use when we started dating 🙂 I would add about 1/2 cup of Parm.

  4. These were very good! I’ve stumbled across Ukrainian recipes lately and am loving them. When looking for chicken kotleti, this recipe came up and I’m so glad I found it. My toddler (picky eater), nanny, husband, and myself all love them!!

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