Juicy chicken patties made from a handful of simple, natural ingredients — no breadcrumbs or eggs required. These patties cook quickly and can be baked, grilled, or pan-fried in about 10–20 minutes, making them an ideal option for busy weeknights.
Why we love these:
- Made with a few simple, natural ingredients
- Low-carb, lean protein, gluten-free, and dairy-free
- Freezer-friendly and reheat well
- Ready in about 30 minutes
- Great for tracking calories or macros
These patties are perfect for meal prep and calorie or macro tracking. Per patty (based on making 8):
- Approximately 134–138 calories
- About 2 grams carbohydrates
- Roughly 35 grams protein
How to Make Baked Chicken Patties
Baking is the quickest way to cook a full batch at once — I can fit all eight patties on one sheet pan and walk away.
Note: Because there’s no breadcrumb or egg binder, the chicken mixture will be sticky. Wetting your hands with a little water prevents sticking and makes forming patties much easier.
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Chop chicken breast into large chunks. Place chicken, onion, garlic and seasonings into a food processor. Pulse in 15–30 second bursts until the mixture is finely ground and starts to clump together into a ball.
- Wet your hands and use a ½-cup measure (packed) to portion the mixture for even patties. I keep a bowl of water nearby for convenience.
- Transfer each portion to a large sheet pan coated with non-stick spray.
- Press each portion into a patty slightly larger than a hamburger bun. Dip your hands in water as needed to prevent sticking.
- Bake on the middle rack about 20 minutes, flipping once halfway, until fully cooked through and nicely browned. Spacing patties apart helps them brown.
- Serve immediately or cool and freeze for later.
Want to Grill or Pan-fry?
Grilling or pan-frying works great, but because the mixture is sticky, form the patties on wax paper so you can easily transfer them to the hot surface.
- Form patties on a sheet of wax paper instead of a baking pan.
- Cut the wax paper around each patty, stack, and refrigerate until ready to cook.
How to Make Grilled Chicken Patties
- Oil and preheat the grill to medium-high.
- Place the patties (still on the wax paper) onto the grill and peel the wax paper off the top after they are on the grates.
- Grill about 4–5 minutes per side, until cooked through.
How to Make Pan-fried Chicken Patties
Pan-frying gives a lovely crust. Use a non-stick or cast-iron skillet lightly coated with oil.
- Form the patties on wax paper as described above.
- Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat with a little oil. Place patties in the skillet, peel the wax paper off the top, and cook 4–5 minutes per side until done.
- Optional: In the last few minutes, add a couple tablespoons of water to the pan and flip the patties once or twice so they steam while picking up browned pan bits. This adds flavor, juiciness, and a golden-brown finish.
Can I Use Store-bought Ground Chicken?
Yes. If using 2 pounds of store-bought ground chicken, reduce the salt to 1 teaspoon and be sure to finely mince the onion and garlic before mixing so the texture stays consistent.
How to Freeze Chicken Patties
These patties freeze and reheat well, which makes them great for meal prep.
To freeze:
- Place cooked patties in a single layer on a sheet pan and freeze 1–2 hours until firm so they don’t stick together.
- Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze up to 3 months.
Refrigerate cooked patties in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
How to Reheat Frozen Chicken Patties
- Microwave: Place frozen patties on a microwave-safe plate, cover with a paper towel and microwave in short intervals (30 seconds, then 15 seconds) until heated through.
- Oven: Preheat to 350ºF. Bake until heated through (check after 10 minutes, flip, and continue checking every 5 minutes).
- Grill: Preheat to medium-low and cook covered until heated through, checking periodically.
How to Serve
Use these chicken patties on burgers with any bun you prefer, or skip the bun for a low-carb option. They also work well chopped into salads, burritos, wraps, or tacos.
They’re kid-friendly too — slice and serve with dipping sauces for an easy family meal.
Enjoy!
Easy Chicken Patties {Healthy, Gluten-free, Dairy-free}
Equipment
- Extra large sheet pan
- Food processor
- 12″ cast iron skillet (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breast, boneless & skinless (or 2 lbs store-bought ground chicken — see notes)
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped (about ½ large)
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1½ tsp salt (reduce to 1 tsp if using store-bought ground chicken)
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp dried parsley
Instructions
Baking Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Chop chicken into large pieces and add to a food processor with onion, garlic and seasonings. Pulse until finely ground and the mixture starts to clump together.
- Wet your hands and pack a ½-cup measure with the mixture to portion evenly. Transfer to a sheet pan coated with non-stick spray.
- Press each portion into a patty slightly larger than a hamburger bun, dipping hands in water as needed.
- Bake on the middle rack for about 20 minutes, flipping once halfway, until fully cooked through. Let cool slightly before serving or freezing.
Video
Notes
Using store-bought ground chicken
If you use 2 pounds of ground chicken, reduce the salt to 1 teaspoon and finely mince the onion and garlic before mixing.
Grill & skillet instructions
- Form patties on wax paper, cut around each patty, stack and refrigerate until ready to cook.
- Grilling: Oil and preheat grill to medium-high. Peel the wax paper off after placing patties on the grates. Grill 4–5 minutes per side.
- Pan-fry: Preheat a skillet over medium-high with a little oil. Peel wax paper off after placing patties in the skillet and cook 4–5 minutes per side. Optional: add 1–2 tbsp water near the end and flip to steam in pan juices for extra juiciness and color.
Freezer-friendly: See freezing and reheating instructions in the main article. Note that the mixture is sticky without breadcrumbs or egg; wetting hands helps when forming patties. Nutrition facts are per patty (assuming 8 total).
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 134 kcal |
Carbohydrates: 2.2 g |
Protein: 35.5 g |
Fat: 1.3 g
Watch the video for a step-by-step demonstration. Enjoy making these versatile, healthy chicken patties at home!
