Spinach and Artichoke Dip Chicken Fritters. These fritters are going to be your new favorite way to use chicken breasts. They're tender and juicy on the inside with plenty of melted cheese and a crisp crust, and they taste just like your favorite dip!
Working from home means a lot of things, but it especially means that you will blame literally everything on working from home.
You will forget what it's like to interact face-to-face with people throughout the day (because you work from home). The motivation to make yourself look presentable every morning will disappear (because you work from home). Your schedule will be wildly inconsistent (because you work from home); so you'll find yourself waking up at 5AM some days to enjoy your healthy breakfast with a cup of coffee while you answer all of your emails in a flurry of productivity... and other days you'll sleep in until 10:30 and eat chips and dip for breakfast while you resign yourself to the fact that you're going to have to stay up til the wee hours of the morning to get everything done.
Because. You. Work. From. Home.
Except the last one is really just because you're exhausted and you like eating dip. And nothing's gonna stop you.
So that's me this morning. After all, I have a huge bowl of leftover spinach and artichoke dip that I made while recipe-testing, and I can't let it go to waste.
You might already be acquainted with my recipes for Spinach and Artichoke Dip Baked Potatoes; Spinach and Artichoke Dip Stuffed Garlic Bread; Slow Cooker Sausage, Spinach, and Artichoke Dip; and other spinach and artichoke recipes, and wonder what it is that makes this one so special. The answer is chicken.
These Spinach and Artichoke Dip Chicken Fritters are made up of chunks of chicken breast that stay incredibly juicy and tender on the inside while the outside gets amazingly crisp and golden. I'm usually more likely to recommend chicken thighs, but in this case, the combination of sour cream and mayonnaise in the dip mixture keep the breasts nice and moist.
And that's really the way that I went about making these: Taking my favorite spinach and artichoke dip recipe, simplifying it, stirring in chopped chicken breast, and adding in a few ingredients (namely flour and eggs) to help it bind together when frying. An easy recipe to develop, but greater than the sum of its parts.
Back to the choice of using chicken breasts for just a second, though. It might seem at first like already-ground chicken would be a better option than the chicken breasts, but the end result just won't be the same. The greatest thing about these fritters is the tender, melt-in your mouth texture that you get from the chunks of intact breast. With ground chicken, you'd get something more like a meatball or chicken burger. Still tasty, but not quite as fantastic.
Another great part of using chicken breasts is that it balances the heavier, more rich ingredients in the fritters. As much as I wish it were the case, spinach dip isn't the lightest of dishes. Considering that these Spinach and Artichoke Dip Chicken Fritters include mayonnaise, sour cream, and cheese, the lean chicken breasts are necessary to make it so that you can eat a few of these without feeling like you're going to burst at the seams.
And eat a few of these I certainly did. More than a few, if I'm being honest. Hence why today I'm eating leftover spinach and artichoke dip rather than Spinach and Artichoke Dip Chicken Fritters-- there are no leftover fritters. Luckily, working from home means there was no one here to judge me while I ate all of them throughout the day. Okay, I shared them with James, who also works from home. But still.
We loved every single cheesy, creamy, tender, crispy, spinach-studded bite.
However, if you're not serving these all up for a party and can manage not to devour them all, they freeze well! Just line them on a baking sheet to freeze, then transfer them to a ziploc bag. Thaw 'em before reheating and you've got an anytime appetizer, snack, or dinner.
Or just eat them all. You don't even need the work-from-home defense. They're just deliciously addictive, and that's the only excuse you need.
Spinach and Artichoke Dip Chicken Fritters
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 30 fritters 1x
Description
Adapted from Natasha's Kitchen
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 1 (6 ounce) jar artichoke hearts, drained, pat dry, and roughly chopped
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 4 large), chopped into small pieces
- Oil, for frying
- Lemon or lime wedges, to serve (optional)
- Sour cream, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, eggs, flour, garlic powder, cheeses, and salt and pepper. until well-combined. Fold in the spinach, artichokes, and chopped chicken. Stir well, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, use a small ice cream scoop to add the chicken mixture to the pan. Gently flatten the tops a bit with the back of the ice cream scoop or with a spoon to create the fritter shape.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess oil. Add more oil, if necessary, and repeat to make the remaining fritters.
- Serve with lemon or lime wedges and sour cream, if desired.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
Lisa Bryan says
Omg - I'm salivating over these chicken fritters. It's all my favorite flavors wrapped up in one recipe!
sondria Harp says
This sounds delicious. I love spinach and artichoke anything. I have people coming over this weekend I'll be making these for sure.
Jessie says
My daughter and I LOVE spinach and artichoke dip, so these sound awesome!!! Adding this to my must make list!
Molly Kumar says
These look so good that I just wanna grab them out of the screen and eat!!! Saving your recipe to try soon
Tisha says
I just love the idea of this!!! Looks so great!
Billy says
Definitely going to try this artichoke dip recipe next time I head to the store! Thank you for sharing!
cherise mazur says
Do you think subbing almond flour for regular flour will work?
Morgan says
Yes it should be fine!
Luka says
Cheese -+ frying pan = melted mess.
Not one of the better recipes on your site and now an Ubereats dinner :/
Ann says
You were absolutely right! Now these fritters are my most favorite way to prepare chicken breasts. I immediately saved the recipe and was about to eat the third helping, as this dish is fantastic! My family and friends like it too and every time they ask me for a recipe (and I say it is my secret one:)))) By the way, I tried artichokes in Italy for the first time, and I didn't really liked them. But in this recipe they taste absolutely different way. Thank you!
Sandy says
Hi Morgan,
I can’t wait to try these artichoke & spinach dip chicken fritters. Sounds yummy. I might try cornstarch instead of flour; that makes meat fluffy top & sometimes you use less flour. Or maybe it’s the Chinese in me that uses cornstarch. Love, gma .
Lisa says
Do you precook the chopped chicken or is it put in uncooked?