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    Home » Recipes » Main Meals

    Diner Style Turkey Croquettes – American Classic

    Published: Nov 17, 2021 by Chef Dennis Littley

    2.6K shares
    • Facebook1.1K
    • Yummly
    4.86 from 57 votes
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    pinterst image for turkey croquettes

    One of my favorite memories of growing up in New Jersey was going out to eat at one of the many diners in the area. And Turkey Croquettes was always at the top of my list of dishes I would order when we stopped for dinner.

    Although I wasn’t born in New Jersey, we moved here when I was pretty young and at the height of New Jersey’s love affair with Diners.

    turkey croquettes with one split open on a bed of mashed potatoes on a white plate

    Turkey Croquettes was a dish that was rarely made at home. But at diner that serves turkey every day, it was the perfect way to use the leftover turkey.

    turkey croquettes on a white plate

    It never fails that every time I roast a turkey,  I always have more turkey than we can eat before we get tired of it. I re-use the leftovers just about every way you can think of, but a good portion always ends up in the freezer and never gets used.

    That’s why I started making Turkey Croquettes, it’s a delicious way to use up the leftover turkey. And they freeze well too, that way you’ve got more ready to heat up for dinners for those days you don’t feel like cooking.

    What is a Croquette?

    “A Croquette is a small breadcrumbed fried food roll containing, usually as main ingredients, ground meat (veal, beef, chicken, or turkey), shellfish, fish, ham, cheese, mashed potatoes or vegetables, and mixed with béchamel or brown sauce, and soaked white bread, egg, onion, spices and herbs, wine, milk, beer, or some combination, sometimes with a filling, such as sautéed onions, mushrooms, or boiled eggs.

    The croquette is usually shaped into a cylinder, disk, or oval shape, and then deep-fried. The croquette (from the French croquer, “to crunch”) has gained worldwide popularity, both as a delicacy and as fast food.”

    How do I make Turkey Croquettes?

    ingredients to make turkey croquettes

    Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Turkey Croquettes. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.

    four images showing how to make turkey croquettes

    In your food processor, add celery, carrots and onion and pulse till finely minced. Repeat the process with the turkey.

    *You can pulse the veggies to a finer consistency if you’d rather not see the bigger pieces in the croquette.

    two images showing how to saute vegetables

    In a saute pan, melt butter and add finely minced celery, carrots, and onion. Saute until softened (3-5 minutes) Allow the mixture to cool.

    four images showing the next steps how to make turkey croquettes
    • In a large mixing bowl, add turkey, stuffing cubes, sauteed celery, onions, carrots, and poultry seasoning. Mix all the ingredients together.
    • Add 1 cup of chicken stock and two lightly beaten eggs and mix together. Gradually add more chicken stock as needed. You want the mixture to resemble a stuffing consistency. **Don’t let it get too wet. It will continue to absorb the liquid as it sits in your refrigerator setting up but it still needs to be shaped, so it needs to have a formable consistency.
    • Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
    • After mixing all ingredients together fully, refrigerate for 2-3 hours to allow mix to set up.
    formed unbreaded croquettes on a white platter

    After the mix has set up, form the mixture into cone-shaped croquettes.

    *If you prefer another shape, go for it. Traditionally croquettes were cone-shaped.

    If you like using your Instant Pot, this is a delicious Instant Pot Ground Turkey Recipe.

    Set up a Breading Station

    four images showing the breading process for croquettes
    • Dredge the croquettes in flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
    • Then dip the floured croquette into the egg wash (egg and milk).
    • Finally, coat the egged croquette with seasoned bread crumbs.

    Saute the Turkey Croquettes

    two images showing how to saute croquettes
    • Saute the turkey croquettes in olive oil (or your choice of oil), turning until all sides have been lightly browned.
    • Place the croquettes you are going to serve into a 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes until fully heated. (minimum 165 degrees)
    two croquettes on a a bed of mashed potatoes on a white plate

    Not only is this a great way to use up leftover turkey, but it’s also a wonderful way to introduce a new generation to the joys of true Diner Food. Enjoy these croquettes with a salad, soup, or indulge with a side of mashed potatoes and lots of turkey gravy!

    You’ll find different views on how to make turkey croquettes, some folks use mashed potatoes and others use stuffing. I’ve always found that stuffing makes a lighter tastier croquette that doesn’t sink like a lead weight in your stomach. I promise you’ll like my stuffing version better!

    But any way you make them, you’re making a New Jersey Diner Classic!

    More Delicious Recipes You’ll Love!

    • Homemade Turkey Noodle Soup
    • Homemade Cranberry Sauce – An American Classic
    • Homemade Potato Bread Stuffing Recipe
    • Easy Homemade Turkey Gravy

    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

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    turkey croquettes on a bed of mashed potatoes on a white plate
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    4.86 from 57 votes

    Diner Style Turkey Croquettes

    Growing up in New Jersey I learned to love "Diner Food"  and I could always count on Turkey Croquettes to be on the menu.  This is my recreation of that classic diner dish.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time50 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 537kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Ingredients

    Turkey Croquettes

    • 2 cups turkey finely chopped – use a food processor
    • 2 cups potato bread stuffing mix or use your favortie brand of stuffing mix
    • ½ cup celery finely minced
    • ½ cup onion finely minced
    • ½ cup carrots finely minced
    • 4 oz butter
    • 2 large eggs
    • 2 cups chicken stock
    • 1 tbsp poultry seasoning or ground sage

    breading station

    • black pepper and sea salt to taste
    • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
    • 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
    • 1 cup flour
    • ½ cup milk
    • 4 oz olive oil to saute croquettes
    US Customary – Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • In your food processor add celery, carrots and onion and pulse till finely minced
    • In the food processor add your turkey and pulse until finely chopped. (use a mix of dark and white meat)
    • In a saute pan melt butter and add finely minced celery, carrots, and onion. Saute until softened (3-5 minutes) Allow to cool.
    • In a large mixing bowl, add turkey, stuffing cubes, sauteed celery, onions, carrots, and poultry seasoning. Mix all the ingredients together.
    • Add 1 cup of chicken stock and two lightly beaten eggs and mix together.  Gradually add more chicken stock as needed.  You want the mixture to resemble stuffing consistency.  **Don't let it get too wet.  It will continue to absorb the liquid as it sits in your refrigerator setting up but it still needs to be shaped so it needs to have a formable consistency.
    • Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
    • After mixing all ingredients together fully, refrigerate for 2-3 hours to allow mix to set up .
    • After the mix has set up form into cone-shaped croquettes
    • Dredge the croquettes in flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
      Dip the floured croquette into the egg wash (2 eggs, ½ cup of milk).
      Coat the egged croquette with seasoned bread crumbs.
    • Saute croquettes in olive oil, turning until all sides have been lightly browned.
    • Place croquettes you are going to serve into a 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes until fully heated. (minimum 165 degrees internal temperature)
    • Freeze the remainder to use another day!
    • Serve Croquettes with sides of your choice and your favorite turkey gravy and enjoy!

    Notes

    *If you have leftover stuffing on hand, it’s a great way to make this process even faster; just eliminate the stuffing steps and mix the chopped turkey into the leftover stuffing.
    Bread and cook per the instructions in the recipe.
    *You can also use chicken instead of Turkey!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 537kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 704mg | Potassium: 314mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2075IU | Vitamin C: 1.9mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

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    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis is a semi-retired Chef, writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis aka Ask Chef Dennis®. Chef Dennis worked professionally in White Table Cloth Restaurants for 40 years and has been developing easy to make, restaurant-style recipes since 2009. The second phase of his reinvention from chef to blogger has earned him a place at the Worlds Dinner Table. Join him on his Culinary Journey enjoying his easy to make Restaurant Style recipes and travel adventures. For more details, check out his About page.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Richard M.

      January 24, 2023 at 4:38 pm

      5 stars
      Wow my mother-in law used to make these…I enjoyed making them they were wonderful thanks for the recipe. It has made into my recipe list…

      Reply
    2. Marisa

      April 27, 2022 at 5:50 pm

      Could I use cooked ground turkey for this recipe? I’m excited to try it, looks delicious!

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        April 27, 2022 at 7:19 pm

        you can just cook it first. The texture will be a little different but the taste will be good. If you can find ground turkey that isn’t all white meat they will be better,

        Reply
        • Marisa

          April 27, 2022 at 8:41 pm

          Thank you for your response!

      • Lori Baxter

        July 31, 2022 at 12:37 pm

        5 stars
        Absolutely. I used ground turkey breast and they turned out incredible.

        Reply
    3. nancy meyers

      February 25, 2022 at 11:37 am

      5 stars
      Fabulous!! I made these using leftovers from T-day, I served the with all the leftover trimmings & a new can of cranberry sauce. Everyone raved about them. I recently bought some turkey tenderloins and will make them again. Soo easy, Thank you!

      Reply
    4. jean

      December 04, 2021 at 8:45 pm

      5 stars
      I didn’t have enough turkey, so I supplemented with chicken. I had a ziplock bag of leftover stuffing so I used your idea and just married the two in the food processor. The other recipe I used (from an old New York Times cookbook) was cumbersome to make and … didn’t taste like I remembered from my mom’s house growing up. This recipe was wonderful! The old recipe called for deep frying in vegetable oil, but I like your saute method: the olive oil gives them better flavor, with less absorption. Hands down a winner in our house!!!

      Reply
    5. Linda

      November 19, 2021 at 6:27 pm

      5 stars
      These turkey croquettes are so fun and the perfect size for a family of 3 like us. Plus, who can say no to delicious croquettes like this

      Reply
    6. nancy

      November 19, 2021 at 4:25 pm

      5 stars
      yummy. these croquettes are not only good with leftovers but we make these alot for a quick snack!

      Reply
    7. Cindy

      November 19, 2021 at 12:00 am

      5 stars
      My family loved the croquettes last year! I’ll definitely be making them again

      Reply
    8. Tricia

      July 14, 2021 at 5:51 pm

      How many croquettes does the recipe make? (Assuming the size is equivalent to the ones in the picture)

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        July 14, 2021 at 6:54 pm

        it makes 8 croquettes

        Reply
    9. Ellen

      March 22, 2021 at 4:32 pm

      5 stars
      These were delicious!!! The only change I made was airfrying them. I will make this again.

      Reply
    10. Kevin

      January 23, 2021 at 6:17 pm

      Best old fashioned turkey croquettes recipe on the planet!!

      Reply
    11. Sherryl Townsley

      December 09, 2020 at 5:54 pm

      Made these exactly as recommended they are great! Used left over cornbread stuffing & mashed potatoes, I have a lot frozen for future meals. I wrapped each one in plastic wrap then in gallon freezer bag.

      Reply
    12. Liz

      December 02, 2020 at 9:58 pm

      How big of a pan do I brown my croquettes

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        December 03, 2020 at 8:37 am

        What ever size you feel comfortable using. You can do them all at once or in batches

        Reply
    13. Dana Vanhove

      December 01, 2020 at 5:03 pm

      5 stars
      I grew up in NJ, and remember back in the 70s when my mom used to make croquettes. Always loved them! Made your recipe last night with my left over turkey from Thanksgiving–and OMG it was delish! My family loved it. To make it just a bit crispier on the outside, I added a bit of cornmeal flour to the breading SO GOOD! Served atop taters, with gravy on top, a few sprigs of thyme… Broc on the side, and Mama Stamberg’s cranberry chutney, plus my lemon/ginger/jalapeno cranberry sauce. MMMMMM!

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        December 01, 2020 at 5:35 pm

        Wow that sounds delicious and I like the addition of the cornmeal to the recipe.

        Reply
    14. Beth M

      November 30, 2020 at 6:17 pm

      Made these tonight I’m a Jersey girl and have been missing this for 40 + years what a treat, I have pic’s for you too , thank you! I just don’t know how to post them

      Reply
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