An epicurean adventure to: Australia
These zingy and fragrant chicken rissoles are a fantastic way to transform leftover chicken into a scrumptious meal!
Our chicken rissoles recipe uses roasted peppers from a jar, fresh parsley, lemon zest, garlic and mustard to give these rissoles some freshness and oomph. Plate with a honey mustard sauce, a crunchy green salad and some fresh, crusty bread.
The Australian rissole became popular during both World Wars to stretch meat rations during these difficult times. It was made using leftover meat, bread crumbs, flour, eggs, vegetables and herbs. Over time, the recipe has evolved with families adding their own secret ingredients like beer, Vegemite, peanut butter, cornflakes, carrot, chilli and spices. All sorts!
If you're looking for a complete, filling meal with these tasty chicken rissoles, try adding this healthy sweet potato and kale salad, this healthy brown rice salad or these triple cheese stuffed courgettes as a side dish.
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Fast facts - Australia
| Location | Australia is located in the southern hemisphere and is the world's sixth-largest country by total area. It is surrounded by the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and it shares maritime borders with Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Zealand. |
| Capital | Canberra |
| Language | English is the official language of Australia. However, due to its multicultural society, more than 200 languages are spoken by its diverse population, including Indigenous Australian languages and immigrant languages. |
| Population | Circa 25 million people. |
| Trivia | Lamingtons, Australia's national cake, were ironically named after Lord Lamington, despite his distaste for them. He famously referred to these cakes as "those bloody poofy woolly biscuits." |
What's to love about this recipe
- Great way to use up leftover chicken from a Sunday roast.
- Versatile and customisable.
- Flavourful, juicy and packed with herbs and spices.
- Easy to make and prepare.
- Quick weekday supper.
- These easy chicken rissoles be enjoyed as a main course, in sandwiches, as finger food or as part of a packed lunch.
Key ingredients and substitutions
**Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients.
Cooked chicken
If you have leftover chicken, it's perfect for making these rissoles.
Alternatively, you can use pre-cooked chicken from the store or cook your own chicken, specifically for the rissoles.
While we typically use chicken breast for a healthier choice, any cut of chicken will work as long as the skin and bones have been removed.
Roasted red peppers
This recipe specifically calls for roasted peppers from a jar, typically preserved in oil. We much prefer using these peppers because they have a sweet and slightly smoky flavour.
They add more flavour than fresh peppers and the small addition of pepper-flavoured oil really makes a difference to the rissoles too.
In the supermarket, you can usually find these peppers near the jars of sun-dried tomatoes.
Herbs and spices
You will need dried oregano and fresh parsley, but feel free to swap for herbs of your choice.
Add a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper too.
Breadcrumbs
We use two types of breadcrumbs for these rissoles. For the filling, you can use any breadcrumbs available from the supermarket, or make your own.
For the coating, we use Panko breadcrumbs. These irresistibly crispy breadcrumbs are a kitchen essential! They are lighter and give a much crispier coating than ordinary breadcrumbs.
Panko can typically be found in the Asian food section of most supermarkets.
If you're unable to get hold of panko breadcrumbs, feel free to use ordinary crumbs.
For a gluten-free version, swap both the breadcrumbs and the panko with gluten-free breadcrumbs.
How to make chicken rissoles - Quick summary
- In a food processor, blend the chicken and breadcrumbs until they form a fine texture. Transfer the mixture into a large bowl.
- On a cutting board, finely chop the red pepper.
- Next, add the red pepper to the chicken mixture and stir through thoroughly. This allows the flavours of the pepper to coat the entire mixture, along with the small amount of residual oil from the pepper's skin.
- Add the rest of the ingredients apart from the panko breadcrumbs. Combine thoroughly.
- With damp hands, shape into eight chicken patties and cover thoroughly in the panko breadcrumbs.
How to cook the rissoles:
- Heat a non-stick frying pan with a little olive oil over medium heat.
- Place the rissoles in the pan and fry them for approximately three minutes on each side. Keep an eye on them and adjust the heat as needed to ensure they cook evenly.
- Fry the rissoles with the lid on. It helps to spread the heat around and cook the sides too. It also keeps some moisture in.
Make-ahead
These rissoles can be prepared a day in advance. To reheat them, you have a couple of options.
First, you can place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven at 180°C/356°F for 15-20 minutes until they are fully heated.
Alternatively, if you're short on time, you can reheat them in the microwave. Simply place the rissoles in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with cling film or a plate and heat for 2-3 minutes until they are warmed up.
Another option is to shape the patties the day before and refrigerate them uncooked until you're ready to fry.
Storage
Chicken rissoles can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. When you want to reheat them, you can use either the oven or the microwave.
Place them on a parchment-lined baking tray in the oven, heat them at 180°C/356°F for 15-20 minutes until they are heated through.
Or, to microwave, place them in a microwave-safe dish, cover with cling film or a plate and heat for 2-3 minutes until they are warmed up.
Freezing
If you want to freeze the rissoles, they can be stored for up to three months. Simply remove them from the freezer the day before you plan to use them and let them thaw in the fridge.
Once thawed, follow the same reheating instructions provided above.
What to serve with chicken rissoles
- These rissoles are delicious when paired with a homemade honey mustard sauce. You can easily whip up your own by combining 100g of mayonnaise, 20g of wholegrain mustard, 20g of honey and half a teaspoon of lemon juice.
- Serve with sweet chilli sauce.
- Sprinkle a generous amount of grated Parmesan cheese over.
- Serve with a crunchy green salad like Taboule, Jerusalem salad, Panzanella Toscana salad, rainbow salad or this healthy brown rice salad.
- Potato salad.
- Cold pasta salad like Pasta Fredda.
- In a bread roll.
- Crusty ciabatta.
- With a spicy sauce like red chimichurri.
- Chips.
- Sweet potato fries.
- Green beans.
- Flavoured rice like this Spicy Nando's rice.
- Couscous salad.
- Mashed potato.
- Garlic aioli.
- Avocado salad.
FAQ
Yes, they can. Give them a light brush with oil, place them on a baking tray and bake in the oven at 200C/392F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Turn them over halfway.
They are definitely better fried. We would suggest not coating them in panko breadcrumbs if you plan to oven bake them instead.
A rissole is a round patty made by shaping minced or shredded meat, potatoes or vegetables. It is coated with breadcrumbs and then fried or baked.
Rissoles are commonly served as snacks, appetizers or as part of a main meal.
They can be found in different cuisines worldwide, like French, British, Australian and Caribbean cuisine. The key features of a rissole are its patty shape and the way it's cooked.
Yes, they do! You can either freeze them already cooked, or freeze them covered in the crumbs, but uncooked. It's very handy to make a large batch and keep them in the freezer, ready for when you need a quick lunch or if the kids feel peckish.
They are reasonably healthy, yes.
The two factors that may add calories are the oil in which it is fried and the panko breadcrumbs. The rest of the ingredients are healthy and low fat.
To make these rissoles healthier, bake them in the oven without the breadcrumbs. You can also swap the preserved peppers from a jar for fresh peppers.
They can be! To make a super healthy version that would aid weight loss, bake the rissoles instead of frying and leave out the panko breadcrumbs. You can also swap the preserved peppers from a jar for fresh peppers.
More quick lunchtime recipes
Recipe
Chicken rissoles
Equipment
- 1 non-stick frying pan with a lid
Ingredients
- 450 gram cooked chicken
- 60 gram bread crumbs - white or wholemeal
- 100 gram roasted peppers - from a jar, preserved in oil
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley - equates to 8 grams parsley
- 2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- zest of half a lemon
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- few grinds black pepper
- 2 eggs - lightly beaten
- oil for frying
- 60 grams panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Start by cutting the chicken into smaller chunks.
- In a food processor, blend the chicken and 60g breadcrumbs (not the panko) until they form a fine texture. Transfer the mixture into a bowl.If you don't have a processor you can cut the chicken very finely by hand. It needs to be the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs.
- Chop the roasted peppers finely and add it to the chicken. Mix it through thoroughly.This allows the flavours of the jarred peppers to coat the entire mixture, along with the small amount of residual oil from the pepper's skin.
- Add the chopped parsley, mustard, mayonnaise, dried oregano, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper and finally the two beaten eggs to the chicken. Combine well.
- Using damp hands, shape the mixture into 8 patties. You can use an ice cream scoop to measure portions out, or even weigh each scoop if you want to be precise.
- Pour the panko breadcrumbs into a shallow bowl and fully coat each rissole on all sides.
- Heat a small amount of oil in a non-stick frying pan.
- Place the first rissoles in the pan and fry them for approximately 3 minutes on each side. Keep an eye on them and adjust the heat as needed to ensure they cook evenly.Keep a lid on the pan throughout frying. It helps to spread the heat more evenly and keep some moisture in.
- Add more oil if needed before frying the next batch.
- Serve immediately with a fresh green salad and some crusty bread.
**Nutritional data disclaimer**
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is calculated by a third party and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We try our best to give you the most accurate information, but we do not take responsibility for errors that may be present. Also, the nutritional value of the recipe may change depending on the exact brands and products used. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice on your dietary needs.
Nutrition
For food safety advice, including guidance on food allergies
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