Soft, juicy chicken patties bound with milk-soaked bread, pan-fried to a deep golden crust and finished covered until cooked through.
Kotlety are the everyday Russian meat patty, and this version uses ground chicken thighs instead of the more common beef-pork blend for a lighter, still deeply savory result. The bread-in-milk trick, rather than dry breadcrumbs, is what keeps the inside soft: torn bread is soaked until it turns to paste, then worked into the meat along with grated onion so both practically disappear into the mixture. The patties are shaped gently, dredged lightly in flour, and seared hard in a well-oiled pan until a deep crust forms, then finished over lower heat with the lid on so the centers cook through without drying out — that final covered stage is the difference between juicy kotlety and a dry, overcooked patty. This is standard Russian home cooking, the kind of dish most people learn from a parent, usually served with mashed potatoes, buckwheat, or a simple cucumber salad on the side.
Serves 4
Tear the bread into a bowl, pour milk over it, and let it sit 5 minutes until fully softened. Mash into a paste with a fork.
Combine ground chicken, grated onion, egg, soaked bread, salt, pepper and dill. Mix by hand just until evenly combined.
Overmixing makes the patties dense — stop as soon as everything looks uniform.
Wet your hands and form oval patties about 2cm thick. Dredge each lightly in flour, tapping off the excess.
Heat oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Sear patties 3 minutes per side, undisturbed, until deeply golden.
Reduce heat to low, add a splash of water, cover, and cook another 8-10 minutes until the juices run clear.
This covered steaming stage keeps the inside juicy while the crust stays intact — don't skip it.
Grate the onion instead of dicing so it melts into the mixture rather than staying as visible chunks.
Soak bread in milk, not water — the fat and protein bind the patties without making them gummy.
Chill shaped patties for 15 minutes before frying if the mixture feels too soft to hold together.
Add finely grated carrot to the mix for a slightly sweeter, moister patty.
Serve smothered in a light sour cream and dill gravy, kotlety po-derevenski style.
Make mini versions for kids' portions, reducing the covered cooking time by 2-3 minutes.
Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat in a covered skillet with a splash of water over low heat, or in a 160°C oven until warmed through.
Kotlety take their name from the French côtelette but evolved in Russian kitchens into a distinct ground-meat patty; they became a household staple during the Soviet era thanks to how affordably bread could stretch a small amount of meat, a technique still used today.
You can, but thigh meat has more fat and stays juicier; if using breast, add an extra tablespoon of oil to the mixture to prevent dryness.
The mixture is likely too wet or wasn't rested; chill the shaped patties for 15 minutes before frying so they hold together better.
Yes — freeze the raw shaped patties on a tray, then bag them; fry from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the covered cooking stage.
Per serving (220g / 7.8 oz) · 4 servings total
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