Air Fryer Turkey Croquettes are truly amazing! They are light, fluffy, tender, and crispy, and they are so good with leftover Thanksgiving turkey! This is truly going to be one recipe that you will want to have extra turkey for!
Turkey Croquettes are so good! I love having leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even a homemade turkey dinner!
The air fryer does an amazing job at making something wonderful with the leftover turkey.
If you have never made Air Fryer Turkey Croquettes or even fried Turkey Croquettes before, this is a great recipe.
And you can forget about deep frying the Turkey Croquettes. With the air fryer, you can save many calories and fat and use only a few tablespoons of olive oil for healthy but crispy and perfect Turkey Croquettes.
If you are looking for even more Air Fryer Turkey Recipes, some of my favorites are AIR FRYER TURKEY BACON, AIR FRYER TURKEY ENCHILADAS, AIR FRYER TURKEY THIGHS, and AIR FRYER TURKEY BURGERS.
What Is A Turkey Croquette?
A croquette is a small fist-sized portion filled with a combination of meat, seafood, cheese, rice, or even pasta.
And then bound together by mashed potatoes, mixed with other spices, and then rolled into a breading of either breadcrumbs or Panko. Then it’s traditionally deep-fried to get a crispy exterior but a warm and tender interior.
Every country has its own variations, and it’s a great way to use leftovers. The air fryer does an amazing job at perfectly cooking them.
Ingredients Needed For Air Fryer Turkey Croquettes
- Leftover Turkey
- Stuffing
- Leftover Mashed Potatoes
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Minced Garlic
- Shallots
- Sage
- Rosemary
- Eggs
- Panko Bread Crumbs
- Fried Onion Straws
- Cranberry Sauce
- Sour Cream
- Horseradish
- Black Pepper
- Jalapeno Pepper
How To Make Air Fryer Turkey Croquettes
Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees F, air fryer setting for 5 minutes. Add leftover turkey to a food processor and pulse for 10 seconds to finely chop the turkey. Then, remove the turkey from the food processor and rinse clean. Add fried onion straws and pulse for 15 seconds. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine turkey, stuffing, potatoes, parmesan, minced garlic, minced shallot, sage, and rosemary—shape mixture into patties.
Prepare a dredging station. In one bowl, whisk the eggs with ½ cup water. In another bowl, combine panko and ground-fried onion straws.
Dip patties into the eggs, then into the bread crumbs. Press the crumbs into the patty to help them adhere.
Place croquettes into the air fryer basket in a single layer. Lightly spritz with cooking spray. Bake for 6 minutes, then flip and lightly spray again. Bake for an additional 6 minutes.
While the croquettes are baking, prepare cranberry dip. In a food processor or blender, combine cranberry sauce, sour cream, horseradish, pepper, and jalapeno—puree for 15 seconds.
Serve croquettes with cranberry dip and enjoy!
Pro Tips:
- This recipe can be prepared in any Air Fryer Basket or Oven Model. I have made this recipe several times in my Ninja Foodi, Instant Pot Vortex, Instant Pot Crisp Lid, and Mealthy Lid. The recipe will work the same. The time will vary.
- For best results, try to make the Turkey Croquettes about the same size, so they all cook up at about the same time.
- You can use any stuffing recipe for this recipe, either boxed or homemade.
Can you put frozen croquettes in an air fryer?
Yes, if you want to make frozen croquettes in your air fryer, place them into the air fryer basket and set the temperature to 360 degrees F, air fryer setting, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes.
For best results, flip them about halfway during the cooking process.
Some Other Great Air Fryer Turkey Recipes
- AIR FRYER TURKEY BREAST CUTLETS
- EASY AIR FRYER TURKEY WINGS
- AIR FRYER CAJUN TURKEY LEGS
- AIR FRYER TURKEY CUTLETS
Air Fryer Turkey Croquettes
Description
Ingredients
Turkey Croquettes:
- 2 cups leftover turkey
- 2 cups leftover stuffing
- ½ cup leftover mashed potatoes
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped sage
- 1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup fried onion straws
Cranberry Dip:
- ½ cup cranberry sauce
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp horseradish
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees F, air fryer setting, or 5 minutes
- Add leftover turkey to a food processor and pulse for 10 seconds to finely chop the turkey. Then, remove the turkey from the food processor and rinse clean. Add fried onion straws and pulse for 15 seconds. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine turkey, stuffing, potatoes, parmesan, minced garlic, minced shallot, sage, and rosemary—shape mixture into patties.
- Prepare a dredging station. In one bowl, whisk the eggs with ½ cup water. In another bowl, combine panko and ground-fried onion straws.
- Dip patties into the eggs, then into the bread crumbs. Press the crumbs into the patty to help them adhere.
- Place croquettes into the air fryer basket in a single layer. Lightly spritz with cooking spray. Bake for 6 minutes, then flip and lightly spray again. Bake for an additional 6 minutes.
- While the croquettes are baking, prepare cranberry dip. In a food processor or blender, combine cranberry sauce, sour cream, horseradish, pepper, and jalapeno—puree for 15 seconds.
- Serve croquettes with cranberry dip.
- Plate, serve, and enjoy!
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Cooking Spray
- Parchment Paper, optional
Notes
Storing, Reheating, and Freezing Air Fryer Turkey Croquettes:
Storing:
- Refrigeration: After allowing the turkey croquettes to cool to room temperature, place them in an airtight container. They will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing:
- Pre-cooking: If you’ve shaped your croquettes but haven’t cooked them yet, you can place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, ensuring they don’t touch. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container. Label with the date and contents. These can be frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to cook, you can air fry them directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
- Post-cooking: Allow the cooked turkey croquettes to cool completely. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, ensuring they don’t touch, and freeze until solid. Then transfer to a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container. Label with the date and contents. These will maintain optimal quality for up to 2 months.
Reheating:
- Refrigerated Croquettes: If you’ve stored your croquettes in the refrigerator, you can reheat them in the air fryer to regain their crispy exterior. Set the air fryer to 350°F (175°C) and heat for about 4-6 minutes, or until they’re warmed through.
- Frozen Croquettes: For croquettes that have been frozen, either pre-cooked or post-cooked, place them directly in the air fryer without thawing. Set the air fryer to 350°F (175°C) and heat for 8-10 minutes, or until they’re warmed through and crispy on the outside.
Nutrition
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