Chicken Kotleti - Russian Chicken Burgers

Russian Burgers, called “Kotleti” in Russian, are  delicious, juicy fried patties made from a minced poultry with onions, eggs, bread and herbs. There are different versions of the cutlets and it’s one of the most popular dishes in Russia and Ukraine, served with side dishes such as mashed or fried potatoes, pasta, or buckwheat.  

Now, this dish has a special place in my son’s heart. I think for him chicken cutlets is the most comforting and homey food, his grandma recipe. After the school potluck success he asks me to make them every time his friends come to visit for the first time.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts, boneless skinless, washed (about 1 kg)
1 onion, peeled and cut to quarters
4-6 slices of white sandwitch bread
2 eggs
Parsley
Salt, pepper to taste
Oil for frying
Every time I buy a package of chicken breasts, I cut each breast to get 1 or 2 perfect schnitzels and the trimming leave for the grinding. In case you don’t need schnitzels or don’t have the chicken trimmings, use the whole chicken breasts. You can also combine two kinds of meat, for example: chicken with beef or pork mixed half and half.

Directions

Clean and cut the chicken breasts to small cubes or strips to fit the grinder.
Grind the meat, followed by parsley and onion.
Remove the crust from the bread and wet it under the running water. Gently squeeze the water, just a bit, and grind the bread the last, to push all the meat, onion, and parsley through.
Note: some people prefer to soak the bread in milk.
In a bowl, combine the ground mixture with egg, salt, pepper, spices and mix well.
Beat the mixture by throwing it into a bowl a couple of times. By beating off the meat mixture you will remove the excess air which will make the texture of mixture more smooth and uniform, and cutlets will not fall apart during the frying.

Scoop the meat with a spoon. Gently shape the meat into balls and then flatten into patties.
Pour enough oil into the frying pan to generously coat the bottom. Heat on the stovetop over high heat until the oil shimmers and carefully add patties to avoid the splattering.
Don’t move or flip the cutlets for at least 5 minutes or until nice golden-brown. Flip cutlets carefully with a spatula and fry on the other side for about six to seven minutes.

Serve hot with mushed or fried potatoes, salad or Sauteed vegetables.