A Wonderful Cookbook with a Year of Quick, Delicious Meals to Help You Prevent and Manage Diabetes

Asian Chicken Fritters

reprinted with permission from The Six O’Clock Scramble Meal Planner: A Year of Quick, Delicious Meals to Help You Prevent and Manage Diabetes by Aviva Goldfarb

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

These crispy little cuties, from Scramble intern Molly Rubel, are so much fun to make and eat. You can eat them on buns if you prefer, but we like them best dipped in a little Asian sweet chili sauce. Serve the fritters with steamed rice and edamame.

Ingredients for main dish:
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 - 1/2 –inch chunks
8 - 10 oz. diced water chestnuts, chopped into 1/4 – 1/2- inch chunks
6 scallions, dark and light green parts, thinly sliced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup flour (use wheat/gluten-free if needed)
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce (use wheat/gluten-free if needed)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder, (look for salt-free variety)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
3 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. Asian sweet chili sauce or teriyaki sauce, for serving (optional)

Ingredients for side dish - White or Brown Rice:
1 - 2 cup white or quick-cooking brown rice

Ingredients for side dish - Steamed Edamame (Japanese Soy Beans)
16 oz. edamame (Japanese soy beans, sold frozen) or frozen peas
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. kosher salt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the oil and chili sauce. (Start the rice now, if you are serving it.)

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat (a cast iron skillet works especially well for even browning) and add half the oil. When it is hot, scoop the chicken mixture into the skillet (an ice cream scoop works well for even fritters), making sure not to crowd the pan—you might even want to use two large skillets, or cook them in two batches, using the remaining oil for the second batch. Fry the fritters until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes per side, and transfer them to the baking sheet. Bake the fritters until they are cooked through, 6 – 8 minutes. (Meanwhile, make the edamame, if you are serving it.) Serve immediately. Makes about 12 fritters

Do Ahead or Delegate: Cut the chicken, chop the water chestnuts, slice the scallions, beat and refrigerate the egg, combine the dry spices with the flour, make and refrigerate the fritter batter.

Scramble Flavor Booster: Use the optional Asian sweet chili sauce or teriyaki sauce, increase the garlic powder and the ground ginger to 3/4 tsp. each.

Tip: You may notice that I suggest using a silicone mat in some of my recipes (including the one above). The reason I like them is that they are a great (and earth friendly) alternative to foil or parchment paper when baking. They are reliably non-stick and are oven safe to 475 degrees.

Serve with White or Brown Rice Prepare the rice according to the package directions.

Serve with Steamed Edamame (Japanese Soy Beans) Prepare the edamame according to the package directions. Sprinkle the cooked edamame with kosher salt, if desired.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (% based upon daily values)
Calories 208, Total Fat: 9g, 13.5%; Saturated Fat: 1g, 5%; Cholesterol: 75mg, 25%; Sodium: 372mg, 15.5%; Total Carbohydrate: 12g, 4%; Dietary Fiber: 2g, 8%; Sugar: 3g; Protein: 20g

Nutrition with side dishes
Calories 489, Total Fat: 15g, 23.5%; Saturated Fat: 2g, 8%; Cholesterol: 75mg, 25%; Sodium: 386mg, 16.5%; Total Carbohydrate: 55g, 18%; Dietary Fiber: 7g, 25%; Sugar: 3g; Protein: 34g

Points values are calculated by Snack Girl and are provided for information only. See all Snack Girl Recipes