Air Fryer Turkey Croquettes [Make w/Leftovers]

You are going to want to make extra food, just to make these delicious Air Fryer Turkey Croquettes with Thanksgiving or Christmas leftovers.

Every year, we all cook a huge Thanksgiving Dinner.

At the end of the night, we are left with tons of food. Do we really want to repeat the same meal tomorrow?

Probably not. But, what if we can the leftovers and turn them into a totally different and yummy experience?

Introducing Air Fryer Turkey Croquettes!

I was having a bit of trouble naming this recipe. I knew it reminded me of something that I grew up eating and loving, but couldn’t put my finger on it.

For lunch the next day, I reheated up these Croquettes and they were so much better.

Then it hit me. They taste just like the Cuban Croquetas de Jamon (only with Turkey) from the Cuban Bakery down the street from my house in Miami, even though the ingredients are totally different.

I ate those things by the dozen. One year, I was in charge of my law firm’s holiday party and I ordered a couple hundred Croquetas de Jamon to be delivered to my office.

 

It is so simple to make Air Fryer Turkey Croquieetes.

How to make Turkey Croquettes in the Air Fryer.

Leftover Pressure Cooker Turkey (or oven roasted, or even fried turkey) is chopped up into small pieces.

It is then enveloped with your leftover Pressure Cooker Easy Stuffing Recipe, assuming you have leftover Stuffing.

You will love these Air Fryer Turkey Croquettes so much, that I suggest you make double the Easy Stuffing Recipe for Thanksgiving, just so that that you have lots of leftovers.

A huge bonus for cooking your Easy Stuffing Recipe in the Pressure Cooker, is that you will have very moist stuffing, which is perfect for cooking in the Air Fryer.

The Turkey and Stuffing Balls, are then lightly breaded and “fried” in the Air Fryer.

The Gravy from the Pressure Cooker Turkey and Gravy recipe makes a great dipping Sauce.

 

Chop the Turkey into small pieces.

Wrap the Stuffing around the Turkey and roll it into a tight Ball or Cylinder.

 

Each Bite should be no bigger than the size of a Golf Ball.

Squeeze them with your hands, so they are very compact.

They will puff up a bit during cooking, so plan accordingly.

 

Make sure to use a Wire Whisk and vigorously whisk the Eggs until aerated and very frothy.

The frothier the better.

 

I suggest investing in a Breading/Prepping Station set up. They are cheap and work well.

They are much easier to use than the set up in the photo above.

The Stainless Steel reflects my lights, so I just used white dishes to avoid the glare.

Similar recipes use All Purpose Flour for the first step. I prefer to use Potato Starch.

In my opinion, the Potato Starch is a lighter tasting breading and won’t gum up, like flour does in the in the Air Fryer.

Plus, it will act as a barrier between the outside of the Croquettes and the Turkey and Stuffing inside the Breading, making sure each bite is crisp and crunchy and moist inside.

 

For instance, check out my Air Fryer Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken Wings recipe.

The skin of the chicken becomes super crispy and crunchy and acts as a barrier to keep the juices in the chicken meat and not dry out the chicken.

These Air Fryer Turkey Croquettes will be ultra crispy with a moist interior, as a result.

 

If your Pressure Cooker Stuffing and Pressure Cooker Turkey are already highly seasoned, you won’t need to add Salt to the Potato Starch.

I did add Freshly Ground Multi-Color Pepper to my Potato Starch.

Dredge the Croquettes through the Potato Starch and make sure they are completely coated.

 

The frothy egg will puff up the Air Fryer Turkey Croquettes during “frying.”

If you want a spicy version, try adding a 1/2 teaspoon of Sambal Oelek Chili Paste or Frank’s RedHot Sauce to the Egg Mixture.

 

The Panko will add a second layer of crunch to the Thanksgiving Turkey and Stuffing Bites.

Coat them thoroughly.

 

Get all the Balls all rolled and ready to go.

The Oil Mister I use is The Olive Oil Sprayer / Mister for Cooking. I am able to completely spray six of these Air Fryer Turkey Croquettes, on just one charge. The Olive Oil Sprayer / Mister for Cooking is the best Oil Mister I have owned and has out lasted all the others.

I like Extra Virgin Olive Oil Grapeseed Oil for this recipe. Feel free however, to use Vegetable Oil, or another Oil that does well with high heat and won’t burn so fast.

It is important to always use a high quality Oil in all your cooking. This is one ingredient where quality does matter…It matters a lot!

Another wonderful Air Fryer recipe is my Air Fryer Hamburger Hamlet Zucchini Zircles and my Air Fryer Chinese Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings. Both these recipes are off the chart!

 

If you have been following my Blog, you have probably read my Article entitled How to Properly Season Air Fryer Basket to Prevent Sticking.

You know it is an essential trick keep food from sticking and to make sure the Breading does not get stuck to the Basket and pull away from the Air Fryer.

For this recipe, prior to placing the Turkey Croquettes into the Air Fryer Basket, grab your Oil Mister and douse the Croquettes on all surface areas. It will feel like you are using a lot of Oil, but really, for a dozen Air Fryer Turkey Croquettes, probably only two teaspoons are used and much of the Oil drips away during cooking.

Place the Basket into the Air Fryer and cook until nice and brown. Keep your eye on the Croquettes, as you may need to cook them longer, depending on the size.

Make sure to get them nice and crisp.

 

Grab some of my delicious Pressure Cooker Gravy and my Pressure Cooker Cranberry Sauce for dunking.

If you are not a Cranberry Sauce lover, skip it. These Croquettes are even good, totally plain.

Enjoy the crunch of the bite and then the moist chew of these Air Fryer Turkey Croquettes. You are going to make these over and over again.

For another yummy Thanksgiving or Christmas recipe, check out my Holiday Party Southern Turkey or Ham and Cheese Buns and my Pressure Cooker Cranberry French Toast/Bread Pudding recipes.

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

• Ultrean 8.5 Quart Air Fryer
• J.A. Henckels Classic 8 inch Chef’s Knife
• Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
• Simply Gourmet (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
• Rösle Stainless Steel Flat Whisk– a MUST have, probably my most used utensil
• Electric Pepper Mill
• Pressure Cooker Turkey and Homemade Gravy Recipe
• Pressure Cooker Easy Stuffing Recipe
• Pressure Cooker Orange Ginger Cranberry Sauce Recipe
• Olive Oil Sprayer / Mister for Cooking
• Bob Mills Potato Starch
• Panko (Japanese Bread Crumbs)

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Here is the handy printable recipe:

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