Pozharsky Cutlets are coated in croutons with a melted cheese center. They're super crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. These Russian cutlets are ideal for a Sunday family dinner.
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Why This Recipe Stands Out
This is a childhood recipe I've managed to recreate after 20 years. Here's why it's so good:
- Super Juicy: Thanks to a generous amount of butter that goes inside the patty, these cutlets come out super juicy and literally melt in your mouth.
- Perfectly Crispy: Ground meat patties covered with crotons? Sign me up! These cutlets are super crisp!
- Crowd-Pleaser: The combination of a juicy, flavorful patty with the crispy, golden crust is a winner every time. This is a traditional Ukrainian recipe that everyone will love, just like my Green Borscht Soup.
Key Ingredients
- Ground Chicken – The star of our recipe, ground chicken lends a light and juicy texture to the cutlets. It's a great alternative to the traditional veal or beef.
- Chilled Butter – Using chilled butter in the mixture ensures that the cutlets stay tender and moist on the inside while developing a crispy crust on the outside.
- Cream – Cream is used to bind the ground chicken and bread mixture, adding a rich, velvety texture to the cutlets.
- Minced Onion – Finely minced onion not only adds flavor to the cutlets but also provides a bit of texture.
- Cheese Sticks – We use mozzarella cheese sticks to add a gooey, cheesy surprise in the center of the cutlets. When these are served, they ooze out when cut into.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some of our favorite variations and substitutions:
- Ground Meat: While the traditional recipe calls for ground chicken, feel free to experiment with ground turkey or even ground beef.
- Cheese: Instead of mozzarella, try using a different type of cheese. Cheddar, gouda, or Swiss cheese could all work beautifully with the creamy chicken mixture.
- Herbs and Spices: You can also add your favorite herb and spice mixes to make this recipe your own.
How to Make Pozharsky Cutlets
Step 1: Cut bread into small cubes and toast in the oven. Soak 2 slices of bread in cream. Freeze butter cubes.
Step 2: In a skillet, sauté onions until translucent. In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, sautééd onions, soaked bread, and cubes of frozen butter. Season and mix.
Step 3: Form small discs of the ground meat mixture. Place a piece of Mozzarella cheese in the center and wrap the meat around it. Roll each patty in toasted croutons.
Step 4: In a large skillet, heat oil and fry the cutlets for 2 minutes on each side until slightly golden. Finish cooking the cutlets in the oven at 375 F for 15-20 minutes.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card below.
What to Serve with Russian Cutlets
Potato Dishes
- We love serving chicken kotlety with mashed potatoes. They’re a classic, comforting side dish that pairs perfectly with these juicy, flavorful cutlets.
- We also love these Swedish Hasselback potatoes as a side to chicken cutlets.
Salads
- Since chicken cutlets are quite filling, we recommend serving them with a light, refreshing salad. This healthy napa cabbage salad is a great option.
- For a heartier salad, try this Italian cannellini bean salad. It’s loaded with protein and healthy fats.
Vegetables
- These garlic almond green beans are a quick and easy side dish that pairs well with Chicken Kotlety. The garlicky flavor complements the chicken perfectly.
- If you’re a fan of Brussels sprouts, give these easy Brussels sprouts a try. They’re crispy, flavorful, and a great way to get your veggies in.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this Pozharsky cutlet recipe, we recommend using sour dough bread. Its tangy flavor and sturdy texture make it a perfect choice for the croutons and the soaked bread that will be mixed into the ground chicken.
Freezing the butter is a crucial step in this recipe. It helps to keep the butter cold during the cooking process, which in turn prevents it from melting too quickly. This results in a juicier and more flavorful cutlet.
The cutlets are done when they are golden brown on both sides, which takes about 2 minutes per side. You can also use a meat thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F for ground chicken.
Pozharsky cutlets can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Be sure to store them in an airtight container to maintain their freshness.
If you make this recipe, please leave me a comment below and rate it. I always appreciate the feedback. Also, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.
Recipe
Pozharsky Cutlets (Russian Ground Chicken Patties)
Ingredients
- ½ lb ground chicken
- 9 slices Sourdough bread divided
- 2 oz butter chilled
- ⅓ c cream
- ½ medium onion finely minced
- ¼ c Mozzarella cheese cut into 6 equal sticks
- 6 tablespoon avocado oil divided
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Remove crust from 5 slices of bread and cut it into very small cubes. Place the cubes on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 15 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Place 2 slices of remaining bread into a shallow bowl and pour over a ⅓ cup of cream. Let it soak for 15 minutes, squeeze out an excess moisture and set aside.
- Place 2 ounces of butter on a chopping board and cut into very small cubes, approximately ¼ inch thick.Place the board with a cubed butter into the freezer for 20 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a small skillet and over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté it until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- In a large bowl combine ground chicken, sautéed onions, soaked bread and cubes of frozen butter. Season with salt and pepper and mix everything nicely.
- With your wet hands, take a heaping tablespoon of ground meat and flatten it into a small disc. Place a piece of Mozzarella cheese in the center of a disc and wrap meat around cheese.
- Fill a shallow bowl with toasted croutons, roll each patty into the croutons, pressing slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet and over medium heat and fry Pozharsky Cutlets for 2 minutes on each side until slightly golden. You might need to work in batches.
- Transfer the cutlets to a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, covered with a foil.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes You'll Enjoy
- Ukrainian Chicken Kiev - stuffed with a generous amount of herbed butter, twice breaded and baked until perfection, this traditional chicken recipe is comfort food at its best.
- Spanish Pork Chops (Libritos) - stuffed with roasted bell peppers, ham and cheese, this boneless pork chop recipe will be enjoyed by kids and adults.
Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
Geri says
To make all these, 1/2 pound of ground chicken seems like not enough to make 6 servings…
Naomie Moore says
Hi! I signed up for your email notifications a while back. Just read this recipe and is a winner. My family was originally from Wein, (Vienna.) And an acquaintance of mine that lives in Canada just left last week to go back to the Ukraine for the summer. Her family is there and she is a nurse by trade and wanted to be with family and see what she could do to help. She spent a bloody fortune for two extra suitcases stuffed to the brim with medical supplies to use / distribute. Pray for everyone every single day for them and many others. Just thought I would share since I have friends in the Ukraine and Russia. These recipes keep the bond strong. Thank you. ❤️