Spinach and Artichoke Dip Chicken Fritters — Almost Right (The Highest You Get)

Martin Luther King Jr. Day. No school Monday. I took Marcus and Jasmine to the King Center downtown because Mama took me when I was their age and Mama's mama took her to marches in the sixties and the line of showing up runs through our family like a vein. Marcus read the inscriptions on the memorial and was quiet — truly quiet, which for Marcus requires an act of will. Jasmine asked, "Did he really change things?" I said, "He started changing things. We finish." She looked at me with those enormous eyes and said, "We?" I said, "Yes, baby. We."

Mama's scan was Wednesday. I sat in the hospital waiting room with Curtis for three hours and eighteen minutes. I know because I watched the clock the way you watch a clock when time is both the enemy and the answer. Curtis read a car magazine. I pretended to read a magazine about home renovation. Neither of us turned a page.

The results: the tumor has shrunk. The oncologist used the words "cautiously optimistic" which I have learned is doctor-speak for "this is good but don't celebrate yet because I've seen this movie before." Mama cried. Not the scared crying. The relieved crying — the kind that comes out sideways, through laughter, through repeating "thank you Jesus" while squeezing Curtis's hand so hard he winced. I called Darnell. I called Andre. I called Miss Ernestine, who said, "I could have told you she'd be fine. That girl is too stubborn to die." Miss Ernestine has been calling her sixty-year-old daughter-in-law "that girl" for forty years. She's never going to stop.

We celebrated. Saturday dinner at my townhouse — Curtis, Mama, me, the kids. I made the whole spread: fried chicken (the REAL fried chicken, Mama's recipe, the one I don't make often because it takes an hour and uses half a bottle of oil and is worth every clogged artery), mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and Mama's biscuits. Mama ate a whole piece of chicken — a thigh, her favorite — and said, "This is almost right." I said, "What's wrong with it?" She said, "Nothing. It's almost right. That's the highest you get." She was grinning. She was eating. She was alive and the tumor was shrinking and the biscuits were warm and my children were at the table and my father was there and my mother was there and for one Saturday night in January, the math balanced and everything was warm.

That Saturday was the kind of night you don’t try to top — you just hold it. So when I cooked again the following week, I wasn’t reaching for Mama’s fried chicken; I wanted something that carried that same warmth and comfort without the hour-long production, something I could pull together on a weeknight and still feel like I was feeding people with intention. These Spinach and Artichoke Dip Chicken Fritters are exactly that — creamy, satisfying, a little indulgent in the best way — and here’s how I make them.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip Chicken Fritters

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground chicken
• 1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed completely dry
• 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 3–4 tbsp olive oil or neutral oil, for frying

Instructions

1. Mix the fritter base. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, squeezed spinach, chopped artichoke hearts, softened cream cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, and garlic. Add the eggs, breadcrumbs, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Mix until fully combined — the mixture will be dense and sticky.
2. Form the patties. Using damp hands or a 1/3-cup scoop, shape the mixture into 12 round patties about 3/4-inch thick. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes to help them hold their shape in the pan.
3. Heat the oil. Warm 2 tbsp of oil in a large skillet (cast iron works best) over medium heat until shimmering. You want a steady sizzle when the fritters hit the pan — not aggressive spitting, not silence.
4. Fry the first batch. Working in batches to avoid crowding, add fritters and cook undisturbed for 5–6 minutes until deeply golden on the bottom. Flip once and cook another 4–5 minutes until cooked through (internal temperature 165°F). Transfer to a wire rack. Add more oil between batches as needed.
5. Rest and serve. Let fritters rest 3 minutes before serving. Serve hot alongside mashed potatoes, green beans, or anything else that belongs on a table worth gathering around.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 335 | Protein: 29g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 11g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 540mg