Classic Chicken Kiev
Chicken Kiev is lightly fried chicken with the most delicious compound butter in the middle. It is crispy and juicy and one of our top 10 favorite dinners!
Chicken Kiev is exactly the kind of recipe we crave for dinner. Don’t judge us, we’re just all about the lightly fried chicken. The difference between chicken kiev and all of your other favorite fried chicken recipes is the lemon compound butter. Mmmm! We just can’t get enough. As you cut into your chicken, the melted lemon-y, garlic butter pools out, perfect for dipping your chicken in. This is seriously a top 10 dinner around here, and we are sure you’ll love it too!
Compound Butter:
Compound butter is simple to make, and can be kept in the fridge for weeks! To make:
- Combine 6 tablespoons softened salted butter with:
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
- Zest from 1 lemon, approximately 1 teaspoon zest
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Stir all ingredients together until combined and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Serving Suggestions for Chicken Kiev:
We love a good helping of mashed potatoes on the side, to sop up any of that leftover compound butter on the plate.
Make Ahead Instructions:
You really need to fry your chicken right before serving, however you can always make the compound butter ahead of time. It lasts in the fridge for weeks.
Storage and Reheating Instructions:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon of oil in the pan until warmed through, flipping half-way through reheating.
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious chicken recipes:
Classic Chicken Kiev
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 8 tablespoons lemon compound butter (see notes)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
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Use a sharp knife to cut a slit into the chicken breasts that is 2 inches deep and about 3 inches long to create a pocket. Be sure to not cut through the breast. A thinner chicken breast will cook more evenly and quicker. If you have really thick chicken breast, you can horizontally cut them to be 1 inch thick.
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Stuff 1 1/2 tablespoon of the lemon compound butter into the pocket. Close and press around the edges.
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In a shallow dish, beat the eggs lightly. In another dish, combine the panko, flour, salt and pepper.
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Place a large skillet onto medium heat and add in about 2 inches of oil into the pan. The exact amount of oil you add into the pan will be determined on the size of the pan.
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Working in batches, carefully take the chicken breast and dip it into the egg and then into the panko mixture. Make sure the pocket stays sealed so the butter doesn’t leak out.
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Once the oil is nice and hot (between 300 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit), cook the breaded chicken breast for about 4-5 minutes per side. Try to flip only once, If you are using a thicker chicken breast, you will want to pan fry until both sides are a deep golden color and then finish the cooking of the chicken in a oven safe dish in the oven at 375 degrees for an additional 10-15 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
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Remove from oil, rest on a paper towel to drain off excess grease and serve warm with a fresh squeeze of lemon and garnish of parsley. May drizzle with remaining lemon compound butter.
- Combine 6 tablespoons softened salted butter with:
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
- Zest from 1 lemon, approximately 1 teaspoon zest
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper Stir all ingredients together until combined and store in the fridge until ready to use.