Recipes

Chicken Kiev

  • Serves

    serves 4

  • Cook

    2 hours 50 minutes

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNY HUANG; FOOD STYLIST: TYNA HOANG

By SAVEUR Editors


Published on December 10, 2019

Using fresh bread crumbs and brightening the butter in the center with fresh dill and lemon are key to making the ultimate chicken Kiev.

Though it's named for Ukraine's capital city, chicken Kiev is probably not a Ukrainian dish. Some say it was conceived by the French inventor Nicolas Appert in the 18th century; others claim it was created at a private club in Moscow in 1912. Either way, we love it for its crisp exterior and its luscious core of dill-flavored butter.

To make one cup of fresh bread crumbs, cut the crusts off of three slices of white sandwich bread, tear the bread into pieces, and pulse it in a food processor—two or three times for coarse crumbs, more for a finer consistency.

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1½ tsp. finely chopped fresh dill
  • 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (about 6 oz. each)
  • 4 cups fresh bread crumbs
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • Vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

Step 1

In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, dill, lemon juice, and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper; mix well. Spread a 12-inch piece of plastic wrap on a work surface, and mound the butter onto one end, forming a 2-by-3-inch rectangle. Wrap the butter in the plastic, retaining the shape, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Step 2

Place each chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap; using a mallet, pound them evenly to ¼-inch thickness. Season each chicken breast with salt and pepper. Retrieve the compound butter from the refrigerator, and cut lengthwise into 4 equal-size bars. Place 1 bar in the center of each breast. Fold the ends over the butter; roll up each piece tightly to enclose the butter. Secure with toothpicks, if desired.

Step 3

Whisk together bread crumbs, thyme, and 1 tsp. salt in a bowl and season generously with pepper. Put flour and eggs into 2 separate shallow dishes. Working with 1 chicken roll at a time, dredge in flour, then eggs, followed by bread crumbs. (Firmly press bread crumbs onto chicken; shake off excess.) Transfer to a sheet pan, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Step 4

In a large straight-sided skillet, add enough oil to reach ½ inch up the sides of the skillet. Heat over medium until the oil registers 325°F on a deep-fry thermometer. Add the chicken, then reduce the heat to medium-low; cook, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Remove toothpicks, if using. Serve immediately.

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