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Homemade Authentic Chicken Kiev will become a new dinner favorite. A crunchy gorgeous coating hides succulent tender meat with buttery garlic-herbs sauce.
Although normally associated with the cuisine of the Russian Empire, some food historians claim that the origin of chicken Kiev lies in France. In fact, in Russia, Ukraine and Poland, chicken Kiev is almost exclusively referred to as côtelette de volaille, which translates roughly to “chicken cutlet”. The premise of this dish is simple: a tender chicken breast is wrapped, while cold, around cold garlic butter and herbs, while its outside is coated with flour, egg and breadcrumbs. The wrapped parcel is then baked or friend and served sizzling with juices and bursting with flavor.
CHICKEN KIEV ORIGIN
Perhaps incongruously, considering the origin attributed by Russian sources, chicken Kiev is virtually unknown in French cuisine, where various other chicken recipes such as coq au vin are better known and more widely consumed. In France, the term à la Maréchale, or “marshall style” denotes tender, sweet meats – particularly chicken breast – that are rolled in breadcrumbs and fried or sautéed. Some people believe that Napoleon, upon his ultimately disastrous campaign to invade Russia, brought a French ancestor of modern chicken Kiev to Russia along with his ill-fated armies. In the early nineteenth century, Marie-Antoine Carême spent a few months in St Petersburg, where it is said she had an immeasurable impact upon Russian cuisine. The ancestor to modern chicken Kiev as known and popularized by Russians, the Polish and Ukrainians worldwide was almost certainly French, in that case, but the exact origin of the dish as we know it is still unknown.
For this Chicken Kiev recipe, you want to use chicken with as little fat as possible to ensure that it’s tender and generously proportioned. The chicken might lose some of its volume while being baked or fried, so let it overlap the edges of each roll a little bit so you don’t end up with little pieces of garlic butter poking out. You can minimize the chicken’s loss of volume by applying healthy amounts of flour ,egg and breadcrumbs, which will help seal the moisture inside the chicken and help it to maintain a constant temperature throughout the parcel.
The garlic butter and the breadcrumbs allow you to customize your chicken Kiev to suit your palate and express your own artistic flourish. Cayenne pepper is a popular addition to the garlic butter, as it adds an extra kick to the dish, although you can really add whatever pepper or spice you’d like as long as it’s done conservatively. You don’t want to overpower the other flavors in your chicken, after all. You can, if you’re feeling truly, recklessly adventurous, add some New Orelans-style Cajun spices to your breadcrumbs. This will flavor the “skin” of your chicken Kiev, not unlike the Southern fried chicken served across the American south, without seeping into the garlic butter or too much of the chicken flesh. If you’re adding spices for a personal touch, be wary that you should generally choose to enhance either the garlic butter or the breadcrumbs, not both. Too much seasoning is far worse than too little, and with a dish as flavor-packed as chicken Kiev, it’s in your best interests to play it safe when it comes to herbs and spices.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN KIEV
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Kiev
Ingredients
Garlic Parmesan Herb Butter
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Chicken
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8–10 ounces each)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Parmesan Panko Coating
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
For Frying
- Extra-light olive oil, canola oil, or another neutral oil with a high smoke point
Instructions
- Make the Garlic Butter: In a medium bowl, mix the butter, garlic, parsley, chives, lemon zest, Parmesan, and salt until well combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a log about 4 inches long. Wrap tightly and freeze until very firm, about 30 minutes.
- Prepare the Chicken: Place each chicken breast on a cutting board. Using a small sharp knife, carefully cut a deep pocket into the thickest side of each breast, being careful not to cut all the way through.
- Season the chicken inside and out with the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
- Stuff the Chicken: Cut the frozen butter log in half. Stuff one piece into each chicken breast, pushing it deep into the pocket. Press the opening closed as tightly as possible.
- Bread the Chicken: Place the flour in one shallow bowl, the beaten eggs in a second bowl, and combine the panko, Parmesan, garlic powder, dried parsley, and paprika in a third bowl.
- Dredge each chicken breast in the flour, then dip in the egg, and coat with the panko mixture. For a thicker crust, dip the pocket side back into the egg and breadcrumbs a second time.
- Place the breaded chicken on a plate and freeze for 15–20 minutes.
- Fry the Chicken: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Pour enough oil into a large skillet to come about ½ inch up the sides. Heat over medium heat until shimmering.
- Fry the chicken for 2–3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
- Finish in the Oven: Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over the top.
Notes
- Freeze the garlic butter until completely firm before stuffing the chicken. This helps prevent the butter from leaking during cooking.
- Don't cut all the way through the chicken when making the pocket. A fully enclosed pocket keeps more of the garlic butter inside.
- For the crispiest coating, chill the breaded chicken in the freezer for 15–20 minutes before frying.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan for the best flavor and texture. Pre-shredded Parmesan doesn't melt into the coating as well.
- An instant-read thermometer is the easiest way to ensure perfectly cooked chicken. The internal temperature should reach 165°F.
- A small amount of butter leakage is completely normal. Spoon any melted garlic butter from the baking sheet over the chicken before serving.
- Serve with lemon wedges. A squeeze of fresh lemon brightens the rich garlic butter and crispy Parmesan coating.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
