Generously season each step with salt and pepper. Pan toast the breadcrumbs first, it makes the chicken nuggets very crispy.
Toasting Breadcrumbs:
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 10-inch nonstick pan on medium-high heat. Once the oil starts swirling around in the pan, indicating that it’s approaching the smoking point, add 1 heaping cup of Panko breadcrumbs. Cook them, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes until they look golden.
Ingredients
For the dip (I haven’t tried this dip):
- 1 ½ cups full-fat Greek yogurt, labneh or sour cream
- ¼ cup finely chopped chives
- ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
For the chicken:
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Buttermilk
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 large eggs, beaten to blend (maybe 1.5x on eggs, or like if doubling, do 5)
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 cups bread crumbs (preferably panko or other coarse bread crumbs)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Preparation
Make the dip: Mix yogurt, chives, parsley, dill, lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl; season with salt and plenty of pepper. Set aside.
Prepare the chicken: Marinate chicken in buttermilk overnight. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut chicken breasts lengthwise into about 1 1/4-inch-wide strips. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Mix together flour and paprika in a medium bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Place eggs in a large bowl and whisk with 1 teaspoon water (I added 2 tsp dijon). Season with salt and pepper. Put bread crumbs in a large bowl or shallow baking dish, and season with salt and pepper.
Working with few pieces at a time, toss the chicken in the flour mixture, making sure it’s evenly coated. Shake off excess flour, and dip into egg wash. Shake off any excess.
Dip chicken into bread crumb mixture a few pieces at a time, pressing to adhere as many bread crumbs as possible. Shake off any excess, and set chicken aside on a large plate.
Place breaded chicken strips on a foil- or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and bake until one side is beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Using tongs or a spatula, flip chicken and continue to cook until the other side is golden brown and crisp, another 6 to 8 minutes (don’t need to flip if you toasted the panko crumbs). Serve with herbed yogurt dip.
Tip
- If pan-frying, heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering and hot (and registers about 375 degrees on a thermometer), working in batches, add chicken strips, taking care not to crowd the skillet. Fry until one side is golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip chicken using tongs or a spatula, and continue to fry until the other side is golden brown and crisp, another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt. Serve with herbed yogurt dip.
New York Times Recipe that’s been tweaked