It’s doubtful that I invented this flavor concept for chicken, but I don’t know if new ideas even exist anymore. Regardless, this dish is INCREDIBLE. I made it last night for the family and it was unanimously well-received. And again for lunch today.

If you like the flavor of onions rings and sour cream & onion anything, and love juicy on the inside / crispy on the outside chicken, then you will love this recipe. The method would also work incredibly well with pounded-thin pork chops!

Also? Put this puppy between two buttered, toasted buns with a thin pickle or two and you’ve got yourself some sexy sandwich nirvana.

Essentially what you’re doing is butterflying boneless, skinless chicken breasts and marinating them in a sour cream based mixture, then breading them in those crushed up ‘crispy fried onions’ that come in the can before pan-frying them until golden brown. The sour cream helps tenderize the chicken, as well as flavor it, and the rest is just mouth-watering yummy city.

SO JUICY. SO FLAVORFUL. SO TENDER. SO CRISPY.

I can’t stop thinking about it and when I will make it again but also just now as I’m typing this I’m recalling that I have another piece in the fridge that I will likely eat tomorrow morning with an egg or something that makes it seem more breakfasty.

😅

There’s something to be said about a meal that tastes like home, but feels a bit elevated. This is that. I really hope you make it and get to watch your family taste the same love I gave to mine.

Sour Cream and Onion Chicken

Butterfly 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts so they’re relatively uniform in thickness. (Just slice through the equator at the fattest part of the breast and stop before slicing all the way through. Open like a book.)

For the marinade :

In a shallow glass dish (9×13), whisk together the following –

• 1 cup sour cream (I use full fat)
• 1 cup greek yogurt (I use full fat)
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 2 TB (or a lot) of onion powder
• 1 tsp (or several fat pinches) of kosher salt

Toss the butterflied chicken in the marinade and coat all sides. Cover and refrigerate all day / 8 hours or as long as you can before cook-time. If you think about it, go in there and flip them around a few times throughout the day to make sure they’re evenly soaked.

30 minutes before cook-time, remove from the fridge to come up to room temp.

For the breading :

In another shallow glass dish (9×13), combine the following –

• 2 mounded cups canned crispy fried onions (such as French’s) that you’ve smushed to bread crumb-ish consistency. You don’t need them to be dust, but you just don’t want large pieces.
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs (un-seasoned)
• 1 TB onion powder
• 1 TB dried chives

Line a baking sheet pan with foil (for easy clean-up) and place a wire rack on top for the chicken once it’s browned to then finish up in the oven.

When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 425. And preheat a large skillet on medium high with enough canola / light olive oil to coat the bottom.

Coat each piece of marinated chicken (do not wipe off the marinade) in the onion/breadcrumb mixture and press firmly on all sides to cover completely. (You may have some breading mixture leftover, feel free to press more into the chicken or just toss it. It’s better to have too much than too little breading when your hands are all gooped up.)

When the oil is hot and ready, carefully place the chicken into the hot oil and cook for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown before flipping and cooking the other side for the same. Add more oil as needed.

Place the browned chicken on the wire rack, immediately season with kosher salt, and place in the oven to continue to cook until cooked all the way through. It’s done when there is no pink in the center, the juices run clear when you poke or cut into it, or a thermometer reads an internal temperature of 155-160 to then rest / continue cooking and reach 165. This should take anywhere from 5-8 minutes, depending on your oven.

Finish with chopped green onions, fresh parsley, and lemon zest.

I served mine with a wild rice pilaf and roasted broccolini, but you do you.

…

that’s all for today, ya’ll. thanks for reading. be safe / stay healthy / be kind / don’t be a dumbass xx