Juicy chicken coated in super crispy shredded potato – this truly is the best kind of fried chicken!
This is one of those ‘I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of this before’ recipes. But we won’t dwell on the lost time. We are here now, and that’s all that matters. Follow me…
Preparing Hash Browns
We’ll start by grating the potato on a box grater. No need to peel! That’s just extra faff. After that, there a two important steps:
- Rinsing – I like to rinse the shredded potato in cold water to remove excess starch. The starch is what tends to make hash browns a little ‘gloopy’ in the centre, as opposed to ‘fluffy’. This step just helps the potato crisp up a bit more efficiently.
- Drying – If you didn’t rinse the potato, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. However, if you don’t squeeze out the water from the potato, it will completely ruin the recipe. It’s essential that you squeeze as much moisture from the shredded potato as possible, not only to help it crisp in the pan, but also to help it bind and cling to the chicken. I do this by twisting it in a tea towel.
Shredded Potato and Parmesan
Once you’ve shredded and dried the potato, you’ll want to combine it with Parmesan. This not only adds a boost of flavour, but it’ll also help the potato crisp up even more. Don’t skip this step.
Process shots: grate potato (photo 1), rinse (photo 2), dry (photo 3), combine with parmesan (photo 4).
Recipe Tip
DO NOT add salt to the shredded potato. It will draw out moisture and make the batter very soggy. Only season the potato AFTER the chicken has cooked.
Potato Crusted Chicken
You want the chicken nice and thin, just so it cooks at the same rate the potato does. As such, you’ll want to halve the breasts right through the centre to create thinner, more even-sized cutlets. You can even gently pound them after that if you need to.
From there, we’ve got the classic flour and egg initial coating, which will help the potato cling to the chicken. When coating the chicken in the potato, use your hands to really press it into the chicken and create a flat, even coating of potato that completely covers the chicken.
Frying the chicken is very simple because we are only shallow frying, not deep frying. You just need enough oil to fill the base of the pan – you might want to work in batches too.
Process shots: slice chicken (photo 1), coat in flour (photo 2), coat in egg (photo 3), coat in potato (photo 4), add to hot oil (photo 5), fry both sides (photo 6).
Hash Brown Chicken FAQ
These must be fried; otherwise the potato just doesn’t crisp up the way you want it to.
These are best made fresh. Prepping them ahead would just cause the potatoes to brown and go soggy. I have reheated them once cooked before, and they’re perfectly tasty, but they don’t return to the same level of crispiness.
I haven’t tried, but I imagine pork would work great! You could try chicken thighs, but you’d need to pound them nice and thin to ensure they cook through properly without the potato burning.
How to serve Hash Brown Chicken
Once the chicken has cooked, I like to rest it on a wire rack with paper towels underneath to catch excess oil. From there, you’ll want to hit them with a good pinch of salt (remember, the potato wasn’t seasoned).
When it comes to serving these, here are some ideas:
- Coleslaw and Side Salad (as I’ve done here).
- Green beans or some other veg with Gravy.
- Sliced into a wrap.
- Part of a breakfast situation with a fried egg, grilled tomato, beans, etc.
For my proper hash browns check out my Hash Brown Patties!
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this hash brown chicken shall we?!
How to make Hash Brown Chicken (Full Recipe & Video)
Hash Brown Chicken Cutlets (Potato Crusted Chicken)
Equipment
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Box Grater (for grating potato)
- Large Bowl (for rinsing potato)
- Clean Tea Towel (for straining potato)
- 3 Large Dishes (for dredging)
- Large (preferably heavy-based) Pan & Tongs (for frying chicken)
- Kitchen Thermometer
- Wire Rack and Paper Towels (for resting chicken)
Ingredients
- 650g / 1.4lbs Potatoes (see notes)
- 30g / 1oz Parmesan (see notes)
- 35g / 1/4 cup Plain Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp EACH: Paprika, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper
- 2 Eggs, beaten
- 2x 200g/7oz Chicken Breasts, take out of the fridge 30 mins or so before needed (see notes)
- 240ml / 1 cup Vegetable Oil, for frying
- Flaky Sea Salt, to serve (for just more regular salt)
Instructions
- Use a box grater to grate the potatoes (no need to peel), then place into a large bowl. Fill with enough cold water to comfortably cover the shredded potato, then use your hand to swish everything around. The water should turn cloudy from the excess starch.
- A handful at a time, grab the potato, squeeze out excess water, then place in the centre of a large, clean tea towel. Twist it into a ball over the sink and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. For extra insurance, I then like to untwist the ball and press down kitchen roll/paper towels to remove any excess water. If the potato is at all soggy, it won't bind or crisp up on the chicken.
- Place the now dry shredded potato in a large dish and combine with the parmesan (do not add salt). Place a dish with the beaten egg to the left of it, then place the flour + the seasonings in a large dish to the left of that.
- Carefully slice the chicken breasts right through the centre to create 4 even-sized cutlets. If they're still thick and/or uneven, consider using cling film and a rolling pin to gently pound them to level them out.
- One by one, coat the cutlets in the flour, then egg, then the shredded potato. You'll need to press the potato into the chicken to create a flat, even coating of potato that completely covers the chicken.
- Add enough oil to comfortably fill the base of a large (preferably heavy-based) pan. Turn the heat to medium-high and heat the oil to 180C/350F (a shred of potato should rapidly sizzle). Carefully add the cutlets and fry both sides for around 3-4 minutes until golden and crispy with the chicken cooked through the centre (safe internal temp of chicken is 74C/165F). Lower the heat/and or add in more oil if they look like they're burning/cooking too quickly (you can peek underneath to check). Place on a wire rack with paper towels underneath to catch excess oil. You may need to work in two batches.
- Serve the chicken with a good pinch of salt (remember the potato isn't seasoned), then tuck in and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
For more similar recipes check out these beauties:
