Crispy Greek Chicken

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Ultra crispy and delicious chicken topped with a tangy and refreshing chopped Greek salad.

Prep Time35

Cook Time10

Total Time45

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Greek, Western

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Equipment

Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Cling Film & Rolling Pin or Mallet (for pounding chicken)
3 Small Curved Trays or Large Dishes (for dredging chicken)
Large Pan & Tongs (for frying chicken)
Wire Rack & Large Tray or Paper Towels (for resting chicken)
Large Mixing Bowl & Whisk/Fork (for salad)

Ingredients

Salad

200g / 7oz Tomatoes, diced
100g / 3.5oz Cucumber, diced
100g / 3.5oz Feta, diced
75g / 2.6oz Green Pepper, diced
75g / 2.6oz Kalamata Olives, diced
1/2 small Red Onion, finely diced
2 tbsp finely diced Fresh Dill
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1/8 EACH: Salt, Black Pepper (or to taste - see notes)

Chicken

2x 200g/7oz Chicken Breasts
35g / 1/4 cup Plain Flour
2 Eggs, beaten
75g / 1 1/4 cups Panko Breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp EACH: Salt, Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
120ml / 1/2 cup Olive Oil, or as needed

To Serve

Flaky Sea Salt (optional - sub regular salt)
1 Lemon, halved
Tzatziki (optional - see notes)

Instructions

Salad: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper. Toss in all the remaining ingredients and place to one side (toss now and then during if you can).
Prep Chicken: One by one, lay a chicken breast on a chopping board, then lay over a sheet of cling film. Use a rolling pin or mallet to pound the chicken. You want to get it nice and thin (or at least level thickness), but don't go overboard to the point it breaks apart.
Seasoning: In a small pot or bowl, combine 1 1/2 tsp oregano, 1 tsp salt and garlic powder and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
Coat Chicken: Line up 3 large shallow dishes or curved trays - the first with flour and half of the seasoning mixed in, the second with beaten egg and the third with Panko and the rest of the seasoning mixed in. One by one, take the chicken and carefully coat it in the flour, then the egg and finish in the Panko. Make sure you thoroughly coat the chicken at each stage.
Cook Chicken: Place a large pan over medium-high heat and fill with enough oil to comfortably cover the base of the pan. You want the oil hot enough that a crumb rapidly sizzles (I recommend using a thermometer and getting it to 180C/350F). One by one, fry the chicken for around 3-4 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Timings will depend on how thick the chicken is (safe internal temp is 74C/165F for reference). Place on a wire rack with a tray or paper towels underneath and finish with a pinch of salt.
Serve: Spoon the salad over the chicken and finish with a good squeeze of lemon over everything. Tuck in and enjoy!

Notes

a) Salad Size - You want to dice everything nice and small, just so you get a chance of getting everything at once with each bite.

b) Salad Seasoning - The olives and feta will add a good bit of salt, so go easy in the first instance when seasoning. Just work to taste.

c) Vinegar - I find 1 tbsp hits the spot, but you can add more (a tiny splash at a time) if you feel it needs it.

d) Timings - I like to make it first and let the flavours mingle together. There will be a pool of juices in the bottom of the bowl from where the salt draws moisture from the veg - you can drizzle some of this over at the end (don't waste the flavour).

e) Serving - The juices from the salad and the lemon juice will counter the crispy chicken nicely. You can serve with a dollop of Tzatziki (store-bought or homemade) if you want a little sauce on the side. I also sometimes serve with fries, but it's a pretty hearty dinner already, so they're not essential.

f) Calories - Assumes 1 tbsp olive oil is soaked up per chicken and all the coating is used (overestimate and it won't all be used to coat the chicken).

Nutrition