Hey there fellow twenty-somethings. One thing you might not know about me is I love to cook and host dinner parties. Over the years hosting a game night with a home cooked meal has taken the place of bar hopping on a Friday night among my group of friends.
Here is one of my favorite and most popular recipes when hosting a dinner party/game night. I hope you enjoy it. Make sure you post pictures of your final product on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and share #gentwenty and tag us! Bon Appetite!
Panko-Crusted Chicken with Tomato Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients:
– (4) 4-6 oz. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast (pro-tip: try to get the thin sliced chicken breast – this way you don’t have to beat it with a mallet until chicken is thin enough)
– Sea Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
– 1 Cup Panko Crumbs (you can find this on the bake good aisle by the Italian bread crumbs)
– 1 TBSP Dried Tarragon or Oregano
– ½ Cup Egg Whites or 2 Large Eggs
– 5-6 oz. of Cherry Tomatoes, red or yellow halved (Trader Joes has some really great cherry Heirloom Tomatoes that are perfect for this)
– 3-4 Green Onions trimmed and thinly sliced
– 3 TBSP Lemon Juice or 1 Large Lemon, juiced
– 6 TBSP Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, halved
– 2 TBSP Unsalted Butter
– 1 lemon for garnish
Directions:
1. Pat down chicken with a paper towel and set aside on plate.
2. Fill one bowl with egg whites or (2) beaten eggs.
3. Fill another bowl with panko crumbs, pinch of sea salt, black pepper, and dried tarragon or oregano. Mix all ingredients together.
4. Dip each piece of chicken into the eggs, letting the excess drip away, and then press both sides into the panko mixture. Place piece on large plate or baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 mins. (Pro-tip: I find the longer you let it sit the better the crust sets.)
5. Cut cherry tomatoes into halves and place in a mixing bowl. Add the thinly sliced green onions to the bowl. Add lemon juice or fully squeezed lemon to the bowl, with 3 TBSP of extra-virgin olive oil. Feel free to add salt, black pepper and/or tarragon/oregano to the mixture for extra flavor. Mix, and set aside.
6. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, and add butter. Once butter has melted or started to foam add the reaming 3 TBSP of Extra-virgin olive oil to the pan. Swirl around and place chicken in the pan and increase heat to medium-high.
7. Cook chicken for 4 minutes on each side or until crust is golden brown.
8. Place cooked chicken on platter and spoon on tomato salad to cover all four pieces.
9. Slice remaining lemon and garnish your panko-crusted chicken. Eat up!
About the Author
Lauren graduated from Hofstra University with a bachelor's degree in communications and a minor in psychology. She enjoys spinning, crafting, and Saints football. She is currently getting her teaching credential with hope to inspire future generations.