Panko Southern Fried Chicken

One easy way to get delicious, juicy fried chicken is by using Panko breadcrumbs. It’s super crispy, looks great, and best of all has a cleaner bready flavor than other brands. Make sure to make extra with this simple recipe since your family will be asking for seconds and you’ll be able to enjoy leftovers too.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups olive oil
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts 
• 1 cup 4c Japanese Style panko breadcrumbs
• ½ tsp. salt or to taste
• 1 tsp. Knorr Chicken Flavor Bouillon
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp. paprika
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• 1 egg
• Optional:
• 1 tsp. Cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Pour the oil and bring it up to medium heat in a stock pot or a large skillet. If you have a thermometer, the oil should reach 300 degrees (F). 
2. While the oil is heating up you can cut the chicken breast in half lengthwise, so that it’s thinner, cooks quicker, and more evenly.
3. Now, in a large mixing bowl, mix the Panko, salt, chicken bouillon, garlic powder, paprika, pepper and cayenne. (If you choose to add it.)
4. Crack your egg into a smaller bowl and beat it until it’s well mixed.
5. Once you’ve got both bowls fully mixed, dip each piece of chicken in the egg wash and allow any excess to mostly drain off back into the bowl. Then, dredge the chicken in the Panko mixture, making sure to completely cover it. Once covered, repeat the process one more time. (This makes the chicken extra crispy.)
6. Once the oil is up to temp, add a few pieces of the chicken to the pan. Make sure you don’t crowd them so that they can cook evenly.
7. Leave them to fry for about four to five minutes per side, or until the chicken is golden brown. If you’ve got an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature should reach at least 165 degrees (F).
8. Finally, as you continue to cook the chicken, move the cooked pieces to a wire rack with a paper towel underneath it to rest and cool down. 
9. Serve while still warm.

Side Note:

You can place leftovers in the fridge and later reuse it in a pasta salad. If you’re concerned about the Panko mixture not sticking to the chicken you can try adding another bowl with just flour. You’d then dredge the chicken in flour before the eggs, then onto the Panko bread crumbs, but the crumbs should stick as is. If you’d like a lighter coating of bread, feel free to go through the dunking process only once. You can also feel free to add or subtract seasonings to your liking, and change the crumbs to any flavor you’d like to try as long as it’s Panko. Just keep in mind that if you’re using flavored Panko bread crumbs, you take some of the seasoning away so that it doesn’t end up over-salted or seasoned. This entrée would go great with some home-made mashed potatoes or mashed baked potatoes with chives, some green beans seasoned with butter, salt, and pepper, and some home-made sweet tea with lemon.