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Butter Breast of Chicken

The ubiquitous boneless, skinless chicken breast can be the quickest yet most boring, driest meal. Liven up this dinner staple with a bit of lemon zest, moisten it with butter, and crisp it with crumbs.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 (5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 large egg, beaten
2 cups panko bread crumbs

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a small bowl, combine the butter, lemon zest, white pepper, and salt. Spoon the butter onto a piece of plastic wrap. Shape the butter into a log, wrap tightly in the plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for 5 minutes or until firm.

    Step 2

    Put 1 chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness, about 1/4 inch. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts. Place one quarter of the butter in the center of each breast and roll the chicken around the butter. Secure each roll with a couple of toothpicks.

    Step 3

    Heat the oven to 375°F.

    Step 4

    Set up three shallow dishes: one with the flour, one with the beaten egg, and one with the bread crumbs. Dredge each piece of chicken in flour, next dip in egg, then pat in bread crumbs. Set the chicken in a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes or until well browned and the chicken is no longer pink in the center.

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