Overhead view of the best chicken kyiv, sliced in half and with garlic butter oozing

Best-of-the-best chicken kyiv

Name: Best-of-the-best chicken kyiv
Prep time: 35 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts; 60g plain flour; 3 medium eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt (see Before You Start); 80g panko breadcrumbs; Vegetable oil to shallow fry; For the butter; 30g unsalted butter, softened; ½ small shallot, finely chopped; 15g garlic (about 3 large cloves), finely grated; 1 tsp capers, roughly chopped; 1 anchovy fillet in oil, chopped then mashed to a paste with the flat side of the knife; 10g mixed soft herbs (such as basil, parsley, chives, tarragon and/or dill), finely chopped; ¼ green chilli, very finely chopped (optional)

4 Reviews

Portion size: Serves 2
Hands-on time 35 min, plus freezing
Difficulty: medium

Pollyanna Coupland

Food producer, delicious.

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Forget the frozen ready-meal version of the 1970s and 80s – this recipe shows why the chicken kyiv has stood the test of time. The classic kyiv is given a little extra kick with an amped-up garlic butter, surrounded by tender chicken breast and perfectly encased in super-crunchy golden breadcrumbs. This is our best-ever recipe; discover the tips and tricks we learned along the way in this guide to making the best chicken kyiv of your life.

Loved this dish? Check out our best of the best lasagne, too.

Before you start

Beating the eggs with salt helps to ‘denature’ their proteins, meaning the yolk and white combine better, becoming smoother and easier to apply to the chicken.

Breadcrumbing (a technique known as ‘pané’ in French) is a simple process – but it can get messy. Try to keep one hand ‘wet’ (for the egg) and one ‘dry’ (for the breadcrumbs) to make things easier for yourself and achieve a neater finish.

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Ingredients

2 chicken breasts
60g plain flour
3 medium eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt (see Before You Start)
80g panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil to shallow fry

For the butter

30g unsalted butter, softened
½ small shallot, finely chopped
15g garlic (about 3 large cloves), finely grated
1 tsp capers, roughly chopped
1 anchovy fillet in oil, chopped then mashed to a paste with the flat side of the knife
10g mixed soft herbs (such as basil, parsley, chives, tarragon and/or dill), finely chopped
¼ green chilli, very finely chopped (optional)

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Method

Mix all the ingredients for the butter in a bowl, then roll into a thin log (no wider than 1cm) on a sheet of baking paper. Wrap, then put in the freezer for 30 minutes until solid.
Put the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of baking paper and bash the thicker ends with a rolling pin until they’re an even thickness throughout. You don’t want to flatten them (like you would a schnitzel); you just want to make the thicker end the same as the thinner end so they cook evenly. Use a sharp, thin-bladed knife to carefully cut open a long, thin pocket by pushing it lengthwise into what was the thicker end – keep it along the centre of the fillet. Use your finger to check the cavity, then unwrap the butter and slice off a piece that’s slightly shorter than the length of the pocket. Gently push it into the opening, getting it as far inside as you can, then close the pocket of chicken over it.
Set up a shallow dish of flour, a separate one of beaten egg and a third of breadcrumbs. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge each breast in flour, followed by egg, then breadcrumbs until evenly coated (see Before You Start). Repeat the egg and breadcrumb coating once more to create a strong crust to keep the butter in.
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Pour oil into a large frying pan until it’s about 2cm deep, then set over a medium-high heat. Once it’s hot (it’s ready when a breadcrumb dropped in turns golden and crisp within 30 seconds), carefully lay the kyivs in there and fry for 4-5 minutes on each side, turning down the heat if they’re browning too quickly. Drain on kitchen paper briefly, then sprinkle with sea salt flakes. If you’re not eating straightaway, leave the kyivs on a wire rack to prevent soggy bottoms.