Panko-Crusted Chicken with Mustard-Maple Sauce

 

Not all food is made for everyone, unfortunately. And many times you don't know until you try it. 

Sometimes, a recipe sounds right up your alley. All of the ingredients are ones that you like. You have most of them on hand. The recipe speaks to you, calls you. It is begging to be your next meal. 

And sometimes, even though those ingredients are ones we like, something just isn't quite right. That's how this mustard and maple chicken recipe was for me. I love maple syrup. I like mustard, probably more than ketchup. I like chicken. I like panko bread crumbs. So put them all together and they seem like they would add up to something special. But in fact, it was just pretty strange. Yes, it was a mix of sweet and tart. But was it a good mix? For me and Peej, no. But I'll leave that decision to you, as everyone has different taste buds. 

Here are all of the ingredients you will need:  the original recipe calls for fresh chopped parsley, but as you can see I didn't have any fresh on hand, so I just used my handy dandy freeze-dried parsley instead. But opt for the real thing if you can :) The original recipe also calls for dijon mustard, as well as a coarse-grained mustard. I just used one kind of mustard - Grey Poupon coarse-grained country dijon mustard. So instead of the 2 tsp plus 2 tbsp dijon, and 2 tbsp plus 1 tsp coarse-grained mustard, I just used a total of 4 tbsp and 3 tsp coarse-grained dijon mustard. Sounds complicated! 

Anyhoo, first make sure to pound your chickens flat so that they sear quickly and evenly on the skillet. Our just purchase chickens that are sliced thinly. Mix together one large egg, parlsey, and 2 tsp mustard in a bowl. Be sure to get your panko bread crumbs ready on a separate plate.

Then you are gonna dip each chicken into the egg mixture, coating evenly on both sides. And then dip them into the panko bread crumbs, again coating both sides.

Then I seasoned the chickens with salt and pepper before transferring them to the skillet. Heat up a skillet with the olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until brown and cooked through. The original recipe calls for about 4 minutes on each side. I tend to cook things longer than the recipe says, but I am not sure quite how long exactly. But 4 minutes on each side is a good guideline. I guess it just depends on how thick the chickens are. Transfer the chickens to a plate when finished cooking.

While chicken is cooking, whisk together the broth, syrup, and remaining mustard. Then add the broth mixture to the skillet and boil until reduced to 3/4 cup, stirring often. It may be about 4 minutes or so. But wait for the sauce to boil, make sure you see those bubbles! Don't forget to add the butter at the end and whisk in until melted!

 

Then serve sauce alongside chicken :)

Panko-Crusted Chicken with Mustard-Maple Sauce

adapted from Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded and flattened
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp chopped freeze-dried parsley
• 4 tbsp + 3 tsp Grey Poupon country dijon coarse-grained mustard
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• salt and pepper for seasoning

Pound chickens until flattened. Whisk together the egg, parsley, and 2 teaspoons of the mustard in a bowl.  Place panko bread crumbs on a separate plate. Dip chickens into egg mixture, and turn to coat. Then dip each chicken into the panko bread crumbs, again turning to coat. Press the bread crumbs into the chickens so they stick well. Season the chickens with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, and cook until brown and cooked through, at least 4 minutes per side (depending on the thickness of your chickens).

Meanwhile, whisk broth, syrup, and remaining mustard in a glass measuring cup or bowl. Remove chickens from the skillet once finished and transfer to plates. Add the broth mixture to the skillet and boil until reduced to 3/4 cup, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add butter, whisk until melted. Spoon sauce alongside chicken.

                                                          Printable Recipe

I am linking up to:

Recipe Swap Thursday

Tasty Traditions

Foodie Friday

Family Friendly Fridays

Friday Potluck

Food Trip Friday

Friday Favorites

Ashley loved this recipe when she blogged about it. So don't base your judgment solely on our experience. The man and I didn't really enjoy this chicken. But that's not to say that someone else won't love it.