Do you really need another chicken recipe? If it’s Jamie Oliver’s recipe for Buddy’s Crispy Chicken, heck yes. The smattering of seeds and whole grains, plus a finishing spritz of lemon juice and a drizzle of honey gives tender chicken a sophisticated aura. Plus, it’s done in a jiff.
I thought about skipping the honey (Hi, I’m an adult, allegedly), but with a spiderweb-like drizzle, I was transported straight back to snacking on honey-dipped McNuggets in the back of my parents’ powder blue Plymouth station wagon as a kid.
If you’re concerned about this recipe being complicated, Jamie’s son Buddy once demoed this recipe, which only confirms it’s a shoo-in as a family favorite. I tested this dish several times, like I was auditioning to be a Jamie Oliver crispy chicken franchisee. The “fun” part—a.k.a., pounding the chicken—was probably a little less fun for my downstairs neighbors at 7 a.m., but maybe they’re just glad I didn’t clog our apartment building pipes with melted chocolate. Again.
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How I Make Jamie Oliver’s Crispy Chicken
First up: breadcrumbs. Jamie says these breadcrumbs have “attitude” which is great because we all need sassier chicken breading. While you can use any loaf you have, Jamie uses seeded whole wheat. I used a sliced whole-grain sandwich loaf. Tear it up, toss it in your food processor, double the garlic (trust me), and blitz everything together.
Next, you’re gonna go ham on your meat. Flattening the chicken tenderizes it and lets it cook a lot faster. Just use sturdy wax paper or parchment because, like a character on The Sopranos, it’s about to get whacked. I greased the paper with a little EVOO then added one chicken breast and folded the paper over the top. Grabbing a rolling pin that I’ve used way more for crushing things than rolling them out, I hammered my chicken evenly flat and peeled back the paper.
At this point, I went off recipe and sprinkled my chicken with salt, which I recommend. (You could also sprinkle it with salt at the end.) Generously sprinkle breadcrumbs on the chicken, fold the paper over the chicken again, press in the crumbs, flip the whole thing over, peel back the paper, add salt and breadcrumbs to the naked side, and press in the breading. (Pressing eliminates a messy dredge station set-up. Nice, right?)
Preheat your pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, and cook the chicken for three minutes on each side, until it’s golden brown. It’s so easy—and freakin’ tasty—that Jamie’s crispy chicken just slid into my DMs as my new weeknight favorite.
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