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Magic Crispy Chicken

4.7

(39)

Image may contain Food Fried Chicken Nuggets Dish and Meal

What’s magic about this chicken? Is it that it’s crunchier than any baked chicken you’ve ever had before? Is it that it requires fewer than 10 ingredients? Or that it takes under an hour start to finish? Actually, the answer is All Of The Above.

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

1½

pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6)

1

large egg yolk

3

tablespoons plus ¼ cup mayonnaise

1

tablespoon plus ¼ cup Dijon mustard

1½

teaspoons Diamond Crystal or ¾ teaspoon Morton kosher salt, plus more

Freshly ground black pepper

½

cup extra-virgin olive oil

2

cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1

tablespoon honey

Pinch of cayenne pepper

3

tablespoons finely chopped chives

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Position a rack in center of oven; preheat to 450°. Place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Place 1½ lb. chicken thighs on rack, then pat dry with paper towels.

    → The cooling rack is crispy food's best friend

    Step 2

    Whisk 1 egg yolk, 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 1½ tsp. salt, and several cranks of black pepper in a large bowl until smooth.

    Step 3

    Add chicken to bowl and turn pieces several times with tongs until evenly coated; set aside.

    Step 4

    Heat ½ cup oil in a medium skillet over medium. After about a minute, test oil to see if it’s hot enough by adding a pinch of panko. If tiny bubbles appear instantly around each bit of panko, you’re good to go.

    → Panko is the best thing to buy at the grocery store

    Step 5

    Add remaining panko and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until crumbs are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Make sure to get around the edges and incorporate darker crumbs that form at the perimeter.

    Step 6

    Remove skillet from heat and let cool several minutes. Place skillet on work surface next to bowl of chicken and wire rack.

    Step 7

    Using tongs, take 1 piece of chicken at a time and place in skillet. Using 1 hand, pat surrounding toasted panko over top of thigh, pressing firmly to adhere. Turn chicken and repeat on other side with more crumbs. Lightly shake off excess crumbs. Transfer chicken to wire rack.

    Step 8

    Repeat with remaining chicken pieces, transferring each to rack and spacing evenly apart. Discard any remaining panko.

    Step 9

    Transfer sheet to oven and bake chicken until fully cooked through, juices run clear when pierced with a knife, and breadcrumbs have gone a couple of shades past golden into deep brown territory, 15–20 minutes. Let cool slightly.

    Step 10

    Stir 1 Tbsp. honey, a pinch of cayenne, and remaining ¼ cup mayonnaise and ¼ cup Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Season with black pepper. Stir 3 Tbsp. chives into honey mustard sauce.

    Step 11

    Serve honey mustard sauce alongside chicken.

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Reviews (39)

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  • This was delicious, would definitely make again. I cooked the chicken 20 minutes in the oven on 450, and it was very moist. When coating the chicken, I was initially very concerned the bread crumbs would not coat each thigh. It didn't appear to fully coat each one with a thick coating, but ended up being more than enough once cooked. My boyfriend said this chicken is literally magic! Served over top of a baby kale mix. Recommend the spicy bite of lettuce with the chicken and dijon mustard sauce.

    • Anonymous

    • New York, NY

    • 8/2/2017

  • OMG - delish! Thanks for sharing! My only comment is the link to the wire rack that you recommend in the EQUIPMENT are small/cheap and don't match your recipe pictures. I use Ultra Cuisine brand because it's a half sheet size rack and the only rack (I think!) with a whole 1 inch in height, so the hot air can get the breading underneath crispy. Thanks again!

    • DeLiShoSo

    • USA

    • 8/28/2017

  • This is my dream weeknight chicken meal. I flipped the thighs over halfway through so they would get crispier—on my rack, the bottom was a little soggy the first go-around—but otherwise it's perfect. They are great over salad, tucked into a Martin's potato roll with extra honey mustard, or on top of a grain bowl. 💯

    • alyse1

    • NYC

    • 10/31/2017

  • I made these for a weekend movie night dinner with my husband, and it was a HIT. I used chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise (because that's what I had on hand), and they were still moist and delicious. Frying the panko beforehand really did keep the outside crispy--where my other attempts at baked "fried" chicken always end up soggy. My husband LOVED the honey mustard mayo sauce, and we'll probably keep making that for other meals. I served it with sautéed potatoes + onions and mixed green salads.

    • Atlanta, GA

    • 2/25/2018

  • AWESOME. I didn't check the contents of my pantry before setting out to make this, so I ended up smashing up Wasa crackers in place of the panko, and I used sour cream instead of mayonnaise. It was freaking delicious.

    • chelseamorse

    • NYC

    • 6/22/2018

  • This recipe is unbelievable. It's fool-proof and delicious. The thighs turn out moist and tender, thanks to the wet dredge. The panko makes a crispity crunchity exterior that holds its crunch even the next day in a lunch. It's super flavorful and the honey mustard on the side is wonderful. I make sandwiches out of these on a soft potato bun. Perfection.

    • trebhan1645

    • Michigan

    • 4/8/2019

  • 10/10

    • matw

    • 6/5/2019