Chicken Kiev
Who doesn’t love a chicken Kiev? Meaty, buttery and crispy, these freezer goodies have always been a treat but they are often a treat which come with a crazily high points value. My hubby has always been a fan of a Chicken Kiev so a few years ago I thought I should set about creating a more healthy version for us to enjoy without the over indulgence and this recipe was born. We had it so many times and then promptly forgot about it and so when, a couple of weeks ago, the hubbie asked for it again I dug the recipe out and made some tweaks and improvements. The result was even better than I remembered and the dish ended up on our menu plan three weeks in a row!
If you are going to make the Kiev try and make sure you use nice big chicken breasts. This way when you make the pocket to add the butter, it won’t cut all the way through to the other side. Try and make the garlic butter in advance as the dish really benefits from it being firm (it will ooze out less during cooking). You can make a big batch of the butter and freeze ahead if you like, that way you’ve always got some ready in the freezer (it can also be used to make easy garlic bread)!
You can serve your Kiev with whatever you fancy. I find them quite filling, so I usually serve with a nice green salad, peas and corn on the cob.
POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Serves 4 – per serving = 6 points or 356 cals, 12.4g fat, 14.7g carbs, 45.7g protein
Ingredients
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
Pinch of sea salt
Small handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
50g light butter
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1 lemon
4 x 150g chicken breasts
40g plain flour
1 tsp paprika
2 eggs
40g panko breadcrumbs
10g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Low calorie cooking spray
Salt and black pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan).
- Begin by making the garlic butter. Put the garlic, sea salt and parsley in a pestle and mortar and grind until combined. Add the butter, oregano and juice of the lemon and mash everything together.
- Take a small piece of cling film, add the butter to the centre in a sausage shape and use the cling film to roll it into a longer sausage shape. Wrap and place in the fridge until firm. You can make this in advance and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you are in a rush, you can also whack it straight in the freezer.
- Now take a chicken breast and, using a sharp knife, make a deep cut in the thickest part of the breast to create a ‘pocket’, being careful not to cut all the way through the breast. Repeat with the other three breasts.
- Next, set up your ingredients ready to bread the chicken. Take three large bowls. In one, put the flour, season with salt and pepper and add half the paprika. In the second, crack and whisk the eggs. In the third, mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt and pepper, the other half of the paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Next, remove the butter from the fridge/freezer and slice into 5mm rounds (you should end up with three discs per breast). Add the discs into the pocket of the chicken and close the chicken tightly round the butter.
- Then, taking each breast in turn, dredge in the flour, then the egg and then the breadcrumbs, coating well. Add to a foil-covered baking tray. Pop the chicken back in the fridge for half an hour if you have time (this is to allow everything to firm up – I’ve made this without rechilling and popped straight in the oven and it’s been totally fine).
- Spray each Kiev with low-calorie cooking spray and then bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
This is fabulous- recipe was easy to follow. It was sooo tasty. I’ve really missed chicken Kiev so this will definitely be made again in the next couple of weeks. I put the garlic butter in Individual segments in the freezer. Brilliant. Thank you ?
So pleased you enjoyed it Gemma!!
Absolutely delicious my second favourite recipe after crispy chilli beef
what to do with chicken kiev already rolled add too much oregano what to do can I sprinkle something on top of them before baking?
Love this recipe. Very tasty – a winner for all the family.