Carrageenan Free Herb Butter Chicken Kiev
Few dishes deliver a more satisfying moment than slicing into a golden, crispy roll and watching a river of herbed butter spill out ā and this classic preparation absolutely delivers that experience. The filling is a simple compound butter made from scratch with fresh parsley, chives, and thyme, which means you know exactly what's going into it with zero mystery additives or stabilizers. Carrageenan, a thickening agent commonly found in pre-made compound butters, flavored spreads, and some processed dairy products, is completely off the table here because everything is built from plain unsalted butter and fresh herbs. The chicken is pounded thin, tightly rolled around the chilled butter log, and breaded with a straightforward flour-egg-breadcrumb coating before being seared to a deep golden crust and finished in the oven. That two-step cooking method ā stovetop sear followed by a hot oven ā gives you crackling, even browning on the outside while keeping the inside juicy and letting the butter melt into something almost sauce-like. It's the kind of showstopper dinner that looks far more technical than it actually is, and every ingredient on the list is clean, whole, and easy to source with confidence.
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Learn more āIngredients
4 servings
For the herb butter
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- Ā½ tsp fine sea salt
For the chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 7ā8 oz each)
- Ā½ tsp fine sea salt
For the breading
- Ā½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
- Ā½ tsp fine sea salt
For cooking
- 3 tbsp neutral oil (such as sunflower or avocado oil)
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Make the herb butter: In a small bowl, mash together the softened butter, parsley, chives, thyme, and 1/2 tsp salt with a fork until the herbs are evenly distributed throughout the butter. Scrape the mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap, roll it into a log about 1 inch in diameter, and twist the ends to seal. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until firm.
- 2
Butterfly each chicken breast: Place one breast flat on a cutting board and, holding your knife parallel to the board, slice horizontally through the thickest part, stopping about 1/2 inch from the opposite edge so the breast opens like a book. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the opened breast and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Repeat with the remaining breasts.
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