Rice Free Herb Butter Chicken Kiev
Crispy on the outside, impossibly juicy on the inside, and hiding a molten core of herb-flecked butter ā this is the kind of showstopper dinner that makes people think you trained in a professional kitchen. The filling is a simple blend of softened butter, fresh parsley, chives, and thyme, and when it melts during cooking it essentially bastes the chicken from within. Each breast is butterflied, pounded thin, rolled tightly around that herb butter log, and then chilled so everything holds its shape through the breading and cooking process. The technique sounds involved, but the steps are straightforward and the payoff is enormous. Since the whole dish is built around chicken, fresh herbs, eggs, flour, and breadcrumbs, there is no rice hiding anywhere in the ingredient list ā making it a genuinely satisfying option when you need a hearty, grain-forward-free main that does not feel like a compromise. A quick sear in a hot skillet locks in that golden crust before a short oven finish brings the chicken all the way through without drying it out. Serve it the moment it comes off the rack and watch that herb butter come pouring out at the first cut.
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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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