Chicken Breast - Crisp Fried Mexican Chicken Bundles

By á-47

Ingredients

• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tbsp. chopped canned green chiles
• 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning mix
• 5 (5-6 0z) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• vegetable oil for frying
• 1 1/4 cup plain cornmeal
• 1 tea. ground cumin
• 1/4 cup taco seasong mix
• 1 tea. salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 Tbsp. whole milk
• 3/4 cup fresh tomato salsa

Preparation

Step 1

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, chiles, and 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning mix. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until chilled.

To butterfly the chicken breast halves, use a sharp knife to cut horizontally through each breast half without cutting all the way through. Open up the cut sides, like a book, and flatten the chicken with your hands. You'll have 2 attached equal-size pieces that look sort of like a butterfly.

In a zip-lock bag place one butterflied chicken breast half. Using a meat mallet or a heavy rolling pin, pound the meat to about 1/4" thickness. (Chicken flattens easly so be careful not to tear the chicken or flatten too thin). Remove chicken breast from zip-lock. Repeat with remaining chicken breast halves.

Place 1 heaping tablespoon chilled cream cheese mixture on the narrow end of a butterflied and pounded chicken breast. Roll chicken breast up like a jelly-roll. Secure with wooden picks. Repeat with remaining butterflied chicken and filling. Set aside.

In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil to a depth of 1". Heat oil to 350 degrees.

In a shallow bowl, combine cornmeal, cumin, 1/4 cup taco seasoning mix and salt. In another shallow bowl, combine eggs and milk. Dip chicken in cornmeal mixture, coating well, then in egg mixture, then again in cornmeal mixture.

Fry chicken in hot oil for 8-10 minutes, turning once, until chicken is done. Transfer chicken to wire racks to drain.

Serve hot with fresh tomato salsa.