Ingredients
- Mince:
- 1/2 cup each diced onion & poblano chile
- 1/4 cup each diced red bell pepper and jalapeno
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp each ground cumin and dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- Saute:
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- salt and black pepper to taste
- Mash:
- 4 tbsp each cream cheese and unsalted butter,
- cubed and softened
- 2 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 tsp minced fresh lime zest
Preparation
Step 1
Pound:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (6-7oz each)
Mince onion, chile, bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, oregano and coriander in a food processor
Saute vegetable mixture in 1tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat, season with salt and pepper, and cook until moisture evaporates, 15 mins. Transfer mixture to a bowl; cool to room temperature, 15 mins
Mash cream cheese, 4 tbsp butter, vegetable mixture, cilantro and zest; season with salt and pepper
Spread filling onto plastic wrap into a 4 inch square; wrap, chill until firm, 30 mins, then quarter.
Pound, stuff, bread, and fry chicken breasts:
Pound chicken breasts to a 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, one at a time, inside a resealable plastic bag with 1 tsp water using the smooth side of a mallet. Place the bag on a kitchen towel to cushion the chicken during pounding. Avoid pounding the breasts too thin to prevent holes or torn edges.
Stuff chicken breasts by placing a quarter of the filling in the center of each pounded breast. fold the end of the breast over the filling, tuck in the sides, then continue rolling until the filling is covered. Tightly wrap the stuffed breast in plastic wrap, then repeat stuffing and wrapping the remaining breasts. Chill breasts at least one hour, as long as overnight, or freeze just until firm.
Bread the chicken by first dredging in 1/4 cup flour, then dipping into 1 beaten egg, and finally rolling in 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs, pressing to coat. at this point the crumbs need to adhere to the chicken. Wrap the breaded breasts in plastic wrap and chill to set the coating at least one hour and up to 3 hours.
Fry all the stuffed breasts until browned on both sides in 1/2" of canola oil heated to 375 degrees, 5-7 mins. After browning transfer breasts to rack set over a baking sheet and transfer to the oven preheated to 450 degrees. Roast stuffed breasts until an instant read thermometer inserted into the chicken breasts registers 165 degrees, 15-20 mins