Crispy Cheddar & Jalapeño Coated Chicken Breasts

By gvcathy

Ingredients

• 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 7 oz. each), trimmed of excess fat
• 1 cup plain yogurt, preferably whole-milk
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
• 1 Tbs. light brown sugar
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups Toasted Breadcrumbs
• 1/4 lb. tortilla chips, crushed into coarse crumbs (about 1-1/3 cups)
• 1/4 lb. sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 lightly packed cup)
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup sliced jarred jalapeños, chopped and patted dry
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from finecooking.com

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the oven to 450°F. Put a flat rack on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.

In a large bowl, mix the yogurt with half of the thyme, the brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat well. You can proceed directly to coating the chicken breasts with crumbs, or let them marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

These crumbs are coarser than your average breadcrumbs, so it takes a little extra force to get them to adhere. My method is to pat a healthy amount of breadcrumbs on top of the chicken and then use the heel of my hand and a firm rotating motion to press the crumbs onto the chicken. Don't shake off the excess when transferring the breasts to the baking sheet; you want to keep as many crumbs on the chicken as possible.

Make Ahead Tips

Make the crumbs ahead. They'll keep for up to three days in a container at room temperature. Or if you want to whip a few batches of crumbs, you can store them in a zip-top bag in your freezer for a couple of months.