1pound boneless skinless chicken breastspounded to about an inch thick, or butterflied. I have also done this with shrimp, sans brine of course!
3cupsrice chex style cerealthis will be your panko. You could sub about a cup of gluten free bread crumbs, equally delicious, but totally different in texture!
3tablespoonsOil or fat of choice for pan fryingI like to use refined coconut oil
Instructions
Pound your chicken breast with a mallet or rolling pin so that they are an even thickness. This ensures cooking the chicken breasts quickly and evenly without drying them out.
OPTIONAL BRINING
In a container large enough to accommodate the chicken, stir the sea salt and water together until the salt is dissolved.
Brine your chicken for 30 minutes-2 hours in the fridge. While totally optional, this makes chicken breasts flavorful and moist. DO NOT OVERBRINE! Unless you like salt licks of course..... (;
Drain and quickly rinse chicken to remove any surface salt.
CHICKEN BREADING
Place your rice chex in a ziploc bag. With the bag sealed, gently break the chex up with your fingers. You want some texture and not a powder: think panko!
In a bowl, mix together the flour and all the seasonings.
In another bowl, whisk the milk and avocado oil (this acts like an egg mixture. You could sub an egg or egg whites for the oil if you like).
BREADING AND COOKING THE CHICKEN
One by one in an assembly line, dip each chicken piece in the flour, then the milk emulsion, and finally shake it in the 'panko' rice chex bag, pressing on as much of the coating as you can.
Preheat some oil or fat of choice in a pan over medium heat. When the oil is simmering, place your breaded pieces in the pan without crowding them into the....I have to do this in two batches. I get the best crust using my favorite cast iron skillet.
Wait for the white of cooked chicken to start creeping up the sides, then flip and brown the other side for another minute or two.
Serve chicken immediately with a squeeze of fresh lemon!
To reheat leftovers, I suggest a quick pan fry to crisp the coating up again.