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Saltine-Crusted Shallow-Fried Chicken
Andre Lewis

Saltine-Crusted Shallow-Fried Chicken

Saltines make a flaky, tender crust that tastes like church-supper chicken rather than packaged crumbs. They are already salty, so the meat gets only a modest amount of seasoning. Keep the crackers coarse and press once; grinding them fine turns the coating pasty.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 38 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets pounded to 1/2 inch
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 40 salted square crackers crushed to 2 cups coarse crumbs
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 1 tsp yellow mustard
  • 1 cup canola oil

Method
 

  1. Season the cutlets with the salt and pepper.
  2. Place the flour in one dish, whisk the eggs with milk and mustard in another and spread the coarse cracker crumbs in a third.
  3. Dredge each cutlet in flour, dip it in the egg wash and press it once into the cracker crumbs on both sides.
  4. Rest the breaded chicken for 8 minutes while heating 1/3 inch canola oil in a skillet to 350°F.
  5. Fry two cutlets at a time for 3 to 4 minutes per side, adjusting the burner to keep the oil above 335°F.
  6. Drain on a rack when the crust is golden and the chicken registers 165°F.
  7. Rest for 4 minutes before serving so the fragile cracker crust sets.