Baked Chicken Kiev
Submitted by pieman
Pounded chicken breasts stuffed with herb butter and Monterey Jack, rolled in Parmesan breadcrumbs, and baked until golden. Includes a spicy Mexican-style variation.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
20 minREADY
530 minChicken Kiev is one of those classic dishes that sounds intimidating but is really just a well-organized roll-up job.
Chicken breasts get pounded thin, then each one wraps around a smear of oregano-parsley butter and a strip of melty Monterey Jack cheese. The bundles get dipped in melted butter, rolled in Parmesan breadcrumbs, and chilled for at least four hours so everything stays sealed.
Twenty minutes in a hot oven and you’ve got crispy, golden bundles that release a burst of melted herb butter when you cut into them.
Variations
- Mexican-Style Kiev: Replace the oregano with chili powder and cumin. Tuck roasted green chili strips inside with the cheese. Serve with a quick cumin-tomato sauce and sliced green onions.
Pro Tips
- Pound the chicken evenly to ⅛ inch thick. Uneven spots will cook at different rates and may tear during rolling.
- Chill the assembled rolls for at least 4 hours, or overnight. This is what keeps them from unraveling in the oven.
- Don’t cut into the filling to check for doneness. Slash just the meat at the edge instead.
- Place seam-side down and leave space between each bundle so they crisp evenly.
Ingredients
Directions
Rinse chicken and pat dry.
Place one piece at a time, skinned side down, between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a flat surface mallet until each breast is about ⅛ inch thick.
In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon of the oregano and set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together the ¼ cup butter and remaining oregano and parsley.
Arrange the pounded chicken breasts skinned side down.
Spread about ½ tablespoon of the butter mixture across each piece, about an inch from one of the long sides, and place a strip of the Jack cheese over the butter.
Fold the short ends over the filling and then fold in the long sides and roll to enclose the filling.
Dip each bundle into the 6 tablespoons of melted butter, drain and roll in the bread crumb mixture until coated evenly.
Place bundles seam side down, and slightly separated into a 10×15 inch rimmed baking pan.
Drizzle with the remaining butter.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or over overnight.
Bake uncovered in a 425 degree oven until chicken is no longer pink when slightly slashed (Do not cut the filling), about 20 minutes.
Serve at once.
MEXICAN STYLE KIEV: Follow the directions above, but omit the oregano.
Instead use a mixture of 1 teaspoon chili powder and ½ teaspoon ground cumin.
Using a can of whole green chilies, discard the pit and any seeds.
Cut the chilies into 1 inch stirps and divide into eight equal portions.
When filling the chicken breasts, place one portion of the chilie, atop each strip of cheese.
Serve the chicken with the following tomato sauce.
Stir together 1-15oz can of tomato sauce with ½ teaspoon each: ground cumin, sugar and ¼ cup sliced onions, green (including tops.)
Cook over medium heat, stirring, until hot.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce.
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