Crispy Mexican Chicken

I’m tired of the same old boring chicken dinners. Who’s with me?? I racked my brain and came up with a total game changer. Queue this Crispy Mexican Chicken!

Topped with melty cheese and covered in a flavorful breading, this EASY Crispy Mexican Chicken recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner!

Hubby loves any type of cutlet. If it is breaded and fried crunchy to a golden brown, he is in. Chicken cutlets, pork, veal even eggplant. ALL IN.

And while I love a good crispy piece of meat too, I wanted to create something different from just Chicken Parmesan. So I adapted my usual chicken cutlet recipe and added a little Mexican spice.

I really didn’t know what to call it. It wasn’t really a Mexican style chicken parm, because let’s face it, there is no “parm”. And it wasn’t quite Mexican fried chicken because they aren’t deep fried chicken pieces.

It also wasn’t the traditional Mexican grilled chicken that is served at your local taco joint. But it was crispy chicken so Crispy Mexican Chicken fit the description.

This is NOT an authentic recipe so please don’t leave me a comment telling me so. It is just something fun I created in my kitchen that the family loved.

Turns out there are several ways people make crispy Mexican chicken. Some use french fried crispy onions and others use crushed tortilla chips. Some even use a Corona spiked beer batter!

How to make Mexican chicken

Mine are boneless skinless chicken breasts are pounded out super thin and then dredged in a seasoned flour mixture, followed by egg and then bread crumbs.

If the pounded chicken breasts are super large, feel free to cut them into more manageable sizes. You can also purchase thinly cut chicken breasts at the grocery store and skip this step altogether.

Next, I fry the chicken in vegetable oil to a golden brown and then place them in the oven just to keep warm. They should be fully cooked by the time they reach this step.

Top them with sharp cheddar cheese and then any toppings you want.

What to top this Crispy Mexican Chicken with:

• freshly shredded cheddar cheese, then throw them back in the oven to melt
• salsa
• sour cream and
• cilantro.

These are what we had on hand, but during our dinner conversation discussed these other fabulous options too:

• Fresh lime wedges
• Mexicana crema
• Roasted Red Pepper Guacamole
• Mexican Yum Yum Sauce

If you’re looking for more dinner ideas for tonight, check out these other delicious chicken dinners:

• Popcorn Chicken Recipe
• Chicken Panini
• Homemade Chicken Gravy
• BBQ Chicken Sliders
• Asiago Chicken
• Creole Chicken
• Chicken Broccoli Casserole
• Sheet Pan Chicken Quesadillas
• Chicken Brine Recipe

Crispy Mexican Chicken is sure to be your new favorite family meal. Serve with your favorite Mexican side dishes:

• Refried Beans
• Mexican Street Corn Salad
• Black Bean Soup
• Tortilla Chips

Crispy Mexican Chicken

3.73 from 18 votes

Topped with melty cheese and covered in a flavorful breading, this EASY Crispy Mexican Chicken recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner!

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 35 minutes mins

Servings: 4

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Equipment

• Deep 9-inch Pie Plate
• Interlinking Dredging Bowls
• Rimmed Baking Sheet
• Meat Tenderizer

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts , boneless and skinless
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon chile powder
• Fine sea salt and pepper
• 2 eggs , beaten
• 1 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup cheddar cheese , shredded
• 1 cup salsa
• sour cream , for garnish
• cilantro , for garnish

Instructions

• Heat oven to 250 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels.
• Place one chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper on a cutting board. Using a tenderizer, pound the chicken breast until it is a uniform thickness, about 1/4 inch or a tiny bit thicker. Continue with remaining breasts. Cut each flattened breast in half, smaller pieces are easier to handle when frying.
• You will need three pie plates or mixing bowls. In bowl #1 mix flour, chile powder and season with salt and pepper. In bowl #2 beat two eggs. In bowl #3, the bread crumbs.
• Heat 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat.
• Working briskly, dredge chicken in flour mixture, then egg mixture and finally bread crumbs. Pressing bread crumbs into the breast. The flour is necessary to get the egg to stick and the egg is necessary for the bread crumbs to stick.
• Place into hot frying pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side or until medium brown. Place on a paper towel lined baking sheet and into the warm oven.
• Continue with remaining breasts, being careful to not crowd the pan. When the frying pan gets dry, add additional vegetable oil. The liquid will absorb into the breading (adding flavor!).
• Top each cooked chicken breast with shredded cheddar cheese and place back into the oven to melt, about 1-2 minutes.
• Remove and finish with salsa, sour cream and cilantro.
• If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was.

Notes

Some breasts might be large after tenderizing, you can cut them into smaller, more manageable pieces. 

You can also buy thin cut chicken breasts and skip the tenderizing part! 

Nutrition

Calories: 759 kcal, Carbohydrates: 58 g, Protein: 64 g, Fat: 29 g, Saturated Fat: 7 g, Cholesterol: 241 mg, Sodium: 1141 mg, Potassium: 1178 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 5 g, Vitamin A: 714 IU, Vitamin C: 4 mg, Calcium: 224 mg, Iron: 5 mg

Calories: 759

Course: Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: mexican chicken

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