Fried chicken was a favorite food long before Colonel Sanders opened his first restaurant. Many other restaurants have their own version of the popular dish and are equally successful.
But many of us prefer the fried chicken our mothers or grandmothers made for Sunday dinner. In those days, fried chicken usually was made from young fryers, ones that had run around as free-range chickens after being hatched by an old setting hen. The newly hatched hens often were saved for new layers. But, unfortunately for the young roosters, there were often too many of them, so they’d be chosen for the after-church Sunday dinners.
While most of us love a home-made fried chicken dinner, you might want to mix it up from time to time. So, for a change of pace, here’s a recipe for Crispy Mexican Chicken that’s both tasty and easy to make. The best part about this dish is the chicken is not deep-fried, but instead oven-fried. Yet, it still comes out crispy.
Instead of the usual mashed potatoes and gravy to accompany the chicken, you might want to make a side dish or two with some Mexican flair. Of course, some macaroni and cheese, most kids’ favorite, works well, too.
With Cinco de Mayo only a few weeks away, this recipe might be the new twist you need for that old favorite!
CRISPY MEXICAN CHICKEN
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips
8 slices Monterey Jack cheese or Colby cheese
Combine mayonnaise, cumin, onion powder and pepper flakes (if used) in small bowl. Brush both sides of chicken breast halves with mayonnaise mixture; coat with crushed tortilla chips.
Place chicken in 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Bake in preheated 375 degrees oven for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and lightly browned.
Then, place one cheese slice on top of each chicken breast and bake an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
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