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I went to NY last weekend and we ate at Family Meal by Blue Hill. When I tell you this chicken was truly iconic – hands down – I mean it. I am extremely picky with chicken but this recipe was so insanely crispy and flavorful. The creamy dill herb sauce – let’s just say you can eat it on its own. It is everything you could want in a bite. Since I live on the opposite end of the map, obviously I had to recreate it. So now we have my Crispy Crispy Dill Chicken and it is sooooo good.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Crispy Crispy Dill Chicken
This recipe has all the tips on how to have the most crispy chicken ever – the crust is packed with flavor while the center is so moist tender and flavorful. The creamy dill herb sauce is the perfect balance of bright, creamy, tangy, herby and fresh. This recipe is satisfying in every way.
How To Prepare
The Night Before
You’re going to start by placing your chicken between two pieces of parchment paper and pounding it with a meat mallet until it all looks pretty even – this will ensure it cooks evenly. Then, soak it in your buttermilk pickle brine overnight. This is going to not only tenderize your chicken so it’ll stay so moist, but it is going to give it the best flavor.
Set Up Your Dredging Stations
I use half sheet baking sheets.
- Station 1: Mix flour, kosher salt, white pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika.
- Station 2: Whisk eggs with milk and strain onto a plate.
- Station 3: Panko.
Prep Your Chicken
To get the Crispy Crispy Chicken we are going to do a double dredge and let it sit for a bit so it adheres really well. Dredge you chicken in flour, egg wash, panko, egg wash again and panko again. Set on a wire rack and let rest for 15-25 minutes.
Creamy Dill Herb Sauce
While your chicken rests, mix crème fraîche, Japanese mayo, Dijon, Worcestershire, agave, pickles, cornichons, cucumbers, dill, parsley, and chives in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Fry Them Up
Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat until around 350°F. Once it is ready, add you chicken in batches and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until beautifully golden and crispy on the outside and the juices run clear on the inside. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel and hit them with flaky salt 🧂.
Top each piece of chicken a spoonful of the creamy dill herb sauce, fresh herbs and a slice of lemon. Enjoy!
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🔥Chef Nadia’s Tip🔥
- A key to getting the Crispiest Dill Chicken is to coat your chicken in everything and then make sure you let it rest on a wire rack for 15 to 25 minutes to give the coating time to really stick.
- Make sure you preheat your pan properly. This is another common mistake that happens and the crispy crust doesn’t stick as well.
- Don’t overcrowd your pan while frying, you may have to do it in batches but it’s worth it.
Substitutions and Variations
- Substitutions
- If you want your sauce even tangier, use greek yogurt instead of créme fríache.
- Don’t have buttermilk? That’s okay. Just use 1½ cup 2%, whole milk , or heavy cream + 1½ tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar (let sit 10 min to curdle) instead.
- You can use regular paprika and a pinch of cumin or chipotle powder in place of smoked paprika.
- Variations
- Vegetarian Variation: Swap your protein – use cauliflower, portobello mushrooms, or tofu instead of chicken for a vegetarian twist.
- Spicy Variation: Add ¼ – ½ tsp cayenne to your flower and a little bit of your favorite hot sauce to the creamy dill herb sauce some spice 🔥.
- Sandwich Variation: Pop these bad boys on toasted brioche buns with shredded lettuce and make a sandwich out of them with the creamy dill herb sauce spread across the bun 🥰.
The Perfect Pairings
🍹 Drink: Prickly Pear Cocktail – This drink has a lovely balance of sweet, tangy and it is also sooo fresh it will pair perfectly with this Crispy Crispy Dill Chicken recipe.
🥔 Side: Potato Puree – This chicken will be the perfect dipping tool to get these creamy, rich, buttery potatoes into your mouth.
🥕 Vege: Glazed and Roasted Carrots – These carrots have a creamy and herby sauce and will be a nice healthy complement to this dish.
🍈 Dessert: Melon Dessert – A light, easy and refreshing dessert that will finish your night out epically.
Crispy Crispy Dill Chicken: Questions Answered
Those are cooking tweezers and they’re great, especially for frying!
You can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the oven on a wire rack at 375° till warmed through and re-crispy.
Make sure your chicken is very dry before you dip it. You can dry it with paper towels very well or if you are having a hard time, you can use a hair dryer on cold or a portable fan to achieve this. Also make sure you hold your chicken and tap it to remove the excess flour.
Crispiest Chicken & Crème Fraîche Dill Pickle Sauce
Equipment
- parchment paper, or plastic wrap
- meat mallet
- 2 bowls
- 3 half sheet baking sheets, or plates
- Skillet
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 4 chicken thighs
- 1 chicken breast, sliced in half
- 1½ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup dill pickle brine
Crispy Chicken
- ⅓ cup flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1½ tsp smoked paprika
- 3 eggs
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2½ cup panko
- flaky salt, to taste
- lemon slices
Creme Fraiche Tartare Sauce
- ¼ cup créme fraîche
- 2 tbsp Japanese mayo
- 1 tsp grainy dijon
- ½ tsp worcestshire
- ½ tsp agave syrup
- 4 dill pickle sandwich slices, should come out to 2 tbsp, finely chopped
- 2 cornichons, finely chopped
- 2 persian cucumbers, grated and moisture squeezed out
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh dill, + more for topping
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp chopped chives, + more for topping
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prep the Chicken the Night Before
- Between two pieces of parchment paper, pound the chicken thighs and breast halves until even.
- Place the chicken in a bowl and cover in the buttermilk and pickle brine. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Breading Stations
- On a plate, combine flour, kosher salt, white pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg with milk and strain onto a plate.
- Place panko on another plate.
- Dredge each piece of chicken in seasoned flour, then the egg wash and then coat with the panko. Repeat the egg wash and panko again for that EXTRA crispy layer. Let the coated chicken sit on a wire rack for 15-25 minutes.
Crème Fraîche Dill Pickle Sauce
- In a bowl, mix crème fraîche, Japanese mayo, Dijon, Worcestershire, agave, pickles, cornichons, cucumbers, dill, parsley, and chives. Add salt and pepper to taste.
The Crispiest Chicken You'll Ever Eat
- Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a skillet on medium-high for 2-3 minutes.
- Fry the chicken on both sides until golden brown and crispy – about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel and hit them with flaky salt.
- Top each piece of chicken a spoonful of the tartare sauce, fresh herbs and a slice of lemon.
Kitchen Cam
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this tonight and it was sooooo good! It’s almost impossible to get everyone in my family to all agree on liking something and both of my kids, my husband and I all loved this! This will be going into our regular rotation! Thanks for this one!
I had never double breaded anything. These were amazing. I think I will double bread everything from now on!
It makes such the difference doesn’t it!