This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
A Little Dirty, Extra Crispy
If you order your martini extra dirty with blue cheese stuffed olives, you’re going to love this dirty martini chicken. The chicken marinates overnight in buttermilk and olive brine, then gets coated in panko and fried until golden and crispy. Top it with an olive and blue cheese tartar sauce. Don’t forget the stuffed olives, and pour yourself a martini while you’re at it. Cheers!
Table of Contents
What Makes This Dirty Martini Chicken?
It starts with the marinade. Pound the chicken thighs into a thin, even thickness. Then they’re going to sit in buttermilk and olive brine overnight. Doing this tenderizes the meat, and locks in moisture.
Then comes the crispy panko crust. Crush your panko a little finer, but leave some of the texture, we don’t want it powdery. Then pressed firmly onto the chicken. That gives you an even coating for a crunchy, even crust.
Finish with the olive and blue cheese tartar sauce. It’s creamy and tangy, with Castelvetrano olives, cornichons, fresh herbs and blue cheese crumbled finely enough to mix throughout. Spoon it over the hot, crispy chicken and finish with blue cheese stuffed olives. Taste the sauce before adding salt. The olives, brine and cheese may have already done the job.
How to Get the Crispiest Chicken
Get the chicken really dry. After the marinade, pat each piece thoroughly with paper towels. You want the flour sticking to the chicken without a wet layer of buttermilk underneath.
Shake off the extra flour. A light, even coating is all you need. Dip into the egg wash, let the excess drip off, then press the panko firmly onto both sides. Get into the edges, too.
Give the breading 15 minutes. Let the coated chicken rest before frying so the breading has time to adhere.
Leave room in the skillet. Fry in batches with space between the pieces. Too much chicken at once drops the oil temperature and makes it harder to get that golden, crispy crust.
After frying, use a wire rack. Let the fried chicken drain in a single layer on a rack set over a sheet pan. Air can circulate underneath instead of steam softening the bottom. Sprinkle with flaky salt while it’s hot, and save the sauce for right before serving.
How to Know When Your Oil Is Ready
Check the temperature. Heat the oil to 350°F (177°C) before adding the chicken. Keep the thermometer’s tip in the oil without touching the bottom of the skillet so you’re measuring the oil, not the hot metal.
Adjust the heat as you fry. The temperature will drop when the chicken goes in. That’s normal. Watch the thermometer and adjust the burner as needed. If the panko is browning too quickly, lower the heat.
Let the oil recover between batches. Wait until it returns to 350°F (177°C) before adding more chicken. The burner setting alone won’t tell you when it’s ready.
Check the chicken, too. Golden breading doesn’t tell you what’s happening inside. Insert an instant-read thermometer from the side into the thickest part of the thigh and cook to 165°F (74°C).
The Perfect Pairings
Pour a Blue Cheese Dirty Martini and make a few extra blue cheese stuffed olives for your glass. Serve the chicken with my Arugula Fennel Salad for something fresh and lemony, plus Gruyère Stuffed Duchess Potatoes with golden edges and melted cheese in the middle. Finish with Passion Fruit Caramel Panna Cotta, which you can have waiting in the fridge before dinner even starts.
Want to save this recipe?
Save it to your account
or email it to yourself
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Use the beaten eggs on their own. The breading will still stick, and you’ll still get crispy chicken.
Yes. Slice them into cutlets and pound them to a thin, even thickness. Start checking them earlier, since the cooking time may differ, and cook to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
Use the same amount of sour cream. Labne makes a thicker sauce, while sour cream gives it a slightly looser consistency.
Yes. The sauce will be milder but will still have plenty of flavor from the olives, cornichons and herbs. Skip stuffing the garnish olives and slice them plain.
Yes. Make it the day before and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Give it a stir and taste before serving. Save the extra chives for topping the chicken.
Store the chicken and sauce separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Use the chicken within 3-4 days. Reheat it on a wire rack over a sheet pan in a 350°F (177°C) oven until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). Add the tartar sauce and garnishes after reheating.
Equipment
- All-Clad D3 12-inch skillet
- meat mallet
- Mixing bowls
- plastic wrap
- Jar with lid
- fine mesh strainer
- shallow dishes
- Food processor or mortar and pestle
- paper towels
- Sheet pan with wire rack
- tongs
- Basting spoon
- Thermometer suitable for frying oil and checking meat
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 5–6 thighs
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
- 1/4 cup olive brine
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp vodka
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 8 oz panko breadcrumbs
- olive oil, for frying
- flaky salt, to finish
Olive and Blue Cheese Tartar sauce
- 6 oz labne or sour cream
- 2 tbsp Japanese mayo
- 1/4 cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and chopped
- 2 tbsp cornichons or pickles, finely chopped
- 2 tsp cornichon brine or pickle brine
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 lemon, zested
- 2 squirts tabasco
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp chives, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tsp agave syrup or honey
- 2 oz blue cheese, finely crumbled
- kosher salt, to taste
Garnish
- 6-8 whole Castelvetrano olives, pitted
- blue cheese, for stuffing
- chives, finely chopped, for topping
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken: Pound the chicken thighs to a thin, even thickness. Place in a bowl with the buttermilk and olive brine and mix to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12–24 hours.2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, 1/4 cup olive brine
- Make the Tartar Sauce: Combine the labne, mayo, chopped olives, cornichons, cornichon brine, onion powder, garlic powder, white pepper, lemon zest, tabasco, scallions, chives, parsley, dill, agave and finely crumbled blue cheese. Mix thoroughly and season with kosher salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until serving.6 oz labne or sour cream, 2 tbsp Japanese mayo, 1/4 cup Castelvetrano olives, 2 tbsp cornichons or pickles, 2 tsp cornichon brine or pickle brine, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 1 lemon, 2 squirts tabasco, 2 scallions, 3 tbsp chives, 1/4 cup parsley, 2 tbsp fresh dill, 1 tsp agave syrup or honey, 2 oz blue cheese, kosher salt
- Prepare the Breading: Combine the eggs and vodka in a jar, secure the lid and shake vigorously. Strain into a shallow dish. In a separate shallow dish, mix the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper and kosher salt. Pulse the panko in a food processor or crush with a mortar and pestle until finer but not ultra-fine. Transfer to a third shallow dish.2 eggs, 2 tbsp vodka, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp white pepper, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 8 oz panko breadcrumbs
- Bread the Chicken: Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat very dry with paper towels. Dredge in the seasoned flour and shake off the excess. Dip into the egg wash, then coat in the panko, pressing firmly to adhere. Arrange on a sheet pan and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Heat the Oil: Preheat the skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add about 1/2 inch of olive oil and increase the heat to medium-high. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C), measuring with a thermometer without touching the bottom of the skillet.olive oil
- Fry the Chicken: Fry in batches without crowding the skillet for about 3–4 minutes per side, basting frequently with the hot oil, until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Adjust the heat as needed to prevent the breading from burning. Transfer to a wire rack set over a sheet pan and sprinkle with flaky salt. Allow the oil to return to 350°F (177°C) before adding the next batch.flaky salt
- Prepare the Garnish: Stuff the whole pitted olives with blue cheese, then slice.6-8 whole Castelvetrano olives, blue cheese
- Serve: Top the chicken with the olive and blue cheese tartar sauce, stuffed olives and additional chives.chives
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
