The Clever Condiment Trick For Fast And Easy Crispy Chicken

Chicken — whether it's whole, in pieces, or pared down to the boneless, skinless variety that factors into oodles of so-called "easy weeknight dinner" recipes — is obviously one versatile protein to keep in your grocery shopping rotation. But sometimes that very weeknight ease to which we all aspire creates a sort of deliciousness ceiling. You can maximize efficiency, or make a satisfying meal, but seldom both. However, coating your chicken in a few carefully selected condiments can lock in moisture to keep everything juicy and act as a canvas to create tons of flavor profiles in less steps than expected.

We prefer to use mayo and thinly sliced, boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The thinner chicken, which you can also butterfly yourself, cooks quicker, giving the meat less time to dry out in the oven. And as plain as mayo is (except to all you mayo haters out there who find its flavor unpleasant — we see you!), it provides a blank base that we can make super spicy, extra cheesy, or even a little fruity. But a plumper cut of chicken and something like Dijon mustard could work, too. The same goes for barbecue sauce, but you have to be careful to let it caramelize without burning. You're just looking for a condiment that will provide an even coat and adhere to the breadcrumbs that make this dish more or less ready to pop onto a sheet pan and into the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes. Together, it mimics the results of a whole darn flour, egg, and starch breeding station, with a little less mess and some time saved.

For a pound of thinly sliced, boneless, skinless chicken breast, you'll need about 2 cups of your chosen carb crumble if you're using that alone to coat the meat. We prefer panko over plain breadcrumbs, because the former has a lighter finish. You can also make a cheesy version that uses roughly 1 cup of panko and 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Don't forget to add salt and black pepper to the breadcrumb mix, as well as a few healthy shakes of red pepper flakes for a little spice, and sift it all together with a big fork. You can swap in fresh or dried herbs, garlic powder (the fresh stuff tends to clump in this case, even when finely minced), lemon zest, or whatever else can take the heat. Then, remove any rings from your fingers — we said this was less mess, not none.

Plop a few spoonfuls of mayo into one dish (you can always add more if needed), then place your panko mix to its right. These Rubbermaid glass containers are the perfect size for both. Keep a parchment paper-lined baking sheet ready at the end of your prep station. Dip the first piece of chicken in the mayo, removing any excess by hand. Slap it in the panko, turning it over for full coverage, and add to the sheet. Repeat until you've breaded all your chicken, then bake. The mayo not only keeps the meat moist, it holds all the other ingredients together. Flip the chicken halfway through the cook time — perhaps popping in a sheet pan of oil-tossed, seasoned asparagus when you do — and that's dinner, done in fewer steps than your standard crispy chicken dish.