Amaranth and Panko Crispy Chicken with a Sweet and Spicy Crema Dipping Sauce

Name: Amaranth and Panko Crispy Chicken with a Sweet and Spicy Crema Dipping Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 21 min
Ingredients: 2 large eggs; 1/4 cup milk; 1 cup panko breadcrumbs; 1 cup amaranth seeds ((if not using amaranth, add another cup of panko)); 1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt (or to taste); 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (pounded thin); vegetable oil (for cooking the chicken); 1/4 cup Sriracha sauce; 1 cup Mexican crema or Latin-style cream (or substitute sour cream); 1 teaspoon Maggi sauce; 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk

Pollo Empanizado con Panko y Amaranto con Crema Picante

Recipe Yield

6 servings

Cooking time

21 minutes

Rate this recipe

5 from 3 votes

Ingredients

For the chicken:

2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 cup amaranth seeds (if not using amaranth, add another cup of panko)
1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt or to taste
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded thin
vegetable oil for cooking the chicken

For the dipping sauce:

1/4 cup Sriracha sauce
1 cup Mexican crema or Latin-style cream or substitute sour cream
1 teaspoon Maggi sauce
1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk

To Prepare

To make the dipping sauce:

In a mixing bowl, combine the Sriracha sauce with the Mexican crema, the Maggi sauce and the sweetened condensed milk until fully mixed.

To make the chicken:

Place 1 chicken breast at a time in between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or skillet, or roll with rolling pin, to flatten. In a medium-to-large bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. In another bowl or on a plate, combine the panko breadcrumbs, amaranth seeds and salt.
Submerge each chicken breast in the egg mixture, then coat it on both sides, pressing slightly, with the panko-amaranth mixture so the whole breast is covered. Set aside on a cutting board or baking sheet. If making ahead, layer sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper between the prepared breasts, wrap tightly, and refrigerate or freeze.
Pour enough oil into a large skillet to reach 1/4-inch up the sides. Heat the oil over medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes until it is hot but not smoking, then place as many chicken breasts as will fit in a single layer without crowding the pan. If the edges aren’t bubbling in the oil, raise the heat to medium-high. Resist the urge to move the breasts around in the pan, as this my cause the amaranth coating to fall off. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on one side until golden brown, then gently flip and repeat on the other side. When the second side has crisped, remove the breasts from the pan and set them on a paper-towel-covered plate or wire rack. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces, adding more oil if needed.
If you’re not eating immediately, place the fried chicken breasts in a baking dish and keep them warm in a 250°F oven. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Comments

24comments inAmaranth and Panko Crispy Chicken with a Sweet and Spicy Crema Dipping Sauce

Susan Guerl

Sep 11

Excuse my ignorance buy I bought a bag of amaranth from India at Lidl store. It doesn’t look like the one I’m used to eat with alegrias, so I thing it’s not “popped”. Do I just put it on a pan and wait for it to pop (moving constantly) and then let it cool so I can use it with the panko?

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Oct 03
  
  That’s a great questions, Susan. You can add it directly with the panko, and it pops as it fries…enjoy!
  
Jasmine

Jul 01

Hola Pati, do you think this recipe would work with amaranth flour and regular breadcrumbs? Also thinking of using hot sauce instead of rooster sauce. Any in particular you can recommend for this recipe?

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Jul 08
  
  Go for it, Jasmine! And any hot sauce would be great.
  
Jasmine

Jun 15

Hi Pati, I bought a big bag of amaranth flour that I want to use up. Would that work in this recipe? Could i replace it 1:1? Anny other ideas on how to use it? Replacement for other flours in some of your other yummy recipes?

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Jul 08
  
  It won’t have the same texture, but yes and you can sub it 1:1, Jasmine.
  
Carlos Ayala

Oct 22

It’s amazing how I’ve never heard of amaranth seeds before until I saw this episode, but I absolutely love Panko-crusted chicken and I cook it whenever I can for weekend lunch! Now I have a new way to try out my original recipe 😉 Quick question though. So I’ve done the original egg-breadcrumb technique for my Panko chicken, but I sometimes I like to instead soak the chicken in buttermilk for an hour and then coat it in the Panko. Would this technique work here too? Thank you, as always, for sharing your fantastic dishes Pati!

1. Pati
  
  Oct 22
  
  Give it a go, Carlos, and let me know how it goes.
  
Suzanne

Jan 07

We made the Amaranth Panko Chicken for dinner — whoa, FANTASTIC!! Muchas gracias, Pati!

1. Pati
  
  Jan 08
  
  Yay!
  
Rachel

Sep 07

For alegrías do you have to puff or pop the amaranth before making them?

1. Pati
  
  Sep 25
  
  I will try to post a detailed Alegria recipe soon!
  
disqus_Iy0umXi3UL

Jan 16

Hi Pati, how else can you use Amaranth seeds?

1. Pati
  
  Jan 22
  
  One of my favorite ways is to make Alegrias, which is like a brittle, but instead of made with nuts, made with amaranth. But you can also use as a garnish, for salads, tacos, ice cream, almost anything!
  
Ross

Jan 14

We just saw the episode on Canadian TV and looked up this recipe. The first thing that grabbed me was the excellent photograph. The composition of the subject matter and the quality of the photograph is tremendous. Compliments to photographer. We will try to locate some amaranth and make this dish. Thanks Pati for introducing us to new (to us) ingredients.

1. Pati
  
  Jan 14
  
  Thanks, Ross! Penny de los Santos is the photographer, and she is really fabulous. Hope you like the dish when you try it, amaranth is so charming.
  
Jana Hutchinson

May 16

what is sriracha sauce? how or were in the grocery store do I find amararth seeds?

1. Pati
  
  May 19
  
  Hi Jana, Sriracha is an Asian hot chile sauce: http://www.amazon.com/Huy-Fong-Sriracha-Chili-Bottle/dp/B0002PSOJW. I usually find amaranth seeds in Latin markets, the bulk section of Whole Foods or other health food stores.
  
Barbara Gatto

Apr 30

Dear Pati,

Love, love, love your show. You are so refreshing and your food is delicious. Have your first cookbook. Is there a second on the way?

1. Pati
  
  Apr 30
  
  Hola Barbara,
  Thank you!!! I am working on it 🙂
  
kat

Apr 22

Made this for my husband’s birthday lunch and we all loved it! It was fast, easy, and best of all delicious! Caught a glimpse of it on the show and thought to look it up. I enjoy your positive demeanor and your passion for cooking – keep up the great work! 🙂

1. Pati
  
  Apr 22
  
  Hi Kat, Thank you!! Happy birthday to your husband!
  
Mary Romanelli

Mar 12

What is Maggi sauce?

1. Pati
  
  Mar 12
  
  Hi Mary, It’s a seasoning sauce very similar to soy sauce (which you can always substitute). http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000GHEGC

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