Crispy chicken with artichoke salsa is a simple clean 30 minute meal to help you eat well on a weeknight.
I’ve had this delicious dinner tacked up on my bulletin board for over four years. I looked at it often and thought, I should make that! And then… I didn’t. We humans are flawed. But this crispy chicken with artichoke salsa obviously isn’t. I finally made it and you should too!!
The tender chicken cutlets are coated with a crispy panko crust and topped with a brilliant lemony artichoke salsa. It’s like fried chicken without the guilt. I served it with roasted asparagus and the meal was a big hit. It’s a light meal that feels indulgent.
More Delicious 30 Minute Meals!
your grocery list
Pantry:
- Olive oil
- Coarse salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Panko breadcrumbs
Dairy:
- Shredded Parmesan cheese
- Salted butter
- Eggs
Produce:
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh lemon
Protein:
- Chicken cutlets
Canned/Jarred Goods:
- Whole artichoke hearts
crispy chicken ingredient notes
We’re using chicken cutlets for this recipe. Chicken cutlets are thin pieces of chicken cut horizontally through the boneless skinless breast. They’re sometimes pounded to an even thickness to cook quickly and evenly. It’s my favorite cut because they’re so tender. Larger grocery stores often carry them, and you can also ask for them at the meat counter. If you’ve got a sharp knife you can carefully slice a chicken breast into two even pieces horizontally through the middle.
Japanese style Panko bread crumbs are the key to the slightly craggy surface and crunchy texture on my chicken with artichoke salsa. They’re made from crustless white bread that’s dried and ground into airy, crisp flakes as opposed to the sandy texture of regular crumbs. I use them on so many recipes from crab cakes to asparagus gratin, and cherry tomatoes Provencal. Definitely worth a spot in your cupboard.
that lemony artichoke salsa topping!
Salsa. The mere word makes my mouth water. Salsa (meaning sauce in Spanish) can be cooked or uncooked, and made with so many different ingredients. This type of chop and drop topping is so great on chicken, meats, and fish. It pays to remember that when you’re cooking dinner, it takes just minutes to prepare.
- I love to use jarred whole artichokes for this, but canned will certainly work. Why jarred? I find cans can leach a slightly tinny flavor, while jarred artichokes (in glass) tend to taste fresher and cleaner.
- Drain your artichokes well, give them a gentle squeeze to release excess moisture.
- The rest is fresh parsley, a handful of Parm, some fresh lemon and a glug of olive oil.
- Coarse salt and fresh cracked black pepper are the only seasonings. Told you it was simple!
Jazz it up if you must with a crushed clove of garlic, a spoonful of capers or toasted pine nuts. A little fresh minced rosemary might be nice. Could you use marinated artichokes? Yes! It will be a richer topping, but yes you could.
set up a simple breading station
- Put beaten egg in one shallow bowl.
- Put panko crumbs in the other.
- Dip the chicken in the egg wash and let the excess drip down.
- Dredge it in the crumbs, patting them in with your hands to insure a good coating.
go for the gold
The secret to that golden crust on my crispy chicken with artichoke salsa?
- Panko crumbs are famous not only for their crunch, but for the way they reach out and grab the heat.
- A well oiled (olive of course) pan encourages the bottom side to brown.
- Drizzle with melted butter (you could also use oil) before baking, it helps raise the temperature on the surface so it browns faster.
- High heat ~ like 450F!
- Even higher heat ~ switch to broil just before the chicken is done, it’s the key to that appetizing golden brown crust. Be sure to stay with it and check constantly so it doesn’t burn.
troubleshooting crispy chicken with artichoke salsa
The only tricky part to this dish is making sure you don’t over cook the chicken. Chicken cutlets are thin and can get tough if you bake them too long. Keep that in mind when you are broiling at the end. I find slightly under-baking the chicken works best because it will finish cooking under the broiler.
shortcut idea
Make this chicken with artichoke salsa even quicker using frozen breaded chicken breasts ~ I’m obsessed with Bell & Evans which I find in my local supermarket, and at Whole Foods. The quality is amazing and they bake up perfectly. Add a brushing of olive oil or butter and a light seasoning with sea salt and they’re indistinguishable from homemade.
the bottom line
We loved this dinner, and since it serves 4, we’ve got dinner sorted for tomorrow, too. Sweet deal. Bonus points for the beautiful presentation. And I love that it gives me another way to enjoy my favorite food group, salsa!
more favorite chicken dinners
- Firecracker Chicken
- Chicken Margherita Pasta
- Firecracker Chicken Meatball Bowls
- Fried Chicken Tacos
- Creamy Lemon Chicken with Asparagus
Crispy Chicken with Artichoke Salsa
Equipment
- 2 baking sheets
Ingredients
artichoke salsa
- 9 ounce jar whole artichoke hearts, drained and chopped, (you can also use marinated artichoke hearts if you prefer.)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- coarse salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
chicken
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 4-ounce chicken cutlets*
- 2 eggs, well beaten
- 1 1/4 cups panko bread crumbs
- 3 Tbsp melted salted butter
- coarse salt
asparagus
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- coarse salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F. Arrange your baking racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven. Generously grease baking sheets with olive oil.
salsa
- Put the chopped artichokes, parsley, cheese, lemon juice, and olive oil in a small bowl and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
asparagus
- Place the trimmed asparagus on one baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat all the stalks with the oil and arrange them in a single layer, or as close to a single layer as you can.
chicken
- Put the beaten eggs in one shallow bowl, and the panko crumbs in another.
- Dip the chicken cutlets into the eggs and let the excess drip off before dredging in the crumbs. Use your hands if necessary to make sure to get them well covered all over with the crumbs. Place on the oiled baking sheet. Drizzle with melted butter and season lightly with salt.
- Put the chicken on the upper rack and the asparagus on the lower rack and roast for about 6 minutes, then remove the asparagus.** Continue roasting the chicken for another 4 minutes or so. Switch the oven to broil and broil until the chicken starts to take on some golden color, about 4-5 minutes more. Don't walk away and watch very carefully so your chicken doesn't burn.
- Serve the chicken topped with the artichoke salsa, with the asparagus on the side.
This was a hit in my home! Will definitely be making this again! Thanks for the recipe : )
I’m so glad you loved it, it’s on our regular rotation too, my husband loves it so much.
I just made this dish this morning. It is very easy to put together and it takes great! I really enjoyed the artichoke parsley salsa. The lemony flavors of the salsa paired with the panko crusted chicken was flavorful. Sue, your recipes never disappoint. Thank you for another one to add to my go to meals!
I am not a fan of chicken, but this recipe may have changed my mind! Absolutely delicious! Made it for my dinner party last night, everyone gave it rave reviews.
You know Nancy I’m not a big fan of chicken either, but this is the way I like it too 🙂