Whenever I prepare my homemade tomato-based Italian pasta sauce, I always enjoy serving it alongside delectable Italian chicken strips.
This delightful recipe has been a favorite of mine for many years. It enhances the dish’s flavor, offers a fresh twist, and provides a valuable protein boost, complementing the Italian red sauce with no protein.
Table of Contents
- Why Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs Are Ideal For The Recipe
- The Benefits Of Grating Your Own Parmesan Cheese
- The Choice Of Additional Ingredients In This Recipe
- Serve With Our Fresh Tomato Italian Pasta Sauce
- Breaded Italian Chicken Strips Recipe
Why Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs Are Ideal For The Recipe
When choosing the proper chicken cut for this recipe, using boneless skinless chicken thighs has numerous advantages that any skilled cook would appreciate. Here are several reasons why thighs are superior to breasts:
Richer Flavor
As any good cook knows, fat equals flavor. Chicken thighs, a fattier meat cut than white meat, offer a more intense and rich flavor. Chicken thighs consistently deliver a more flavorful end product regardless of your chosen cooking method.
Culinary Versatility
Chicken thighs are versatile and can adapt well to various cooking preparations, including grilling, braising, sautéing, or oven-roasting. They retain their juiciness and tenderness throughout cooking, ensuring a moist and flavorful result.
Texture
Due to the slightly higher fat content, chicken thighs tend to be more tender and succulent than leaner cuts like chicken breasts. This contributes to a more enjoyable eating experience, especially in dishes where tenderness is desirable.
Dietary Considerations
While chicken thighs may have slightly more calories than leaner cuts, such as chicken breast, they still provide a good source of protein. If you’re watching your calorie intake, portion control, and balancing your overall meal can help you enjoy the rich flavor of chicken thighs without any worries.
Ultimately, using boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe enhances the overall taste and texture of the Italian chicken strips, ensuring a delicious and satisfying addition to your meal.
The Benefits Of Grating Your Own Parmesan Cheese
We highly recommend grating Parmesan cheese yourself instead of the pre-grated version. Taking a few extra minutes to grate your cheese is well worth the effort, and here’s why:
Fresher Cheese
Grating your own Parmesan ensures you have the freshest cheese possible. By grating it just before use, you preserve its natural flavors and aromatic qualities, resulting in a more vibrant and enjoyable dining experience.
Enhanced Melting And Cooking
Freshly grated Parmesan melts and incorporates into dishes more smoothly and evenly. It distributes its savory goodness throughout your culinary creations, ensuring a delectable texture and even flavor distribution.
No Added Additives
Pre-grated Parmesan often contains additives to prevent clumping and extend shelf life. You avoid these extra additives by grating your cheese, promoting purer and healthier cheese consumption.
Fuller Flavor
It grated Parmesan freshly grated cheese offers a more pronounced and robust flavor profile. Grating exposes more surface area, releasing the cheese’s full range of flavors and making each bite more gratifying and memorable.
By grating your own Parmesan cheese, you elevate the quality of your dishes, ensuring a fresher, tastier, and healthier cheese experience. The few extra minutes spent grating will reward you with unparalleled flavor and culinary satisfaction.
The Choice Of Additional Ingredients In This Recipe
This recipe calls for simple yet effective ingredients that contribute to the overall deliciousness of the dish. Let’s explore the ingredients and why they are an excellent choice for this recipe:
All-Purpose Flour
All-purpose flour serves as the coating for the chicken thighs. It creates a crispy and golden exterior, providing a delightful contrast to the tender chicken within. The flour also helps seal in the moisture and retain the chicken’s natural juices during cooking.
Salt And Pepper
Salt and pepper are essential seasonings that enhance the flavor of the chicken. They bring out the natural savory notes and balance the dish’s overall taste. Salt adds depth and enhances the other flavors, while pepper provides a subtle hint of warmth and complexity.
Oregano
Oregano is a classic herb commonly used in Italian cuisine. Its distinct aroma and earthy flavor add a touch of Mediterranean essence to the dish. Oregano complements the other ingredients, infusing the chicken with a delightful herbal essence that pairs well with the recipe’s simplicity.
By carefully selecting these ingredients, this recipe offers a straightforward yet incredibly satisfying culinary experience. Combining boneless, skinless chicken thighs, all-purpose flour, salt, pepper, and oregano creates a harmonious blend of flavors and textures that will leave your taste buds craving more.
Serve With Our Fresh Tomato Italian Pasta Sauce
This dish pairs exquisitely with our homemade Italian red pasta sauce, elevating the flavors. The combination of tender and flavorful chicken coated in a golden-brown layer of parmesan cheese harmonizes perfectly with the vibrant and robust notes of our fresh Italian red pasta sauce.
Each bite brings delectable flavors, showcasing the best Italian cuisine. Prepare to indulge in a truly satisfying and memorable dining experience as the chicken and pasta sauce unite to create a symphony of taste on your palate.
You can check the Fresh Tomato – Basic Red Italian Pasta Sauce Recipe recipe by clicking here.
Breaded Italian Chicken Strips Recipe
Italian Chicken Strips Recipe
6
servings15
minutes40
minutes55
minutesPrepare to be delighted by this beautiful Italian chicken recipe. Crafted with only the freshest ingredients, it pairs with various Italian dishes, creating a harmonious culinary experience.
Ingredients
2.5 Pounds Boneless Chicken Thighs
1.5 Cup Flour
1 Teaspoons Oregano
1 Cup Parmesan cheese
1 Teaspoon Salt
Ground pepper taste
Olive oil
Directions
- Cut the boneless, skinless chicken thighs into approximately 2-inch strips. This ensures the chicken cooks evenly, allowing for a satisfying bite-sized portion in the final dish.
- Coat each chicken thigh with flour, salt, pepper, and oregano. Ensure to thoroughly turn and cover each chicken strip with the seasoned flour, ensuring an even distribution of flavors.
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Carefully place each coated chicken thigh piece in the pan and fry until the sides turn a beautiful golden brown. This cooking process adds a crispy exterior to the chicken and enhances its flavor and texture.
- Transfer the fried chicken thigh pieces to a baking pan, arranging them in a single layer—sprinkle-grated Parmesan cheese generously on top of the chicken. Place the pan in the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the cheese turns golden brown. This baking step ensures the flavors meld together while creating a delectable, cheesy crust on the chicken. Keep a close eye on the dish to achieve the perfect balance between a succulent chicken interior and a perfectly browned cheese topping.
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