Chicken Kyiv

Chicken Kyiv (Котлета по-київськи)

A pounded chicken breast rolled around a frozen core of garlic-herb butter, breaded and fried so the butter stays molten inside. It is the signature dish of Ukrainian restaurant cooking and a staple of Kyiv's culinary identity.

Prep

40 min

Cook

15 min

Total

55 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •120 g (½ cup (1 stick)) unsalted butter, European-style 82% fat preferred
• •15 g (¼ oz) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, stems removed
• •4 g (4 medium cloves) garlic cloves, minced to a paste
• •2 g (½ tsp) fine sea salt
• •0.5 g (¼ tsp) white pepper, or finely ground black pepper
• •4 item (4 (about 600 g / 1 lb 5 oz)) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, even-sized, about 150 g each
• •60 g (½ cup) plain flour, for dredging
• •2 item (2 large) eggs, beaten with 15 ml / 1 tbsp water
• •120 g (2 cups) fine dry breadcrumbs, white, unseasoned; homemade is best
• •500 ml (about 2 cups) neutral oil, sunflower or canola, for shallow frying; sunflower is the Ukrainian standard
• •2 g (1 tsp) lemon juice, optional, for finishing

Steps

1. 1 Make the garlic-herb butter: mash the softened butter with the parsley, garlic paste, salt and white pepper until evenly green-flecked. Spoon onto plastic wrap and roll into a tight 4 cm / 1½ in cylinder. Freeze for at least 1 hour, until rock hard. A frozen core is essential - it must not melt before the chicken is sealed and cooked.
2. 2 Prepare the chicken: place each breast between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound gently from the thick end outward with a meat mallet or rolling pin until it forms an even rectangle about 6 mm / ¼ in thick, roughly 18 x 14 cm / 7 x 5½ in. Pound evenly - thin, even sheets are the key to a leak-proof roll.
3. 3 Season each flattened breast lightly with salt and white pepper. Cut the frozen butter cylinder into 4 equal pieces. Place one piece in the center of each breast, oriented along the short axis, leaving a 2.5 cm / 1 in border on all sides.
4. 4 Fold the short ends over the butter, then fold in the long sides to enclose it completely, and roll the breast up snugly from a long side into a tight cylinder. The seam and ends must be fully sealed - any gap will leak butter. Repeat with all four breasts.
5. 5 Set up a breading station with three shallow bowls: flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs. Roll each chicken roll first in flour (shaking off excess), then in egg (letting excess drip off), then in breadcrumbs, pressing the crumbs on gently to coat. For a classic double crust, dip again in egg and a second time in breadcrumbs. This double coat is traditional and helps prevent leaks.
6. 6 Chill the breaded rolls on a tray for at least 20 minutes (or up to 4 hours) to let the coating set. This resting step is not optional - it firms the coating so it does not fall off in the oil.
7. 7 Heat the oil in a deep skillet to 170-175 °C / 340-350 °F. Use enough oil to come about 2.5 cm / 1 in up the sides. Carefully lower 2 rolls at a time into the oil and fry, turning frequently with tongs, for 6-8 minutes total, until deep golden on all sides. The oil temperature drops the cooking time and keeps the crust crisp while the chicken cooks through.
8. 8 Finish gently: transfer the fried rolls to a wire rack (not paper towels - steam softens the crust) and bake in a 180 °C / 350 °F oven for 5-7 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 74 °C / 165 °F at the thickest part. Rest 2 minutes before serving so the molten butter settles just enough to flow in a controlled gush when cut.
9. 9 Serve immediately on warmed plates. Traditionally accompanied by fried potatoes (often straw potatoes or pommes frites), a simple green salad, or fresh tomato and cucumber slices, and a thin slice of lemon on the side.