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Chicken Kyiv Stuffed with Garlic Butter

Chicken Kyiv is an iconic dish featuring a breaded stuffed chicken breast that should burst with herby garlic butter when it is cut open.

It is a dish that is easy to get wrong, but the secret to perfection is all in the preparation and I have all the skills that you need!

Golden chicken Kyiv cut open showing herby garlic butter filling served with mashed potato.

Garlic Butter Stuffed Breaded Chicken Breast

Crispy-coated chicken is always a wonderful treat with childhood memories for me!

Whether it is the breadcrumbed breast on my chicken burger or my cornflake chicken, it filled me with joy!

Frozen chicken Kyiv was a bit of a mainstay of my childhood and many times they were disappointing. Cutting into that chicken breast and not getting a pool of garlic butter was always a letdown.

This recipe and technique is one that I have been using for years to get the perfect pool of garlic butter and wonderfully moist chicken breast.

It is a recipe that takes time, but all of that time is in the prep and shortcuts almost always fail!

This recipe is about indulgence and perfection for me, there are no nods to making skinny diet food.

You need this recipe in your arsenal, it is glorious, just don’t make it too often 😉

Golden chicken Kyiv served with mashed potato.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the resting time really essential?

Yes, each and every resting period serves a purpose and allows the chicken breast to relax before moving on. This ensures the perfect garlic butter ooze from the chicken Kyiv when you cut into it!

Can I make these Kyivs in advance?

Yes, they are good left in the fridge for a couple of days.

You can even freeze them after they have been given their crispy coating, they will last in the freezer for 3 months. Just defrost them before cooking and carry on as per my instructions.

Do I really have to cook them in that much oil?

Yes, don’t worry, you are not eating it all! It served two purposes, it helps the thicker base of the Kyiv cook through but it also allows you to baste the top of the parcels.

This means that the chicken is perfectly cooked and the breadcrumbs are perfectly golden when you serve the dish.

Can I cook these in an Air Fryer?

Not for me, they do burst on occasion and do not cook as evenly. They will cook, but this recipe is a search for perfection for me and the air fryer never quite gets there.

Close up golden chicken Kyiv cut open showing garlic butter filling.

Serving Suggestions.

Well, we have a wonderfully buttery chicken Kyiv, surely the last thing we need is more butter right? Wrong!!!!! Mash makes the perfect accompaniment to this dish.

Mashed potato is the obvious choice but buttery celeriac mash is also a wonderful option.

You could also roast off some Parmentier potatoes in the oven at the same time as cooking these if that is more of your thing!

Greens are another great option for mopping up all of that herby garlic butter.

I will often cook some asparagus in an air fryer, or add some green beans amandine and add them to the meal.

One final option that works really well and can be thrown in the oven at the same time is some roasted tenderstem broccoli.

Garlic butter stuffed golden chicken Kyiv swerved with mashed potato.

Equipment Used

I only recommend a specific brand of equipment if I think that it makes a material difference to a recipe. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section.

  • Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
  • Chopping board.
  • Sharp kitchen knife.
  • Cling film.
  • Baking parchment.
  • 3 bowls to pane the chicken.
  • 2 x 7cm or 2½-3″ domed bowls to form the butter, you can do this by hand if needed.
  • Oven-proof skillet or frying pan big enough to hold two Kyiv’s, I use a 28cm or 11″ pan.
Garlic butter stuffed golden chicken Kyiv swerved with mashed potato.
Yield: 2 Servings

Garlic Chicken Kyiv Recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 5 hours

This recipe comes to you courtesy of butter... The chicken Kyiv is a rich and indulgent dish, do not accept skinny substitutes, take it for being what it is, a magical treat to be enjoyed occasionally!

Ingredients

  • 2 Chicken Breasts
  • 100g (¼ Cup + 3 Tbsp) Softened Butter
  • 6 Garlic Cloves
  • 10g (¼-⅓ Cup) Parsley
  • 50g (⅓ Cup) Breadcrumbs
  • 2 Eggs
  • 4 Tbsp Flour
  • Oil for frying
  • ½ Tsp Salt

Instructions

  1. Chop the parsley as finely as you can.
  2. Peel and mash the garlic cloves.
  3. Mash the parsley and garlic into the butter.
  4. Line two dome-shaped bowls around 7cm (2½-3") in diameter with cling film then divide the butter between these two bowls, wrap the top with cling film then freeze for at least 30 minutes.
  5. Sandwich the chicken breasts (one at a time) and bash them out with a rolling pin or meat mallet to an even thickness of around 10-12mm or ½". Make sure that you only bash the underside of the breast to keep a smooth shape to your Kyiv.
  6. Place a chicken breast on a large sheet of cling film with the smooth un-bashed side down.
  7. Remove the garlic butter from the cling film and place it in the centre of the chicken breast with the smaller end of the dome touching the chicken, bring up the chicken so that the butter is completely covered and then wrap with the cling film.
  8. Work the cling film with your hands to form a perfect shape that covers the butter completely and evenly at the top with a thicker layer at the base of the dome.
  9. Repeat with the other chicken breast then refrigerate these for at least 3 hours (as long as overnight), this part of the process is essential!
  10. Season the chicken with salt.
  11. Now panne the chicken by rolling in flour then dipping in the beaten egg and finally into the breadcrumbs, repeat the final part of this process by double dipping into the egg and breadcrumbs.
  12. Place on a plate lined with baking parchment and allow to sit for 30 minutes in the refrigerator, again this process is essential.
  13. Fill a frying pan that can be transferred to the oven with enough oil to form a 7-10mm (¼-½") layer and heat over a medium high heat.
  14. When the oil is hot add the Kyivs and spoon over the oil to make the breadcrumbs on top turn golden. This should take 3-4 minutes.
  15. Transfer to the oven and cook for 20-22 minutes at 200°c or 400°F. You can check that the chicken is cooked by testing with a meat thermometer, but do this carefully so as not to burst the parcels!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 980Total Fat: 75gSaturated Fat: 30gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 39gCholesterol: 396mgSodium: 1250mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 49g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

Jo

Monday 11th of July 2022

Hi Brian, I've been making chicken Kiev for years but never tried the basting method before and have to say, without a shadow of a doubt, best Kiev I've ever made! Super simple but patience is a virtue and jolly well worth it! Love your site, trying numerous recipes and tricks. Huge big thanks fella!

Brian Jones

Wednesday 13th of July 2022

You are welcome Jo! Thanks for taking the time to let me know that you like it :)

Kelly

Sunday 6th of December 2020

What kind of breadcrumbs did you use? Fresh bread toasted or out of the container?

Brian Jones

Monday 7th of December 2020

I use dried breadcrumbs from a packet, I'll update my post to reflect that :)

Virginia Palagi

Friday 6th of November 2020

Can I use a cast iron skillet and any tips in doing so?

Brian Jones

Thursday 12th of November 2020

Hi Virginia.

There should be very few differences, initially, your pan will take longer to heat up than a conventional pan. But it will lose less of that heat as you cook due to the thermal properties of cast iron, you may also end up with a slight crispier base than I do, but that is extra flavour.

You should also remember that there is a pool of oil in the pan so just be super-mindful of the weight of a cast-iron pan when transferring to the oven, but if you cook with one a lot, which it sounds like you do, then I am sure I am teaching grandma to suck eggs there :)

Have fun, Brian

Lisa

Friday 14th of February 2020

I’m going to try this for Valentine’s Day 2020! I certainly let you know how it was! We are foodies and try a lot of recipes! Wish me luck my husband loves chicken Kiev but we have only had schwans!! Pray this turns out!! Thank you for the recipe??

Brian Jones

Saturday 15th of February 2020

I hope it went well Lisa... It is a simple recipe but does require close attention in the preparation to ensure the butter stays on the inside :)

Darlene

Saturday 21st of December 2019

Are you saying to lightly brown the breaded chicken in the oil on top of the stove and then take the whole pan, with the oil and put it in the oven? Let the chicken continue cooking in the bubbling oil, in the oven?

Brian Jones

Monday 23rd of December 2019

Yes that is correct.

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