Frico Chicken with Kale & Mushrooms

You know those little baked cheese snacks that are all cheese and nothing else?

This recipe is kind of like that.

The breading on the chicken is just cheese, that’s it. Not flour, no breadcrumbs, no egg. Just freshly grated parmesan and nothing more.

The key to this recipe is getting your pan hot enough so the cheese turns into a crust, not just a melty mess. It’s just like baking little cheese whisps/crisps for salads. The term “frico” goes back to a poor region of Northern Italy where people would recycle cheese rinds in their meals.

I love the thought of having a cheese-only breaded chicken. If I make oven-baked nachos, my favorite part of the nachos is the burned crispy cheese on the pan. There’s something about crispy cheese that makes its flavor bolder and more delicious.

This skillet meal is simple, but it does take a little bit of skill. You need to make sure your oil is hot and you need to remember to practice patience. If you feel like you need to flip the chicken, don’t. Take a step back and wait a few more minutes. You need to get that nice, crispy crust, so you can’t be flipping the chicken every few minutes.

Once you’ve got the chicken down, everything else falls into place. You can add whatever vegetables you want to pack this skillet meal with, but I liked using a hearty winter green: kale. It’s dirt cheap right now (I guess everyone is off of their kale kick?) and fills out the rest of the meal well.

Enjoy!

Frico Chicken with Kale and Mushrooms

• Servings: 4
• Time: 40 mins
• Difficulty: Medium
• Print

Crispy, cheese-crusted chicken with kale, mushrooms and onions.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, pounded thin
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• salt & pepper
• 4 TBS. olive oil
• 12 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bunch kale, torn into pieces
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 2 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup water

Directions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or cast-iron over medium-high heat.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place grated parmesan in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken breast, one at time, in parmesan, pressing to coat on all sides.
3. Add coated chicken to hot oil and cook for 5 minutes before turning over and cooking for another 4-5 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.
4. Remove chicken to a plate. Add remaining oil to the pan and heat to medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onions and stir, cooking, until mushrooms are browned and onion is tender.
5. Stir in kale, vinegar and water. Let kale cook down for 3-4 minutes. Add chicken on top of kale and serve.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or cast-iron over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place grated parmesan in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken breast, one at time, in parmesan, pressing to coat on all sides. Add coated chicken to hot oil and cook for 5 minutes before turning over and cooking for another 4-5 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Remove chicken to a plate. Add remaining oil to the pan and heat to medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onions and stir, cooking, until mushrooms are browned and onion is tender. Stir in kale, vinegar and water. Let kale cook down for 3-4 minutes. Add chicken on top of kale and serve.