Sour Cream and Onion Chicken Recipe

Sour Cream and Onion Chicken

The Spruce Eats / Morgan Baker

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 16 mins
Marinate: 60 mins
Total: 86 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 4 cutlets
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
683 Calories
25g Fat
79g Carbs
41g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 683
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g 31%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 164mg 55%
Sodium 1656mg 72%
Total Carbohydrate 79g 29%
Dietary Fiber 9g 33%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 41g
Vitamin C 109mg 546%
Calcium 239mg 18%
Iron 6mg 33%
Potassium 766mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Turn boring weeknight chicken into something easy and delicious. This recipe is like the better and more dinner-appropriate version of sour cream and onion potato chips. The chicken is juicy and mouthwatering with a flavorful crispy crust. The acid from the sour cream marinade helps keep the thin cutlet moist as it fries and ready for devouring. No need to deep fry—the chicken is shallow fried in a skillet with a small amount of oil for easier clean-up.

Serve this dish sliced over a big salad with roasted potatoes and vegetables, or even tossed in creamy pasta or used as the filling for a sandwich. It's also perfect for a midnight snack.

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken cutlets, patted dry with a paper towel

  • 2 teaspoons salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1 lemon, zested and quartered

  • 1/2 cup sour cream

  • 3 tablespoons chopped chives, plus more for garnish

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

  • 2 tablespoons onion powder, divided

  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs

  • Canola oil, for frying

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper.

  3. In a medium bowl, combine the lemon zest, sour cream, chives, dill, and 1 tablespoon of the onion powder and mix together.

  4. Add the chicken and coat well.

  5. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to eight hours.

  6. When ready to fry the chicken, combine the panko and remaining onion powder.

  7. Working with one marinated chicken cutlet at a time, press the chicken into the panko mixture. Coat evenly on both sides and transfer to a sheet pan or platter.

  8. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, heat about 1/4-inch canola oil over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches about 375 F.

  9. Working in batches, fry the chicken until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.

  10. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt.

  11. Remove the excess panko from the skillet and repeat with the remaining cutlets.

  12. Sprinkle cutlets with chives and top with a squeeze of lemon.

How to Store

For a tasty make-ahead meal, fry up a large batch of these cutlets and let them cool to room temperature. Then store them in a gallon freezer bag and reheat in a 350 F oven until warmed through.

Whole Chicken Variation

Another fun idea is to take this same marinade and use it on a whole chicken. Double the ingredients for the marinade and put it in a gallon bag. Then pat dry a whole chicken and place it in the bag and seal. Place the bag with the marinade and chicken into a large bowl and refrigerate for one full day, turning every few hours to be sure the whole chicken is coated in the marinade. When you're ready to roast the chicken, just follow these instructions for roasting and enjoy.