Orange Panko Chicken Strips

Regular readers of Taste As You Go are probably well aware by now that I'm holding a fantastic giveaway. Three lucky winners will receive their own assortment of Amazing Taste® seasoning packets! To prove that I've actually tried and created food with the product, I'm sharing a recipe for Orange Panko Chicken Strips that I created with their Poultry seasoning. The chicken strips came out so deliciously moist and flavorful, how could I not share the recipe?

After I made a batch of these chicken strips, the smell of them was so tantalizing that I didn't allow myself to eat anything else along with them because I didn't want to have flavors competing for my love and affection. *Gasp* I know, I know... I should have at least served them over a bed of lettuce and pretended that I was really making a salad rather than homemade bar food, but, oh well. Maybe next time.

If the photo of the finished product isn't enough to convince you that entering the Amazing Taste® Seasoning Packet Giveaway is a brilliant idea, then check out the recipe for my Orange Panko Chicken Strips below and see just how simple they are to make. Then imagine the variety of the dishes you can create if you had a batch of seasoning packets to experiment with! Don't forget -- the deadline to enter is 11:59pm EST on Saturday, March 14, 2009, so make sure you leave a comment on the giveaway post and get your entry in before the deadline. And, if you blog about the giveaway on your blog, come back and leave another comment on the giveaway post providing the link to your post because you'll earn a bonus entry by spreading the word! Good luck!

Orange Panko Chicken Strips
Printable Recipe

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 packet Amazing Taste® Poultry Seasoning
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest, divided
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt

Trim any extra fat from the chicken breast halves, then wash the chicken breasts and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut the chicken breasts lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, create a marinade with the poultry seasoning, olive oil, orange juice, and 1/2 teaspoon of the grated orange zest. Whisk until all of the marinade ingredients are well combined. Place the chicken strips in the bowl and toss with the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the bread crumbs onto a large plate and combine with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of grated orange zest. Make sure the orange zest is distributed as evenly as possible. Remove the chicken strips from the refrigerator. Take a chicken strip and allow the extra marinade to drip off before dredging in the bread crumbs. Place the breaded chicken strip on a clean plate to rest. Repeat this process until all of the chicken strips have been breaded. Place the plate of chicken strips back in the refrigerator for another 5 minutes.

While the chicken strips are chilling, pour enough olive oil into a large skillet until there is about 1/4-inch of oil in the pan. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken strips from the refrigerator. Working in batches, place cooled chicken strips carefully into the pan and fry for about 2 minutes. Carefully turn the chicken and cook for about 1 minute more. Remove from the pan and allow to drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. While the chicken strips are still hot, sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and serve with barbecue sauce -- or your favorite sauce -- for dipping.

Taste As You Go Disclaimer: I was provided with product samples at no cost. I do not accept monetary compensation for writing about these products or about my experiences while using them. All opinions expressed are my own.