It’s Halloween! That calls for a themed main dish and I’ve got one! This chicken dish gets its devilish heat from the combination of Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, and a touch of cayenne pepper. But don’t worry, the heat is absolutely bearable and this chicken is delicious!

As we usually do, we made some changes to the recipe, after our initial trial of it. One thing we stuck with was the panko bread crumbs. Typically, when a recipe calls for panko, we use the dried breadcrumbs we already have on hand. But we opted for the panko to make this recipe. Panko breadcrumbs are lighter and flakier than traditional breadcrumbs, making for a lighter and crunchier dish or in this case some devilishly delightful chicken dish!

Deviled Chicken (adapted from foodnetwork.com) Total Time Required: 50 minutes, Active Time: 20 minutes, Cook Time: 25 – 30 minutes, Yield: 3 – 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
• 3/4 cup panko
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1-1/4 pounds chicken breasts
• kosher salt
• fresh, chopped chives or parsley for garnish

Directions:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425ºF. Set a rack in a rimmed baking sheet and lightly spray the rack with cooking spray.

Pound the chicken to a uniform 1/2-inch thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap. Cut the chicken into serving sized pieces. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with some salt. Set the chicken aside.

Combine the butter and garlic in a medium, flattened, microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave it to melt the butter, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the Dijon and 1/8 teaspoon of the cayenne.

In a large bowl, combine the panko, Parmesan, onion powder, paprika and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne.

Using a pastry brush, spread the mustard mixture on all sides of each piece of chicken to coat it.

Cover the chicken pieces in the panko mixture on all sides. Arrange the chicken on the prepared rack on the baking sheet so the pieces do not touch.

Bake the chicken on the center oven rack until the coating is browned and crispy and the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165ºF, about 25 – 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces to a large platter and sprinkle with the chives or parsley.

Serve.

Crunchy, a bit spicy, and totally divine!  ~Linda

Deviled Chicken (adapted from foodnetwork.com) Total Time Required: 50 minutes, Active Time: 20 minutes, Cook Time: 25 – 30 minutes, Yield: 3 – 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
• 3/4 cup panko
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1-1/4 pounds chicken breasts
• kosher salt
• fresh, chopped chives or parsley for garnish

Directions:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425ºF. Set a rack in a rimmed baking sheet and lightly spray the rack with cooking spray.

Pound the chicken to a uniform 1/2-inch thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap. Cut the chicken into serving sized pieces. Set the chicken aside.

Combine the butter and garlic in a medium, flattened, microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave it to melt the butter, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the Dijon and 1/8 teaspoon of the cayenne.

In a large bowl, combine the panko, Parmesan, onion powder, paprika and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne.

Using a pastry brush, spread the mustard mixture on all sides of each piece of chicken to coat it.

Cover the mustard covered chicken pieces with the panko mixture on all sides. Arrange the chicken on the prepared rack on the baking sheet so the pieces do not touch.

Bake the chicken on the center oven rack until the coating is browned and crispy and the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165ºF, about 25 – 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces to a large platter, sprinkle with the chives or parsley. Serve.