Chicken Poppers

This recipe was easy, delicious, and made a LOT of chicken. You would be surprised how much four chicken breasts makes. We had enough for nine people to snack on at the party, and then Chuck and I ate what was leftover for dinner last night!

I love the idea of marinating in buttermilk, and the cayenne pepper gives it just enough kick but doesn't make it too spicy. When I talked to the very wise Katie about how to make them in advance, she suggested marinating in the morning of the party, then preparing through the bread crumb stage and sticking in the freezer so that the chicken doesn't get soggy. Don't leave them in the freezer longer than a few hours though; and then just take out and pop them right in the oven, like little frozen appetizers.

Chicken Poppers
from Good Things Catered
Makes enough to feed a crowd!

4 cups low fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons cayenne powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
3 bay leaves, broken into pieces

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups prepared Italian bread crumbs
4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 1/2 - 2 inch chunks (about 2 pounds)

In large, zip top bag, placed in a bowl, combine first six ingredients and stir well to combine. Place chicken pieces into the bag and toss to coat well. Seal bag completely and place bag, in bowl, into the fridge to marinate for 2-3 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheet with a wire rack.

Remove bag from fridge and remove chicken from marinade, shaking to rid of excess liquid. Place chicken pieces on paper towel lined baking sheet and discard marinade. In wide, shallow bowl, combine seasoned bread crumbs, Dijon mustard, drizzle of olive oil and stir to combine.

Set chicken in breadcrumbs, sprinkle crumbs over chicken, and press to coat. Turn chicken over and repeat on other side. Gently shake off excess and place on rack.

Repeat with all chicken and place baking sheet into oven to bake until tenders reach an internal temperature of 170 degrees, about 12-15 minutes depending on size.

Remove from oven, place on serving platter and serve with barbecue sauce of choice.