A few months ago, I was watching one of my favorite cooking YouTube channels, BBQ Pit Boys. They took a Beef Eye of Round Roast—a notoriously tough cut—and grilled it over charcoal.
To combat the toughness of the meat, they pre-sliced it into fingers that were joined in the middle, like a wobbly starfish. They layered bread crumbs between the fingers and basted it with barbecue sauce over low heat for a few hours.
I had to try it, so I did.
My mother-in-law, who knows her way around a grill, saw the cut of meat and said, “That’s not for grilling. That’s going to be tough.” I told her I was aware but was following a recipe, and it would be fine.
Again, this is from one of my favorite cooking channels, but I was slightly disappointed with the results. I followed the recipe to the letter, but the meat was rubber-tough. I had to dice it up into little bites to chew it.
All that said, the flavor was there. So, I went to Gippity Kitchen and asked for an alternative. Something with chicken?
The Prompt
I recently followed a recipe and didn’t enjoy the results. It was an Eye of Round, cut into conjoined fingers, layered with bread crumbs, and basted with BBQ sauce. We could use some of the techniques from that recipe on an entirely different protein: chicken! Can you give me a recipe like this, but with chicken cutlets?
Gippity Kitchen Says:
Absolutely, Stephen!
Transforming that BBQ concept into a chicken dish sounds like a fantastic idea, especially since chicken breasts, when prepared correctly, can be wonderfully tender and flavorful. Let’s create a recipe that incorporates the essence of the original BBQ flavors but tailors them to suit chicken, ensuring a juicy, succulent result.
First things first, chicken cutlets are already super thin, so we won’t need to slice them into fingers. Instead, we’ll stack them on some skewers and layer bread crumbs between them to add a crispy texture.
Plain ol’ BBQ sauce can be a bit one-note, so let’s make a basting sauce that’s rich, buttery, tangy, and loaded with flavor. We’ll use this sauce to baste the chicken as it cooks, ensuring it stays moist and delicious.
BBQ Butter-Basted Chicken Cutlets on a Spit
This recipe transforms chicken cutlets into a mouthwatering BBQ dish by layering them on a spit with seasoned panko breadcrumbs between each piece. The chicken becomes tender, flavorful, beautifully caramelized, grilled to perfection, and basted with a rich sauce of butter, BBQ, pepperoncini, and pickled onions. Garnished with fresh parsley, it's an impressive and delicious addition to any summer cookout.
Ingredients
- 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into cutlets
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup blended pepperoncini (stems and seeds removed)
- 1/4 cup blended pickled onions
- Fresh herbs (such as parsley or cilantro), for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken Cutlets: Gently pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness and slice horizontally to form cutlets. This will ensure they cook quickly and evenly.
- Season the Panko: In a bowl, mix the panko breadcrumbs with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt. This seasoned panko will add a crunchy texture and extra flavor to the chicken.
- Assemble the Spit: Skewer the chicken cutlets onto the spit, layering them flat and evenly. Add a thin layer of the seasoned panko between each cutlet, pressing lightly to adhere.
- Prepare the Grill: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat, ensuring it is clean and well-oiled.
- Make the Basting Sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan, then mix in the BBQ sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, blended pepperoncini, and blended pickled onions. Heat the mixture gently, stirring until it’s well combined and slightly thickened.
- Grill the Chicken: Place the spit on the grill, turning it regularly for even cooking. After the chicken has started to cook (about 10 minutes), begin to baste it generously with the sauce, repeating the basting process every few minutes. Continue grilling until the chicken is fully cooked, with an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), and the outside has a nice caramelized glaze, approximately 25-30 minutes.
- Rest and Serve: Once done, remove the chicken from the grill, cover it loosely with foil, and let it rest for about 5-10 minutes. This will help the juices settle. Serve the chicken cutlets garnished with fresh herbs and any remaining sauce on the side.
This should hit the right notes of tangy, sweet, and smoky. The butter in the sauce will add a rich glossiness and help carry the flavors, ensuring the chicken remains moist and delicious. Enjoy the spin on your BBQ dish, and I can’t wait to hear how it turns out!
The Verdict
I know what you’re thinking: the pictures look like Gippity Kitchen knocked it out of the park.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Dang it.
Don’t get me wrong—it was pretty decent. The problem with this version was that the panko breadcrumbs between the chicken cutlets soaked up so much chicken juice and sauce that they became a soggy, gluey mess.
The chicken was tender and flavorful, but the overall texture of the dish was a miss.
I’m two for two on this recipe concept. If I did it again, I’d only put the breadcrumbs on the outside of the chicken, not between the layers.
I set Gippity up for failure on this one. I’m sorry, Gippity. I’ll bring better prompts next time.
