Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers and Cajun Pasta

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb chicken breast tenderloins (cleaned)
• salt (to taste, used in marinade, dry mix, and sauce)
• black pepper (to taste, used in marinade, dry mix, and sauce)
• 1 tsp sazon seasoning (used in marinade and dry mix)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (used in marinade and dry mix)
• 1 tsp onion powder (used in marinade and dry mix)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika (used in marinade and dry mix)
• 1 tsp paprika (used in marinade and dry mix)
• 0.5 cup chicken stock (for wet batter)
• 0.5 cup milk (for wet batter)
• 1 tbsp mustard (yellow or dijon for wet batter)
• 1.5 cup all-purpose flour (for dry coating)
• 0.25 cup cornstarch (for dry coating)
• 2 tbsp cajun seasoning (divided for dry mix and pasta sauce)
• 4 tbsp butter (divided for chipotle sauce and pasta)
• 4 clove garlic (minced, divided)
• 0.5 cup honey (for chipotle glaze)
• 2 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo (minced or blended for glaze)
• 0.5 onion (diced for pasta)
• 2 cup heavy cream (for pasta sauce)
• 0.5 cup parmesan cheese (shredded, plus more for topping)
• 0.5 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
• 12 oz penne pasta (cooked according to package directions)
• 2 roma tomatoes (diced for garnish)
• 2 green onions (sliced for garnish)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (for pasta sauce)

Steps

1. 1

   Clean the chicken breast tenderloins and place them in a bowl. Season the chicken directly with salt, black pepper, sazon, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and regular paprika.

2. 2

   To the seasoned chicken, add chicken stock, milk, and mustard. Mix thoroughly until well combined to create the wet batter marinade. Let the chicken marinate for at least 15-30 minutes.

3. 3

   In a separate shallow dish, prepare the dry coating by whisking together 1.5 cups of flour, 1/4 cup of cornstarch, the same seasonings used in the marinade (salt, pepper, sazon, garlic powder, onion powder, both paprikas), and additional Cajun seasoning.

4. 4

   Remove the chicken tenderloins from the wet batter and dredge them thoroughly in the dry flour mixture. Press the flour into the chicken and let them sit in the dry mix for a few minutes to ensure the coating adheres well.

5. 5

   Fry the chicken in hot oil (not listed in ingredients, but implied) until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on a wire rack.

6. 6

   Prepare the honey chipotle glaze: In a pan over medium-high heat, sauté minced garlic in butter. Add honey and chipotle peppers in adobo. Simmer the sauce until it thickens into a glaze.

7. 7

   Toss the fried chicken crispers in the honey chipotle glaze until evenly coated.

8. 8

   Start the Cajun pasta: In a large skillet, sauté diced onions in butter until translucent. Add minced garlic and season with salt.

9. 9

   Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a light simmer. Season the sauce with salt, black pepper, lemon juice, Cajun seasoning, and the spice blend used for the chicken (sazon, garlic powder, onion powder, paprikas).

10. 10

    Stir in the shredded parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Continue to simmer until the sauce is thickened and the cheese is melted.

11. 11

    Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat thoroughly. Fold in the diced roma tomatoes.

12. 12

    Plate the pasta and top with the honey chipotle chicken crispers. Garnish with additional parmesan cheese and sliced green onions.

Notes

For the best results, allow the breaded chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes before frying; this prevents the breading from falling off in the oil. You can adjust the heat of the glaze by adding more or less chipotle peppers.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• dinner
• chicken
• pasta
• copycat
• spicy
• fried chicken