Malibu Chicken
Malibu Chicken is golden brown crusted chicken with melted Swiss cheese and savory ham, all served with a tangy dipping sauce for the perfect dinner!
A UNIQUE CHICKEN BREAST RECIPE
This Malibu Chicken is crispy and cheesy (my kind of meal!) This is the kind of recipe that feels a little fancy yet is surprisingly simple to make at home. I serve it with a little side salad and call it done! No idea why it is called Malibu Chicken (if you know, please leave me a comment below – maybe a restaurant in Malibu first served it?), but I love it nonetheless! It’s extremely flavorful and really is a comforting meal. That sauce is what really sets it over the top. It’s so, so, good!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
I used a tavern ham to keep the recipe more on the savory side, but if you prefer a sweet ham, you can use that instead.
Trade out the ham for something else. This would also work great with boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
I believe you can use the Air Fryer, I just don’t think you can ever get the chicken quite as crispy as frying in oil. But if that is not important to you then you can certainly use an air fryer. NOTE: There is a varying cooking time here because there are so many variables when cooking chicken breasts in the air fryer and it really depends on how thick your chicken breasts are and the type of air fryer you are using (some et hotter faster than others). So please ONLY go by the temperature and not necessarily the cooking time. Breasts are done when the internal temperature reaches 165F degrees.
Preheat your air fryer to 375°F. Bread you chicken as you would for this recipe.
Spray the air fryer with olive oil spray. Place the breaded chicken into the basket, ensuring they do not touch. You will probably need to cook in batches. Spray the chicken liberally with the olive oil spray. Cook for about 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway through and spraying liberally again with more olive oil spray. Depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts, you may need more or less cooking time. Use a meat thermometer to be sure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F before serving.
Technically, you don’t HAVE to use the sauce. I really enjoy it because I feel like it really sends the chicken over to the next level and is what is traditionally served with Malibu chicken.
Malibu Chicken goes great with a nice side salad and your favorite vegetables. I find that steamed vegetables are easy and simple to serve, especially for dishes like this where the main part of the dinner takes a bit more effort. If you want to make something a bit more special, try my recipe for maple glazed carrots or honey glazed carrots.
Reheat leftovers in the oven or air fryer to keep the chicken crispy.
I would store the chicken and sauce separately. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- large chicken breasts – you can use chicken thighs if you prefer. Chicken thighs take a little longer to cook than chicken breasts since they are dark meat. So as I always say, go by temperature and not cooking time. Chicken thighs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165F degrees.
- all-purpose flour
- salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder – this is my preferred seasoning blend but use what you think you’d enjoy. A cajun or creole seasoning might work nicely here.
- large eggs
- water
- Italian style panko breadcrumbs – you can use regular breadcrumbs if you prefer.
- deli ham – use your favorite ham here. I like a saltier ham but use one you enjoy. This is great for leftover ham too, just make sure it is sliced thin enough so it cooks evenly.
- Swiss cheese – don’t like Swiss cheese? Try provolone off mozzarella.
- mayonnaise
- dijon mustard – I think the combo of dijon and yellow mustard work best here. I think you could use all yellow mustard but it will have a stronger vinegar taste.
- yellow mustard
- honey
HOW TO MAKE MALIBU CHICKEN
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise and set aside. Add the flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a medium shallow bowl. Stir to combine. Whisk the eggs with the water set aside in another medium shallow bowl. Lastly, add the panko breadcrumbs to a medium shallow bowl.
One at a time, place a piece of chicken in the first bowl with the flour, get it coated in the flour, and let the excess shake off.
Place into the egg mixture, cover well with egg, letting the excess drip off.
Next, add it to the bowl with the breadcrumbs, coat it well, and gently press the breadcrumbs so they will stick.
Place the piece of chicken to the side while you coat the other pieces. In a large skillet over medium heat, add about ½ inch of oil. Once hot (350°F), add the chicken to the oil and fry in batches until golden brown. We are not looking to cook the chicken all the way through; we just want it to brown. Place the chicken on a paper-towel-lined plate just to soak up excess oil, then immediately put it on a wire rack over a sheet tray while you fry the additional pieces.
Place the chicken into a baking dish. 3Top each piece with 2 pieces of ham, followed by a slice and a half of cheese. I tore the cheese to fit the top of the chicken nicely.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. While the chicken is baking, make the sauce by whisking together the mayonnaise, dijon, yellow mustard, honey, garlic powder, and onion powder in a medium bowl.
When the chicken is ready, immediately serve with the sauce for dipping.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Malibu Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Parmesan
- Chicken Fried Chicken
- Southern Fried Chicken
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken
- Longhorn Steakhouse Parmesan Chicken
- Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Chicken
- Chicken Patties
- Roast Chicken
- Chicken a la King
- Marry Me Chicken Pasta
- Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken
- Ritz Cracker Chicken Breast
- Pepperoni Chicken
- 30 Chicken Breast Recipes
Malibu Chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 2 large chicken breasts (or 4 thin sliced chicken breasts)
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 large eggs
- splash of water
- 1 cup Italian style panko breadcrumbs
- 8 slices deli ham
- 6 slices swiss cheese
For the sauce:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 Tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
- 4 teaspoons honey
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice 2 large chicken breasts in half lengthwise and set aside.
- Add 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon onion powder to a medium shallow bowl. Stir to combine.
- Whisk 2 large eggs with a splash of water in another medium shallow bowl. Set aside.
- Lastly, add 1 cup Italian style panko breadcrumbs to a medium shallow bowl.
- One at a time, place a piece of chicken in the first bowl with the flour, get it coated in the flour, and let the excess shake off.
- Place into the egg mixture, cover well with egg, letting the excess drip off.
- Next, add it to the bowl with the breadcrumbs, coat it well, and gently press the breadcrumbs so they will stick.
- Place the piece of chicken to the side while you coat the other pieces.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add about ½ inch of oil.
- Once hot (350°F), add the chicken to the oil and fry in batches until golden brown. We are not looking to cook the chicken all the way through; we just want it to brown.
- Place the chicken on a paper-towel-lined plate just to soak up excess oil, then immediately put it on a wire rack over a sheet tray while you fry the additional pieces.
- Place the chicken into a baking dish.
- Top each piece with 2 pieces of ham, followed by a slice and a half of Swiss cheese. I tore the cheese to fit the top of the chicken nicely.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- While the chicken is baking, make the sauce by whisking together 1 cup mayonnaise, 3 Tablespoons dijon mustard, 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard, 4 teaspoons honey, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder in a medium bowl.
- When the chicken is ready, immediately serve with the sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Like the others here, I first had at Sizzler in Atlanta, Ga suburb of Morrow with a steak combo. Got to where I just ordered it. Similar to Cordon Bluer but easier to make , worth the calories !!!
Absolutely delicious and a snap to prepare. The sauce is the perfect complement. My husband was a big fan of Sizzler’s Malibu Chicken, and he thought this version was spot on!
Made your recipe tonight and it was wonderful. We went to a high end restaurant last nights and my husband got a similar dish. He said it was dry and tasteless! He loved your recipe! Followed the recipe as written. No changes or additions needed. Thank you – we had a fantastic meal.
This was my favorite Sizzler recipe! I don’t know why they called it Malibu, but like a rose, whatever you call it, it’s delicious!
Years ago our Sizzler in Kansas City, Kansas served Malibu Chicken. It was a favorite of ours. The restaurant closed years ago, but every once in a while I still make it for my family. Will try your recipe for sauce, I just mixed together mustard and mayo!
When I saw this I had to make it today. It was so delicious, can’t wait to have it again soon.
Malibu Chicken is a dish served at Sizzler located in California.