Texas Roadhouse Herb-Crusted Chicken
This is the best copycat recipe for aromatic herb-crusted chicken from Texas Roadhouse restaurant!
Equipment
- 1 Potato masher
- 1 Pot
- 1 Pan
Ingredients
Brine
- 4 cups water (cold)
- 3 tbsp table salt
Herb-Crusted Chicken
- 18 oz chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
- 1 tsp pepper (freshly ground)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp parsley
- 1 tbsp rosemary
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp basil
- 1 tbsp dill
- 2 lemons
Mashed Potatoes + Carrots
- 30 oz potatoes
- 2 shallots
- 1 head garlic
- 2 tbsp sour cream (less or more to taste)
- 1 cup milk (less or more to taste)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 8 baby carrots
Instructions
Brining the Chicken
- Take a large bowl, fill it with 4 cups of tap water and 3 tablespoons of table salt, and stir till it dissolves. Submerge the chicken breasts and leave them rest for about 45 minutes.
Making the Mashed Potatoes
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Put them in a large pot and cover them with tap water so the liquid level is at least two fingers above the potatoes. Add a teaspoon of salt, too, and bring to a boil.
- Let them simmer for about 20 minutes, depending on how big your pieces are. Check it by poking them with a fork – they are done when it can pass effortlessly.
- Take a whole garlic head and cut off the top, revealing the cloves. Drizzle it generously with olive oil and sprinkle with a tad of salt. Wrap it in baking paper or aluminum foil and bake at 350 °F (180 °C) for approximately 20 minutes, until soft.
- Peel and dice some shallots along. When the potatoes are ready, drain the water and use the same pot to caramelize the onion. Fry it on a sprinkle of olive oil, until golden brown.
- Return the potatoes to the pot, squeeze out baked garlic cloves, season it with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and mash. Halfway along, add some sour cream, butter, and milk and continue until you’re satisfied with the consistency.
Preparing the Chicken
- In a bowl combine the spices and herbs: salt, ground pepper, paprika, rosemary, parsley, basil, oregano, and dill.
- Remove chicken breasts from the wet brine and tap them dry with a paper towel. Thin them out if needed and beat them with a kitchen mallet so they are tenderer. Massage the herbal mixture into the breasts and do it properly – it can never be too much!
- Pour some olive oil into the skillet, and heat it on medium. Slowly fry your chicken so it doesn’t burn. The herbs will be darker in color, but that’s okay. Crisp them out from both sides for a few minutes and fry a bit more until the internal temperature is 165 °F (74 °C).
- Take them out on the paper towel to absorb the residual fat.
Caramelizing the Lemon
- Slice the lemon in half and sprinkle it with some salt. Plus, cover it generously with sugar and put it in the hot skillet flat side down. The sugar will caramelize in a few minutes and reach golden brown color, so that’s the moment to remove it from the stove.
Serving
- Take two bowls and serve garlicky mashed potatoes in one and in the other, serve a few baby carrots for additional texture. Arrange the herb-crusted chicken and top it with half of the caramelized lemon. I recommend you drizzle the lemon juice on both chicken and potatoes as it smashes the taste and skyrockets the flavors.
Nutrition
Serving: 4peopleCalories: 495kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 35gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 6637mgPotassium: 1706mgFiber: 8gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 3423IUVitamin C: 78mgCalcium: 178mgIron: 3mg