Malibu Chicken is the restaurant classic made at home: thin chicken breasts coated in seasoned flour, egg and Italian panko, fried until golden, then baked under deli ham and melted Swiss cheese and served with a creamy honey mustard dipping sauce. It is a copycat of the Malibu chicken made famous by Sizzler, it serves 4, and it takes about 50 minutes.
How to make it: Slice the breasts in half, bread them in flour, egg and panko, and fry just until golden. Top each piece with ham and Swiss and bake at 350°F until the chicken reaches 165°F. Whisk mayo, two mustards, honey and seasonings for the sauce while it bakes.
Why You’ll Love It
- Crispy and cheesy: a golden panko crust under ham and melted Swiss.
- The sauce: creamy honey mustard for dipping every bite.
- Restaurant favorite at home: the Sizzler-style dinner in your own kitchen.
- Ready in about 50 minutes: 20 minutes of prep, 30 of cooking.
What Is Malibu Chicken?
Malibu chicken is a breaded chicken breast topped with ham and Swiss cheese and served with a honey mustard sauce. It was a popular dish at Sizzler restaurants, and it is close to chicken cordon bleu, but instead of rolling the ham and cheese inside the chicken, they go on top, and the honey mustard sauce comes on the side. Sizzler does not publish its recipe, so this is a copycat-style version.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken breasts: Two large breasts sliced in half lengthwise, or four thin-sliced breasts.
Breading: A third of a cup of all-purpose flour seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder; two eggs whisked with a splash of water; and a cup of Italian-style panko breadcrumbs.
Ham and Swiss: Eight slices of deli ham and six slices of Swiss cheese: two slices of ham and a slice and a half of cheese on each piece.
Oil: About half an inch of oil in a large skillet for frying.
Honey mustard sauce: A cup of mayonnaise, three tablespoons of Dijon, two tablespoons of yellow mustard, four teaspoons of honey and half a teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder.
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 large chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise (or 4 thin-sliced breasts)
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 large eggs, whisked with a splash of water
- 1 cup Italian-style panko breadcrumbs
- Oil, about 1/2 inch in the skillet, for frying
- 8 slices deli ham
- 6 slices Swiss cheese
For the honey mustard sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 4 teaspoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
How to Make Malibu Chicken
1. Prep. Heat the oven to 350°F. Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise.
2. Set up the breading. Stir the flour, salt, pepper, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon onion powder together in a shallow bowl. Whisk the eggs with a splash of water in a second bowl. Put the panko in a third bowl.
3. Bread the chicken. Coat each piece of chicken in the flour and shake off the excess, dip it in the egg and let the excess drip off, then press it into the panko so the crumbs stick.
4. Fry to brown. Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium heat to 350°F. Fry the chicken in batches just until golden brown on both sides; it does not need to cook through yet. Drain briefly on paper towels, then set on a wire rack over a sheet tray.
5. Top and bake. Move the chicken to a baking dish. Top each piece with 2 slices of ham and 1 1/2 slices of Swiss cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
6. Make the sauce. While the chicken bakes, whisk the mayonnaise, Dijon, yellow mustard, honey, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder together.
7. Serve. Serve the chicken right away with the sauce for dipping.
How to Keep Malibu Chicken Crispy
A soggy crust under melted cheese is the one thing to avoid. Three steps keep it crisp.
Bread in three steps. Flour first, shaking off the extra, then egg, letting the extra drip off, then panko pressed on firmly so it sticks.
Fry only to brown. The oil at 350°F browns the crust; the oven finishes cooking the chicken. Fry in batches so the pan is not crowded.
Use a wire rack. After a quick blot on paper towels, set the pieces on a wire rack over a sheet tray while you fry the rest. Then top them with ham and Swiss and bake until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Tips for Success
Why slice the chicken breasts in half?
The recipe bakes for only 15 to 20 minutes after frying, so it is built on thin pieces. Thin-sliced breasts work too.
How do I know the chicken is done?
Check the thickest piece with a food thermometer after baking: it is done at 165°F.
Can I make the sauce ahead?
Yes. Whisk it together and keep it covered in the refrigerator until serving.
How do I tear the cheese to fit?
Use one full slice of Swiss and tear a half slice to cover the rest of each piece.
Variations
- Oven only, no frying: Coat the chicken in some of the mayo-mustard mixture, then in panko mixed with grated Parmesan, and bake at 350°F before adding the ham and Swiss.
- Low-carb: Use crushed pork rinds instead of panko.
- Sizzler-style marinade: Marinate the chicken in egg yolks and minced garlic for 4 hours, coat in panko and Parmesan, and bake at 350°F for 40 minutes to an hour before topping with ham and Swiss.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate: Store leftover chicken and sauce separately in covered containers in the refrigerator within 2 hours; eat within 3 to 4 days.
Reheat: Reheat the chicken in the oven until it reaches 165°F. Serve the sauce cold.
Freezing: The mayonnaise sauce does not freeze well; make it fresh.
What to Serve With It
Serve Malibu chicken with the honey mustard sauce on the side and your favorite potato or salad.
For more ham and Swiss dinners, try chicken cordon bleu casserole. More restaurant-style chicken at home: Outback Alice Springs chicken, LongHorn Parmesan crusted chicken, baked cream cheese chicken, a chicken mozzarella skillet and chicken crescent roll ups.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Malibu chicken?
A breaded chicken breast topped with ham and melted Swiss cheese, served with honey mustard sauce, made popular by Sizzler.
What is the sauce on Malibu chicken?
A creamy honey mustard sauce: mayonnaise, Dijon, yellow mustard, honey, garlic powder and onion powder.
Can I bake Malibu chicken without frying?
Yes. Coat it in a mayo-mustard mixture and panko with Parmesan and bake at 350°F, then add the ham and Swiss at the end.
Is Malibu chicken the same as chicken cordon bleu?
They share ham and Swiss, but cordon bleu is rolled or layered with the filling inside, while Malibu chicken has the ham and cheese on top and comes with honey mustard sauce.
Final Notes
Bread it well, fry just to brown, and bake under ham and Swiss until 165°F, then dip every bite in honey mustard. If you make this Malibu chicken, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Malibu Chicken
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Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts sliced in half lengthwise (or 4 thin-sliced breasts)
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder for the flour
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder for the flour
- 2 large eggs whisked with a splash of water
- 1 cup Italian-style panko breadcrumbs
- oil about 1/2 inch in the skillet, for frying
- 8 slices deli ham
- 6 slices Swiss cheese
- 1 cup mayonnaise for the sauce
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard for the sauce
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard for the sauce
- 4 teaspoons honey for the sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder for the sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder for the sauce
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise.
- Stir the flour, salt, pepper, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon onion powder together in a shallow bowl. Whisk the eggs with a splash of water in a second bowl. Put the panko in a third bowl.
- Coat each piece of chicken in the flour and shake off the excess, dip it in the egg and let the excess drip off, then press it into the panko so the crumbs stick.
- Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium heat to 350°F. Fry the chicken in batches just until golden brown on both sides; it does not need to cook through yet. Drain briefly on paper towels, then set on a wire rack over a sheet tray.
- Move the chicken to a baking dish. Top each piece with 2 slices of ham and 1 1/2 slices of Swiss cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
- While the chicken bakes, whisk the mayonnaise, Dijon, yellow mustard, honey, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder together.
- Serve the chicken right away with the sauce for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
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