Sam Choy, of “Sam Choy’s in the Kitchen” on Nexstar’s KHON, wants you to start using your air fryer to its full potential — and that means cooking up his Cap’n Crunch air-fried chicken (among other out-of-the-box dishes).
“I did it for the Lakers and Kobe Bryant loved it,” Choy told KHON’s John Veneri.
According to Choy, former Lakers athletic director Gary Vitti is partially responsible for inspiring the dish. Choy had been hired to cook for the team at their training camp in Honolulu ahead of the 2007-2008 NBA season, during which time Vitti told him the team couldn’t eat fried foods.
“So I figured, well, we’ll make a chicken breast, marinated lightly … breaded with some nice Cap’n Crunch cereal, and then throw it in the oven and roast it.
“And then along came the air fryer, makes it much easier,” he added.
Lamar Odom, who hired Choy for training camp, also gave Choy’s dish the highest praise. Speaking with Sports Illustrated in 2008, Odom made sure to shout-out the chicken.
“Sam made a chicken crusted with, I kid you not, Cap’n Crunch,” Odom said. “Best thing you ever ate in your life.”
Cap’n Crunch air-fried chicken
Yield: 4 servings. Time: 45 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts, halved to create four cutlets
- Seasoned salt or garlic salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon shoyu sauce
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 egg
- 2 cups Cap’n Crunch cereal, crushed to the consistency of coarse panko (or fine panko, depending on preference)
- Cooking spray
- Sliced green onion, for garnish
Instructions
- Place chicken cutlets into a large mixing bowl. Season to taste with seasoned salt or garlic salt. Add olive oil, shoyu, and mix.
- Add flour, a spoonful at a time, until each piece of chicken is coated.
- Crack the egg into the bowl. Mix until the batter sticks to the chicken. (Add more flour if the batter is too loose.)
- Place crushed Cap’n Crunch in a large shallow dish or baking tray. Dip each piece of chicken in the cereal, making sure to completely coat both sides. Press the cereal into the chicken, if needed.
- Prepare the air fryer with cooking spray. Set the dial to 390 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spray each piece of chicken with cooking spray before placing in the air fryer. Cook for 30–35 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Remove from air fryer and let sit for a few moments before slicing.
- Garnish with green onions and serve.
In the video above, Choy and Veneri also cook up a variety of roasted root vegetables to serve alongside the main dish. And to finish, Choy whips up a peanut butter and banana stuffed French toast with homemade lilikoi (passionfruit) syrup.
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