Malibu Chicken (Sizzler Copycat)

Panko breaded chicken topped with deli ham and Swiss cheese and served with a honey dijon dipping sauce. A copycat version of Sizzler’s classic Malibu Chicken.

The first time I tried Malibu Chicken was at my mother-in-law’s house waaaayyy back in time when I was dating my husband. That sounded weird. I wasn’t dating my husband – I was dating the young guy who would one day become my husband. There, that’s better.

It was the early 80’s and this tasty chicken dish from Sizzler was quite the rage. It’s a bit ironic that I’ve never had the Sizzler version. In fact, I’ve never dined at Sizzler – ever. My great big family of eight was not having fancy dinner’s out at Sizzler. Ha!  So, needless to say, I was pretty pleased when Paul’s mom whipped this up for dinner one night. I promptly pulled out my trusty recipe cards and wrote the recipe down.

It is that very recipe that I’m sharing with you all today. I have no idea why it has taken me over three years of blogging to get around to sharing this one with you. It’s been cooked and consumed countless times since my boys were young and it remains a favorite.

Funny thing is, for all these years I had assumed that Paul’s family was livin’ it up at Sizzler, ordering appetizers and Malibu Chicken while I was at home eating pot roast. When I was putting this post together I asked him to tell me about his glory days at Sizzler only to find out that they weren’t eating there either! I have to assume that she got the recipe from a magazine, a TV show, or it was one of those recipes that was circulating like crazy through the suburbs in those days.

And, just when you think you really know someone – you find out it was all an illusion.

Go grab your apron and let’s make some Malibu Chicken!

You’ll need 3 wide, shallow dishes for the breading ingredients – pie plates work perfectly. Dish one contains all-purpose flour. Dish two contains an egg whisked with a little vegetable oil. And, dish three contains Italian style panko bread crumbs. You’ll also need four thin cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If you are feeding more than four, don’t fret. I’ve included instructions for making enough for a bigger group on the printable recipe below.

Dredge a piece of chicken in the flour, coating both sides. Shake off any excess.

Place the flour coated chicken in the egg mixture and flip it over to coat both sides with egg.  The flour will really help that egg adhere to the chicken.

Lastly, a dip in the seasoned panko bread crumbs.

Transfer the breaded chicken to an oven-proof skillet that has been generously coated with olive oil. When I say generous, I mean it. Use at least 3 tablespoons for a 12″ skillet. You don’t want any of that wonderful breading to be left behind because it’s sticking to the bottom of the pan. Season the chicken with a little salt and fresh ground pepper.

After a few minutes, flip the chicken over. We are just browning it here – not cooking it through. It only needs 3 or 4 minutes per side to get nicely browned.

Layer each piece of chicken with a slice of deli ham, folded to fit the chicken, and a slice of Swiss cheese. Pop the oven-proof skillet in a pre-heated 350 degree oven and that’s it my friends. Let it cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through to the center. If you are using thicker pieces of chicken, it’s going to take longer to cook through. I HIGHLY recommend using thinner pieces since they cook faster and will be more tender with less cooking time.

While the chicken is in the oven you can mix together the sweet, creamy Dijon dipping sauce. It consists of mayonnaise, both Dijon and yellow mustard, honey, and onion powder. I used coarse ground Dijon but the regular type is just fine.

While it bakes, the edges of the ham get all nice and crispy and the cheese gets all melty and gooey. It’s a beautiful thing. Try it!

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Malibu Chicken

A copycat version of the classic recipe made famous by Sizzler.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Change the number in the box above to adjust serving size. Please note that size of cookware and cook time may vary.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Italian style Panko bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 thin sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Olive oil about 3 tablespoons or enough to generously coat skillet
• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 4 slices deli ham
• 4 slices Swiss cheese

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard coarse ground or regular
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grab 3 pie plates or similar wide, shallow dishes. Place flour in one, bread crumbs in another, and whisk egg with vegetable oil in the 3rd dish. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. One by one, dip the pieces into flour, then into the egg/oil mixture, then lastly into the Panko bread crumbs.
3. Coat an oven-proof skillet with a generous amount of olive oil and place over medium heat. As you bread each piece of chicken, transfer it to the pan. Allow to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Season it with a little salt and fresh ground black pepper while it cooks. You don't want to cook the chicken through at this point. Once browned, layer the chicken with a piece of ham and then top with the Swiss cheese.
4. Transfer pan to the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, till chicken is thoroughly cooked through to the center. Serve with dipping sauce.
5. For the Dipping Sauce:While the chicken is baking, combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe Notes

Serving more than four? No problem! Double the recipe and brown the chicken in batches. Line a large baking sheet with foil and generously coat the foil with non-stick cooking spray. Transfer the browned chicken to the prepared baking sheet and proceed with recipe as directed.