Feast on the delectable fusion of flavors with Luby’s Chicken Durango! Starting with a tender chicken breast, breaded in savory breadcrumbs and pan-fried to a golden crisp. It’s lavishly topped with tangy tartar sauce, a slice of rich ham, and finished with a blanket of creamy Swiss cheese. Once baked to melty perfection, every bite promises a harmonious medley of tastes and textures.
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Table of Contents
What Makes Luby’s Chicken Durango So Good?
Fried chicken with ham and cheese on top? Yes, please! Chicken Durango perfectly combines crisp, juicy chicken, savory ham, and gooey cheese into one memorable meal. Chicken Durango is one entree that is pretty much guaranteed to become one of your go-to dinners when you want to impress without stress.
Why You Should Try This Recipe
Do you love the idea of Chicken Cordon Blue but don’t fancy all the prep work that goes into cooking it? Then why not just make the chicken with the ham and cheese on top instead of inside?
Luby’s Chicken Durango takes a high-end classic and makes it accessible for the average cook. But don’t let the ease of cooking fool you. This is one delicious dish you will love eating and be proud to serve.
Chicken With Ham and Swiss Cheese Ingredients
For this recipe, you’ll need:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Plain Breadcrumbs
- Seasoned salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Whole milk
- Tarter sauce
- Ham, thinly sliced
- Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
Try this tarter sauce recipe, or use your favorite.
How to Make Chicken with Ham and Cheese
To prep the chicken cutlets for breading:
- Trim any fat, skin, or tendons left on the chicken breast and place it between two pieces of plastic wrap on the counter.
- Use the flat end of a meat tenderizer to gently pound the chicken into an even half-inch thickness and place it on a plate for later.
- Repeat the flattening process with the remaining chicken breasts.
For breading the chicken:
- Make a breading station by lining up two wide, shallow containers (pie tins or casserole dishes work well) with a wire rack at the end.
- Fill one of the containers with the plain bread crumbs and stir in the seasoned salt and pepper.
- Pour the whole milk into the other container.
- Coat the pounded chicken cutlet on all sides with the seasoned breadcrumbs, then dip it in the whole milk.
- Re-coat the chicken with seasoned breadcrumbs and lay it on the wire rack to rest.
- Repeat the breading process with the remaining chicken.
To pan-fry the breaded chicken cutlets:
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Pour enough oil to coat the bottom of the skillet.
- Add two or three pieces of breaded chicken when the oil is hot. Do not crowd the pan.
- Fry breast on the first side until golden brown and carefully flip. Add more oil if needed, and cook the chicken on the other side until golden brown.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a baking tray.
- Cook the remaining chicken cutlets.
To finish cooking Luby’s Chicken Durango:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Spread about a tablespoon of tarter sauce over the top of the cooked breaded chicken.
- Cover the tarter sauce with one or two slices of ham.
- Top with a slice of Swiss cheese.
- Bake in the oven until the cheese melts. To ensure you are not serving undercooked chicken, use an instant-read thermometer to check that the internal temp is at least 165°F.
- Serve hot.
What to Serve With It
You can pair this dish with just about any side. Salads, mashed potatoes, and steamed vegetables are all great options.
While you won’t find any sauce other than tarter on Chicken Durango at Luby’s restaurants, you can add anything you want when you make the recipe at home. And there are a few sauces that can elevate this dish to the next level. Try leaving off the tarter sauce and ladling one of these over the top of the chicken when it comes out of the oven instead:
- White gravy. Old-fashioned White Gravy is good on Chicken Fried Chicken and oh, so tasty on this dish as well.
- Hollandaise Sauce. Some people think Hollandaise Sauce is difficult to make, but if you can make pan gravy, you can make this French classic.
- Dill Pickle Ranch Dressing. It’s a bit unusual, but Dill Pickle Ranch Dressing will please any pickle fan.
How to Store Chicken With Ham and Swiss
Allow the chicken to cool, and put the cutlets in a single layer into an airtight container in the refrigerator. The chicken should stay fresh for up to three days.
You can freeze room-temperature Chicken Durango on a baking pan and then transfer to an airtight container. Place a piece of wax paper between layers to prevent sticking. Frozen chicken will last up to a month, but remember to thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating.
What’s the Best Way to Reheat Chicken Durango
An oven will give you good results:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the thawed chicken on a baking tray and cover with aluminum foil.
- Rewarm the chicken in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil for the last five minutes of reheating time.
- Serve hot.
Love Luby’s Cafeteria food? Try these copycat recipes!
Favorite Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Croquettes
- Chicken Crispers
- Chicken Katsu
- Crispy Chicken Fritta
- Monterey Chicken
- Ritz Cracker Chicken
- Smothered Chicken
- Southern Fried Chicken
Check out more of my easy chicken dinner recipes and the best copycat restaurant recipes on CopyKat!
Luby’s Chicken Durango
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup tartar sauce
- 4 thin slices lean ham
- 4 slices processed Swiss cheese
Instructions
- Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/2 inch thick.
- Set up a dredging station: Place the milk in a wide, shallow dish. In another wide, shallow dish, combine the seasoned salt, pepper, and breadcrumbs and mix well.
- Dredge the chicken in the breadcrumbs, dip in milk, and dredge in the breadcrumbs again.
- Add just enough vegetable oil to a skillet to cover the bottom of the pan. Place the skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, place the chicken in the pan and fry until golden brown.
- Transfer the chicken breasts to an oven- or microwave-safe serving tray. Spread tartar sauce over the chicken. Top each chicken breast with a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss cheese. Place the tray in the oven or microwave just long enough to melt the cheese. Remove from the oven and serve with your favorite salad or vegetable side dish.
Nutrition
Yield: 4 servings.
Luby’s Chicken Durango
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup tartar sauce
- 4 thin slices lean ham
- 4 slices processed Swiss cheese
Instructions
- Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/2 inch thick.
- Set up a dredging station: Place the milk in a wide, shallow dish. In another wide, shallow dish, combine the seasoned salt, pepper, and breadcrumbs and mix well.
- Dredge the chicken in the breadcrumbs, dip in milk, and dredge in the breadcrumbs again.
- Add just enough vegetable oil to a skillet to cover the bottom of the pan. Place the skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, place the chicken in the pan and fry until golden brown.
- Transfer the chicken breasts to an oven- or microwave-safe serving tray. Spread tartar sauce over the chicken. Top each chicken breast with a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss cheese. Place the tray in the oven or microwave just long enough to melt the cheese. Remove from the oven and serve with your favorite salad or vegetable side dish.
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