MANILA, Philippines — The craze to serve breaded chicken fillet that has been crisp-fried to golden perfection and served with rice (or bread!) started with McDonald’s.
McCrispy Chicken Fillet became a more affordable but equally delicious meal option to Fried Chicken. But when the pandemic happened and, under the strictest enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) level, dining in restaurants was not allowed.
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Diners missed the McCrispy Chicken Fillet with rice and McCrispy Chicken Fillet Sandwich, and the fastfood chain missed its regular Chicken Fillet loyalists. So, in an effort to “meet up” and “take out” orders of Chicken Fillet, the chain did the unexpected — offer its Breaded Chicken Fillet in Cook-It-Yourself packs of 15 pieces for P315 through its participating Drive-Thru and Take Out locations, while bigger packs of 60 pieces were sold in select grocery and supermarket branches.
It has never been done before but, come to think of it, the pandemic has never happened before during the lifetime of the present generations of fastfood goers.It successfully made client and product, diner and favorite food, meet on neutral ground so diners can prepare the meal safely at home.
McDonald’s even went a step further by partnering with McCormick to create five easy home recipes using McCormick sauce mixes that home cooks could try with their McCrispy Chicken Fillet.
Now that the pandemic has let up and the economy is normal again, diners can now troop back to their favorite fastfood stores to enjoy their favorite McCrispy Chicken Fillet meal in store. The Cook-It-Yourself packs are long gone from McDonald’s stores and SM supermarkets, but since it has created a food trend, online food sellers will continue to sell chicken fillet in frozen form, in packs of 10 to 12 pieces, no longer claiming that it is authentic McDo fillet but saying that it is McDo-style fillet.
If you have kept the five easy home recipes for chicken fillet that McDonald’s released during the pandemic, they would still be of good use. If you no longer have those recipes, we’re sharing them here with you. Just deep-fry the chicken fillets for 6 to 7 minutes to achieve that crispy outer crunch and tasty and tender meat within, make the sauce you prefer, pour it over the cooked fillets, and serve with hot steamed rice or soft and fluffy buns.
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Fillet
INGREDIENTS:
4 tbsps. butter, melted
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. McCormick Garlic Granulated or McCormick Garlic Powder
4 pcs. breaded chicken fillet
PROCEDURE:
1. Pour melted butter over pre-fried breaded chicken fillet.
2. Combine Parmesan cheese and garlic powder in a bowl, then sprinkle over the buttered chicken fillets. Serve hot.
Makes 4 servings:
Honey-Teriyaki Chicken Fillet
INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsps. McCormick Teriyaki Marinade & Dipping Sauce
2 tbsps. honey
8 to 10 pcs. breaded chicken fillets
PROCEDURE:
1. Combine teriyaki sauce and honey in a small bowl. Mix until well blended.
2. Glaze pre-cooked breaded chicken fillets with honey-teriyaki mixture by pouring sauce over them or by basting with a brush. Serve hot.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Chicken Fillet Curry
INGREDIENTS:
3 tbsps. cooking oil
1 pc. white onion, diced
8 to 10 pcs. breaded chicken fillets
1 pack McCormick Yellow Curry Recipe Mix
2 cups coconut milk
1 pc. green bell pepper, diced
1 pc. large potato, diced
PROCEDURE:
1. Sauté onion in a saucepan or pot over medium heat until translucent.
2. Mix together Yellow Curry Recipe mix and coconut milk, then pour into the pan.
3. Add in bell pepper and potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are cooked and sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat and pour over the fried chicken fillets and a bed of rice.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Chicken Fillet Pastel
INGREDIENTS:
3 tbsps. cooking oil
1 pc. white onion, diced
8 to 10 pcs. McDonald’s Breaded Chicken Fillet
1 pack McCormick Creamy Garlic Mix
2 cups evaporated milk
1 pc. carrot, diced
1 pc. green bell pepper, diced
1 can Vienna sausage, cut into 3 (about 1/2-inch pieces)
PROCEDURE:
1. Sauté onion in a saucepan or pot over medium heat until translucent.
2. Mix together Creamy Garlic Perfect Pasta mix and evaporated milk, then pour into the pan.
3. Add in carrots and bell pepper. Simmer until vegetables are cooked and sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
4. Toss in chopped Vienna sausages and simmer for another 3 minutes. Turn off heat and serve hot over the previously fried Breaded Chicken Fillet & a bed of rice.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Creamy Garlic Chicken Fillet
INGREDIENTS:
8 to 10 pcs. breaded chicken fillets
1 1/2 cups milk
1 pack McCormick Creamy Garlic Perfect Pasta Mix
PROCEDURE:
1. Mix together milk and Creamy Garlic Perfect Pasta mix in a small saucepot, then place over medium heat.
2. Allow sauce to simmer and thicken for about 3 minutes. Sauce is ready to use.
3. Pour sauce over fried breaded chicken fillets. Serve hot.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
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