Chef notes

This spread of chicken strips, slaw and dip is inspired by a cross between chicken fingers of the '90s and a fried chicken picnic spread. The juicy, flavorful chicken has a cheesy-herb crust with a yogurt marinade that keeps the meat tender. If you're making this for a picnic or transporting the meal in any way, pack up the chicken in containers along with the slaw and dip, and then spread them out together on a small board or platter wherever you're serving.

Technique tip: The yogurt helps keep the cutlets moist and tender, and, as they are baked rather than fried, some of the breadcrumbs might not be as crispy as you'd like. If that happens, just broil both sides of the cutlets rather than one. You can also let the chicken marinate in the yogurt mixture covered overnight in the refrigerator before continuing with the rest of the recipe.

Ingredients

Herby Green Sauce (makes about 1 cup)

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2-1 jalapeño, seeded and diced

3 scallions, light green and white parts only, chopped
1 cup (packed) mixed fresh soft herbs, such a cilantro, parsley, basil and/or mint, roughly chopped
1 large lemon, zested and juiced (about 1 tablespoon zest and 3 tablespoons juice)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Garlicky Blistered Green Beans

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 pound green or other similar-shaped beans, trimmed
kosher salt
Herby Sauce (recipe above)

Yogurt Dip

1/2 cup thick, full-fat yogurt, such as Greek or Skyr
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

salt, to taste

Green Cabbage Slaw

1 small head green cabbage, sliced (about 6 cups)
kosher salt
1/2 cup (packed) fresh dill, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 Persian cucumbers or other small cucumbers, thinly sliced
freshly ground black pepper

Chicken Bites

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons thick, full-fat yogurt, such as Greek or Skyr
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
kosher salt
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 (packed) cup fresh parsley, dill or cilantro, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the pan
1½ pounds chicken cutlets, or 3-4 chicken breasts, halved horizontally
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

For the herby green sauce:

In a small bowl, add all the ingredients and stir until combined. Season with additional salt as desired. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

For the garlicky green beans:

In a 12-inch cast-iron or other large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil with the garlic, cumin and red pepper flakes until the mixture starts to sizzle and is fragrant.

Add the green beans, season with salt and stir to coat in the olive oil. Cook the beans, undisturbed, for 2 minutes, then stir, turning over the pieces as best you can.

Continue to cook for about 7 minutes more, repeating the process of cooking for 2 minutes undisturbed and tossing each time, until the skins blister and the beans are crisp-tender.

Turn off the heat and transfer the beans to a large platter, along with anything at the bottom of the pan.

Spoon the herby green sauce over the beans, if using, or serve alongside in a small bowl.

For the yogurt dip:

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and season accordingly to taste.

For the green cabbage slaw:

In a large serving bowl, use your hands to toss the cabbage with 1 teaspoon salt, the dill, vinegar and olive oil until the cabbage is well dressed. Add the cucumbers and toss to coat.

Let sit for 15 minutes before serving, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Season generously with additional salt and pepper before serving or packing.

For the chicken bites:

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place one rack in the center and another rack 6 inches from the broiler.

In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, mustard and 1 teaspoon salt. In another medium bowl, combine the panko, Parmesan, parsley, oregano and red pepper flakes. Stir in 1/4 cup olive oil until smooth.

Brush a sheet pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and lightly season both sides of the cutlets with salt and black pepper. Add the chicken cutlets, one at a time, to the yogurt mixture, tossing to coat well. Scrape off any excess yogurt, then dip each cutlet in the breadcrumb mixture to coat it all over. Arrange the chicken on the sheet pan and repeat with the remaining cutlets (it's OK if they are close together, as they will shrink slightly when cooked).

Bake on the center rack until the chicken is cooked through and the crust is golden brown, about 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cutlets. Flip the cutlets over and transfer the sheet pan to the upper rack. Heat the broiler to high and broil until the crust is even deeper brown (but keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn), 1 to 2 minutes.

Let cool slightly before slicing the chicken into bite-size strips. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator if not serving immediately. The chicken will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.

To serve:

Arrange the chicken tenders on a board or large platter and serve the green cabbage slaw and yogurt sauce in bowls to place on the board alongside. Serve any remaining accompaniments directly on the board or in small bowls around the board, as desired.