Doritos-Crusted Chicken...Wait, What?

I have a confession to make.  I've never eaten at a Taco Bell.  The truth is that I just don't like Mexican style food all that much, so we never went as kids and I don't really eat a lot of fast food as an adult.

That said I do love fried chicken and there's something oddly alluring, if not downright creepy, about these new "inside-out" tacos they've been advertising where they've basically wrapped taco condiments inside of a rolled-up fried chicken patty.  There's something equally alluring and weird about the Doritos-flavored hard taco shells they've been hawking.

And then it hit me...  DING!  Doritos-coated chicken.  OMG.  YES.

I'm going to be honest with you...  It didn't have quite the familiar Doritos-flavored punch I expected it to have.  It turns out that the frying process mutes the seasoning quite a bit.  However, it turns out that crushed tortilla chips make a fantastic, super-crispy coating, so it was a big win anyway.  I think if I were to do this again, I'd probably just use plain tortilla chips (preferably low-salt) or I would use the Doritos and try to bake them instead of frying them.

Doritos-Crusted Chicken Cutlets

1/2 of a large bag of Doritos Chips
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breast or tenders

1. Place chips in a large zip-top bag.  Close the bag, removing as much air as possible.  Using the smooth side of a meat mallot, the bottom of a heavy pan, or a rolling pin, pulverize the chips into uniform crumbs.  Alternatively, you may wish to use a food processor.
2. Pound the chicken pieces flat so they are uniformly about 1/2 inch thick.
3. Bread the chicken pieces by placing them first in the egg wash, then into the crushed chips.  Place each piece on a rack to prevent it from getting soggy.
4. Shallow-fry in oil or bake in a 375 degree oven until golden brown and chicken is cooked-through.