The following oven-fried chicken recipes retain the full flavor and crunch of fried chicken without the fat and calories and without the mess of frying.
Super-Crunchy “Fried” Chicken
In this recipe, cornflake cereal gives the chicken the crunch.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk
- 1 large egg white
- 2 teaspoons hot red pepper sauce
- 4 (6 ounces) chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless
- 1 cup prepared cornflake cereal, crushed finely
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Olive oil cooking spray
Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg white, and hot sauce until blended; add chicken pieces and turn to coat. Let marinate at room temperature. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with nonstick foil. Combine cornflake crumbs, paprika, thyme, garlic powder, and salt in a shallow pie plate or bowl.
Lift chicken pieces, one at a time, from buttermilk mixture and coat in seasoned crumb mixture. Place on a prepared baking sheet. Lightly spray crumb coating with cooking spray.
Bake 16 to 18 minutes, until browned on the outside, chicken is no longer pink in thickest parts, and crumb coating is crusty.
Nutritional Information (per serving)
290 calories, 4g fat, 22g carbs, 39g protein
Picnic Oven-Fried Chicken
Sesame seeds in this recipe give the chicken crunch.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
- 2 3/4 pounds chicken legs, skin removed, fat trimmed
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Olive oil cooking spray
Directions
Whisk buttermilk, mustard, garlic and hot sauce in a shallow glass dish until well blended. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour or for up to 8 hours.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set a wire rack on the baking sheet and coat it with cooking spray.
Whisk flour, sesame seeds, paprika, thyme, baking powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place the flour mixture in a paper bag or large sealable plastic bag.
Shaking off excess marinade, place one or two pieces of chicken at a time in the bag and shake to coat. Shake off excess flour and place chicken on the prepared rack. (Discard any leftover flour mixture and marinade.) Spray chicken pieces with cooking spray.
Bake the chicken until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, 40 to 50 minutes.
Nutritional Information (per serving)
227 calories, 7g fat (2g sat), 130mg cholesterol, 262 mg sodium, 5g carbs, 34g protein
