Eat Skinny Be Skinny: Oven Fried Chicken
PIN IT!Who doesn’t love some finger lickin’ fried chicken? The crispy skin is my favorite part. I know, gross right? The skin is the fattiest part, but I can’t help it. I just love the flavor! Well, since just one piece of regular, deep friend Southern chicken has as many calories as a meal, I had to find an alternate method to enjoy this comfort food favorite.
The answer is easy, instead of fry, bake! I know what you’re thinking, the reason fried chicken is so good is due to the fact that it’s fried. I’m here to squash that myth. Oven fried chicken, if prepared correctly, can be just as crispy and delicious, with half of the fat and calories. Don’t believe me? Need another photo?
I would have taken a photo of Elliot eating it to further prove my point, but that boy ate his serving in about 2 seconds. Literally. What makes this recipe so good is the breading. I used Panko, which is a Japanese bread crumb that results in the extra crispy exterior. You can certainly use a standard bread crumb, but you’ll get a better turnout with Panko. To keep the dinner healthy and low in calories, I paired it with goat cheese mashed cauliflower. A perfectly healthy and satisfying “picnic” dinner!
Oven Fried Chicken
What You’ll Need:
- 1 cup of flavored Panko
- 5 drumsticks, defrosted
- 1/4 cup of buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning
How to Make It:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Pour breadcrumbs onto a tray or a plate.
- Mix buttermilk and seasoning together.
- One by one, drench chicken in the buttermilk mixture then cover in bread crumbs. Place in a greased baking/casserole dish.
- Bake for 60-65 minutes at 400 or until chicken is cooked through.
Nutritional information per drumstick: 206 calories, 4 grams of fat, 32 grams of protein and 1 gram of fiber.
This looks just as finger-lickin' as the full fat, lifetime-on-the-hips version. I'm making this!