We love our fried chicken, but our traditional recipe is not exactly healthy. My husband found an alternative on Food Network’s Website – Oven Fried Chicken.
OVEN FRIED CHICKEN
1 lemon
1/2 cup lowfat milk
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary plus 2 whole sprigs
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 pounds bone-in skinless chicken legs and thighs
2 slices whole wheat bread (3 oz.)
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Kosher salt and finely ground black pepper
Note
Marinating chicken pieces with lemon, herbs, and a bit of skim milk as a tenderizer really gets the flavor into the chicken. Cornmeal or whole wheat bread crumbs make a crunchy coating with few calories, and baking on a rack ensures no soggy bottoms on the chicken.
- Finely grate 1 t zest from the lemon. Set aside. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk, sugar, and cayenne until the sugar and cayenne are dissolved. Add the sprigs of rosemary and garlic. Pierce each chicken piece several times with a fork, add to the milk mixture, turning to coat well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for two hours.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Lay the bread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake turning a few times until the bread is crisp and dry, 45 minutes to one hour. Cool completely. Break into large pieces and pulse in the bowl of a food processor until it forms coarse crumbs.
- Increase the oven temp to 375 degrees F. In a shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs with the corn meal, Parmesan if using, chopped rosemary, reserved 1 t zest, and season with salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and top with a wire rack. Coat the rack well with nonstick spray.
- Working with one piece at a time, remove the chicken from the marinade allowing the excess to drip off. Press into the bread crumb mixture until the chicken is well coated and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken and crumbs. Mist the chicken with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bake until the chicken is crisp and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 160 degrees, about 50-55 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 4
Nutritional Analysis per serving of chicken:
Calories, 328; Total Fat 10 g. (Sat. Fat 3g, Mono Fat 3g, Poly Fat 2g); Protein 48g; Carb 10g; Fiber 1g; Cholesterol 186 mg; Sodium 330mg.
Combined with rice and French style green beans, it made a healthy, satisfying meal.
That’s great! you gotta love those healthy versions of the classics…or at least I do!
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