Oven-fried Chicken

Who doesn't love the crunch of southern fried chicken, but there's the fat in the skin and the fat that it's fried in just waiting to creep around your middle. Don't worry, you can have your crispy chicken and lose weight/stay healthy by using your oven to produce delicious, moist chicken with a satisfying crunch. The original recipe called for bone-in, skinless chicken breasts, but I substituted bone-in, skinless chicken thighs. I much prefer bone-in chicken as it retains the juices far better.

Serves 4 (7 PP)
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk (I make my own by adding 1 tbs vinegar to skim milk and letting it stand)
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
4 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (about 5 oz each)
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tbs grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried sage

Combine buttermilk, salt, and pepper in large zip-lock bag and add chicken. Squeeze air out of the bag and seal. Turn to coat chicken and refrigerate 20 minutes to 3 hours, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with foil sprayed with nonstick spray.

Mix together bread crumbs and cheese. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture and discard mixture. Coat chicken, one piece at a time, in panko mix. Place chicken pieces on prepared baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven and lightly spray chicken with nonstick spray. Return to oven and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes longer.
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TASTE NOTES
The recipe above is adapted from WW Best Darn Food Ever cookbook. The first time I used the exact recipe, but we didn't enjoy the spice mixture. The second time, I revised it and it turned out perfect: moist inside, crispy outside, and very flavorful. Leftovers--if there are any--are delicious cold or at room temperature. With corn and potato salad, this is a picnic. With mashed potatoes and greens, it's a southern-style meal that will have you singing Dixie.