Everyone knows that anything tastes better fried, which is why Americans have adopted a very midwestern (no offense) habit of frying EVERYthing lately - oreos, cheese, even green beans. (Do fried vegetables still count toward your daily green intake? I guess it depends on who you’re asking.) But while a bready, crunchy, greasy bite of fried food is amazing going down, it also has a sneaky habit ofstayingdown… on your thighs and ass.
As everything is better in moderation, a little fried chicken every now and then won’t kill you. Which is a good thing, because the BF makes some of the best fried chicken ever made. In the meantime, however, an oven-fried treat is totally tasty and significantly less fat- and calorie-heavy. This chicken recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken breasts and a milk-based marinade in place of eggs and flour. Heart-healthy oats make up for an excess of breadcrumbs, and this is also a great dish to make on a hot day, as you can bake a huge batch instead of standing over a hot pot of grease for an hour.
This chicken pairs well with a nice, hearty salad, and even little ones with little teeth love it - just make sure to cut it into kid-friendly pieces! This recipe serves two.
INGREDIENTS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tbsp. mayo
1 c. milk
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 c. panko breadcrumbs
1/2 c. oats
2 tbsp. chopped fresh mixed herbs (you can get a packaged herb blend in the produce section of your supermarket)
zest of 1 lemon
- Whisk mustard, mayo and milk together in a shallow dish. Add cleaned and dried chicken breasts to wet mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. In the meantime, preheat oven to 425 degrees and toast oats in a skillet over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Toasting the oats helps the chicken achieve a nice golden brown color without overcooking the meat!
- Combine oats, cheese, panko, herbs and lemon zest in a shallow bowl or baking dish. Remove chicken breasts from wet mixture and roll in dry mixture. Place on a baking rack fitted atop a baking sheet, as shown in the picture. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
