Recipe: Oven Fried Chicken

Oven Fried Chicken
From: the American Institute for Cancer Research
Makes 6 servings

For most Americans, July Fourth festivities mean family, friends, fireworks and favorite foods, with fried chicken often the centerpiece. If this is your family's scenario, consider celebrating another kind of freedom this year - one that starts in the kitchen.

The family's favorite foods don't have to be high in fat and calories to be tasty. You can still enjoy foods like "fried" chicken by using more healthful cooking techniques. So declare your independence from excess fat calories, sputtering oil and grease-coated stoves by serving this easier, tidier, quicker, oven-fried chicken.

The fight against fat starts with skinless, lean chicken. Use white meat or dark, preferably white for the minimum fat. Leaving the bone on helps adds flavor and keeps the meat from drying out, but this oven-fried version works with boneless chicken as well.

Buttermilk is a classic marinade base for fried chicken and works well in this recipe too, moisturizing and tenderizing the chicken before it's cooked. The mixture of spices adds rich, complex flavors, so the traditional fatty taste of fried chicken won't be missed. And the breadcrumbs, cereal flakes and flour provide the familiar texture.

This chicken dish tastes equally great served straight from the oven or at room temperature at a picnic. It's crispy, juicy and has the crunch of fried chicken without the fat, calories and grease. As an extra bonus, it tastes as good, or better, the second day.

1 1/2 cups non-fat or low-fat buttermilk
2 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
3 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce, or to taste
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 large onion, sliced very thin
1 1/4 lbs. chicken (skinless breast and/or thighs), cut into 12 pieces
Canola oil cooking spray
3/4 cup dry, unseasoned whole-wheat breadcrumbs
3/4 cup crushed bran flakes
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Whisk buttermilk, mustard, pepper sauce, garlic, salt and pepper in large bowl and blend well. Add onion, then chicken and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 1 day, turning chicken and onion a few times.

When ready to bake, lightly spray cooking racks with oil and place on large foil-covered baking sheets with rims and set aside.
In a large baking dish, mix together until well blended the bread and cereal crumbs, flours, cumin, paprika and cayenne.

Remove chicken from marinade and shake off excess. If desired, lightly sprinkle each piece with salt and pepper. Coat each in crumb mixture to cover all sides and place on racks in baking sheets. Let stand 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly spray chicken with oil. Place on lower oven rack and bake until golden, crisp and cooked through, about 30-35 minutes.
Serve hot or at room temperature.

Per serving: 202 calories, 2 g. total fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat), 26 g. carbohydrate, 19 g. protein, 2 g. dietary fiber, 596 mg. sodium.