Healthy Fried Chicken (super easy recipe!!)

Healthy Fried Chicken. That's an oxymoron, like jumbo shrimp or skinny cooks :) (or at least Paula Deen says it is not possible to be skinny and a good cook)....

Anyway, Fried Chicken is a comfort food that is wonderful, especially when other people make it. I personally don't enjoy making my kitchen smell like a deep oil fryer. Not to mention the calories of real Southern Fried Chicken!! You will love this recipe as it satisfies both your need for some crunch, and it quick to make and easy on the conscience. :)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (think Sri-racha (sp?) or something similar) *** this can be found in most international sections at the grocery store

3 tablespoons pineapple juice

4 6 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3/4 cup PANKO bread crumbs *** see Kitchen Staples blog for info on why Panko is the bomb

kosher salt to tast

3 tablespoons canola oil


1) Heat oven to 450 degrees.
2) in a large bowl, combine the chili-garlic sauce and pineapple juice. Add the chicken and toss to coast
3) in a seperate bowl, combine the panko bread crumbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt (NOT TABLESPOON, i have made this mistake before!! :) and the oil
4) using one piece of chicken at a time, coat the chicken in the bread crumb mixture and transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining breasts, I mean pieces of chicken (how 3rd grade am I??)

***note, I like to make sure the pieces are really fully covered in the crumbs and even take the remaining bread crumbs and spread them where they are on thinly on the chicken. This makes them turn out extra crunchy. :)

5) bake until cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes.

This recipe is awesome because you cook them at a high heat so they cook quickly and retain their moisture- it is also nice when you get home late from work and you are so friggin starving you could eat anything and everything in the fridge, healthy or not! So there's not much waiting time in this recipe.

This goes well with a nice big salad and my EASY homemade blue cheese dressing

EASY BLUE CHEESE DRESSING (great on wings too!!)

4 oz blue cheese. (I buy the 4 oz. LOW FAT container from publix

8 oz of low or non fat sour cream

kosher salt to taste

cracked black pepper.

Combine all ingredients. If it is too thick for your liking, you can add a few tablespoons of water.

This dressing is awesome with a wedge salad OR as a dip for potato chips. Scott LOVES this dressing and eats it all within a day every time I make it.