While fried chicken is a favorite of many, we are all more careful today about eating fried foods. Health experts constantly stress we should have less fried foods in our diets. My grandparents ate fried food all the time and lived to be in their nineties and very healthy most of that time. But today are lifestyles are different.
They never owned a TV or had electronic gadgets. They were active from sun-up to sun-down. Since we no longer live that way, we can no longer eat that way! Here are a couple of chicken recipes to give you a fried chicken taste but they are healthy oven baked entrees. Try Crispy Ranch or Cajun Oven Fried when you want that fried chicken taste. These are both good recipes for diabetics, too. If there is a diabetic in your family or among your friends, you can serve them these entrees without worry about their blood sugar.
CAJUN OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN
1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tbsp salt-free Cajun seasoning
½ tsp salt
1 cup panko*
6 pieces chicken, skinned
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the buttermilk, Cajun seasoning, and salt in a shallow dish. Dip chicken in mixture, one piece at a time; dredge in panko.
Place chicken on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Light coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes if on the bone, or until done. Turn halfway through baking time.
*Panko is Japanese bread crumbs. They are available in your grocery store on the aisle with Shake 'N Bake, etc.
CRISPY RANCH BAKED CHICKEN
8 skinless boneless chicken thighs or 4 skinless boneless breasts
2 cups crispy rice cereal, slightly crushed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 oz (1 envelope) dry ranch salad dressing mix
2 egg whites, beaten
2 tbsp melted butter, optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a baking sheet that has sides with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the cereal, Parmesan cheese, and salad dressing mix in a large bowl.
Place the beaten egg whites in a medium-size mixing bowl. Dip each chicken piece in the egg whites, then in the cereal mixture. Turn pieces to coat evenly then place on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the butter over the chicken, if using.
Bake chicken until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork and the coating is lightly browned. This should take about 25 minutes.
Enjoy!
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