Cajun Oven Fried Chicken

Anyone that reads my posts will know just how long I have been on this diet kick. I recently posted a weight watchers cobbler recipe that is easy and delicious. I have been testing out some new healthy recipes in the past week. I am sick of the same drab, plain chicken breast and veggies.

Today I made a healthy version of fried chicken. Now being from NC, we love some fried food. Hence the weight gain problem :)

It's a super simple recipe and quick to throw together. I got this recipe from MyRecipes.

Cajun Oven Fried Chicken

Here is what you will need
               

1 tablespoon salt-free Cajun seasoning              

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk                               

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

2 chicken breast halves (about 1 pound), skinned                               

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2 chicken drumsticks (about1/2 pound), skinned

2 chicken thighs (about 1/2 pound), skinned      

Cooking Spray      

 

 

Directions

 

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a shallow dish. Place panko in a shallow dish. Dip chicken, one piece at a time, into buttermilk mixture; dredge in panko.

Place chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until done, turning after 20 minutes.


I actually cooked mine slightly longer. My oven cooks a little slower than average and my family likes the chicken to be very crispy. I also didn't make chicken breast. I doubled the chicken thighs.

This dish was so crispy with the panko breadcrumbs. I didn't miss the fact that they weren't fried at all. My picky kids loved them and my husband never guessed that this was a healthier dish than regular fried chicken. He assumed it was just a different recipe that I was trying for fried chicken.

This recipe is definitely going on my "make regularly" recipe box. (The recipe box that has now become a OneNote file on my phone)