Oven-Fried Spicy Chicken Breasts Recipe

Indulging in a piece of crispy fried chicken might be one of the ultimate guilty pleasures. Cooked to perfection with a savory crust outside but still moist inside, fried chicken is engraved in American culture—everyone has a favorite recipe and preferred sides to eat it with. But how about indulging in a fried chicken breast, piping hot and crunchy, without all the additional fat from the frying oil? We have you covered. If you're a fried chicken enthusiast but worry about the added calories from fat, our delicious oven-fried chicken breasts are equally delicious and decadent but are a less fatty option for people who are watching their fat intake for dietary or health reasons. The coating is a great mixture of seasoning and breadcrumbs, while a small amount of butter helps the ingredients stick to the chicken (if needed use vegetable margarine to keep the recipe dairy free).

The trick for a quick oven-fried chicken breast is to keep the thickness of the chicken consistent and as thin as possible. For this purpose, you can either ask the butcher to butterfly the breasts (or do it yourself) or pound them at home with a rolling pin or meat mallet. The thinner they are, the quicker they'll cook. Always choose chicken breasts that look pink and plump, and even if you're discarding the fat, buy breasts with a good amount of it on top, as this is a sign of a healthy and flavorful bird. Always buy air-chilled chicken over water-chilled, as birds whose temperature has been brought down in water tend to absorb too much moisture, lacking flavor and weighing more from the water and not from natural size.

For this tasty meal, you'll need 45 minutes total from beginning to end, but most of the work is done in the oven. While you wait for the chicken, prepare a quick salad or a side of string beans. White rice or mashed potatoes go great with the chicken, and any table sauce of your liking will be a tasty addition. For a kid-friendly meal, cut the breasts in smaller pieces to serve them as chicken fingers alongside a honey mustard dipping sauce and some crunchy veggies. Use any leftover breasts for sandwiches or wraps served with creamy coleslaw, or top bowls of green or grains with the sliced reheated breasts.