This low-fat recipe for healthy fried chicken makes a delicious, crispy coating that’s baked making a healthy alternative to deep-fried.
Serve with a side of Crispy Roast Potatoes and Garlic & Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts for a meal everyone will love!
Don’t you just love fried chicken? I know I do, but dragging out the deep-fryer every time I want to make it is not ideal. Plus, who needs all that fat?
Why This Recipe Works
- Using skimmed milk instead of egg to coat the chicken keeps the fat content down.
- Using low-fat cooking spray allows the crispy coating without deep frying.
- Using legs and thighs assures the chicken is moist and juicy.
The Breading
For the breading, I use a mixture of plain breadcrumbs that I season with oregano, garlic powder, paprika Parmasean Cheese, salt, and pepper.
You can alter the recipe in any way that suits you and your family. Make it your own like I have or take the shortcut of buying pre-seasoned breadcrumbs from the grocery store.
How to Healthy Fried Chicken
Put the bread crumbs in a bowl with seasoning.
Mix it together and add it to a large zip lock bag.
Add the chicken to a bowl with the milk. This will help the bread crumbs stick to the chicken.
Then add the chicken to the bag with the bread crumbs. Seal the bag and give it a good shake to seal.
Place on a baking sheet (I line mine with nonstick foil). and spray with low-fat cooking spray.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Check to see if the chicken has browned. If needed, spray with more cooking spray and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and rest on paper towels. Enjoy!
Erren’s Top Tips
- Use Chicken pieces that are uniform in size. When oven frying chicken, use one cup of chicken or two similar-sized cuts so they have the same cooking time.
- Always use bone-in chicken pieces with the skin on. Using boneless chicken without skin will come out dry.
- Season Generously. When making oven-fried chicken, season your chicken with salt at every stage. Add salt and pepper to the flour and egg mixture. It’s hard to get any seasoning into the meat, but seasoning throughout the entire process will help ensure it’s extra flavorful.
- Don’t Crowd the Pan. Overcrowding the pan will cause steam and make your breading soggy. If necessary, cook on two sheets.
- Don’t Cover with Foil. Many people think that covering a pan with foil during cooking will keep it from browning too much, but this will create a seal and cause condensation which will make the chicken soggy.
Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner
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Let’s Make Healthy Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 12 chicken peices dark meat
- 2 cup skimmed milk
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried paprika
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.
- Put the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl and mix in the oregano, garlic powder, paprika, Parmesan cheese, salt & pepper. Add the breadcrumb mixture to a sealable food storage bag.
- Add the chicken to another bowl and pour over the milk.
- Add the chicken piece by piece to the bag with the bread crumbs (three pieces should be added to the bag at a time). Seal the bag and shake to coat with the breadcrumbs.
- Place the chicken in a dry 9×13 inch baking dish lined with nonstick foil. Spray with cooking spray.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Check to see if the chicken has browned. If needed, spray with cooking spray and bake another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and drain on paper towels. Enjoy!
Tips + Notes
- Use Chicken pieces that are uniform in size. When oven frying chicken, use one cup of chicken or two similar-sized cuts so they have the same cooking time.
- Always use bone-in chicken pieces with the skin on. Using boneless chicken without skin will come out dry.
- Season Generously. When making oven-fried chicken, season your chicken with salt at every stage. Add salt and pepper to the flour and egg mixture. It’s hard to get any seasoning into the meat, but seasoning throughout the entire process will help ensure it’s extra flavorful.
- Don’t Crowd the Pan. Overcrowding the pan will cause steam and make your breading soggy. If necessary, cook on two sheets.
- Don’t Cover with Foil. Many people think that covering a pan with foil during cooking will keep it from browning too much, but this will create a seal and cause condensation which will make the chicken soggy.
Mayra says
I personally didn’t care for this recipe. The bread stuck very well on the chicken, however the spices were a bit too much and the outside had a hard card board texture.
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy the recipe. It’s always disappointing when a dish doesn’t meet your expectations.
The texture of the breading can vary depending on individual preferences and the type of breadcrumbs used. If you found the outside to be too hard or cardboard-like, you might consider adjusting the baking time or temperature slightly to achieve a different texture. Additionally, you could reduce the amount of spices used if you found them to be too overpowering.
Cooking is a matter of personal taste, and it’s perfectly okay to adapt recipes to suit your own preferences. If you decide to give this recipe another try, feel free to make some adjustments to better match your taste buds.
John Doe says
What is the serving size? It doesn’t say.
Erren Hart says
The serving is one piece of chicken, but it’s not exact. The nutritional information found in our recipes is offered as an estimate and should not be considered a guarantee or fact. The estimated data is provided as a courtesy and calculated through a third-party online nutritional calculator. I hope this helps.
Jackie says
This looks like a really good recipe with fewer calories. I’m going to use buttermilk
Erren Hart says
Sounds great! Let me know how you like it!
Daniel Baxter says
what temperature in the pre heated oven?
Erren Hart says
Hi Daniel, it’s listed on step one of the recipe 400°F/200°C
Dana says
This was soooo good! Delicious and juicy! Will definitely make this again!
Erren's Kitchen says
I love to hear this Dana, thank you so much for stopping by to let me know how much you loved it 🙂
Shirley says
Hi Erren, thank you for the recipe. I have used this recipe since two years ago, and when I came back to this page recently, I can’t help but wonder if several modifications have been made to the recipe. Specifically, the flour and egg have been omitted from the recipe. If you’d be so kind to send me the previous recipe (with the egg, flour, panko), I’d be so grateful. Thank you.
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Shirley, I think you might have clicked on a different recipe, this might be the one you wanted, https://www.errenskitchen.com/oven-fried-chicken/ I hope this helps 🙂
Debbie says
I’m making this tonight. What about the flour? It’s in shopping list but not in the instructions?
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Debbie, thank you for pointing this out, it was an error, no flour! It’s been fixed now, I hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Keturah says
It was DELICIOUS and Juicy, thanks for sharing !
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m so pleased you enjoyed it Keturah! 🙂