Oven Fried Ranch Chicken

Living in the South, you gotta love fried chicken! However, as we all know, it’s not the best thing for your arteries. I was so excited when  I found this Oven Fried Ranch Chicken recipe in the November 2012 issue of Food Network Magazine because it was a “healthier” version of the traditional way it is made. Notice I said “healthier” and not “healthy”. I mean, who are we kidding, right? There’s a cup of buttermilk and 1/2 cup of mayo. I will convince no one that this is “healthy”!!!

I did change the recipe up a bit to account for boneless, skinless breasts only though so I should get a bit of extra credit there.

Level of Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Prep Time – 15 min; Marinate time 3 hours – Overnight;  Cook Time – 20-30 min.

Ingredients:

1 c. buttermilk

1/2 c. mayonnaise

4 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped and chopped

1 1.2 tsp. paprika

3/4 tsp. onion powder

3/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Kosher Salt

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs

1/3 c. chopped fresh chives

Fresh ground black pepper

Special Equipment and Other Items Needed:

Baking Sheet
Wire rack
Foil

Preparing Oven Fried Ranch Chicken:

1. Whisk together buttermilk, mayo, half of the thyme, 1 tsp. paprika, onion and garlic powders, cayenne pepper and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees. Line baking sheet with foil and set wire rack onto the baking sheet. Coat with cooking spray. Combine breadcrumbs, chives, remaining thyme, 1/2 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper into a shallow bowl.

3. Remove chicken from marinade and dredge in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing to adhere. Put the chicken on the wire rack. Coat the chicken with cooking spray. Place in oven and cook until the crust is golden and the meat thermometer reaches 165 at the thickest part of the meat. This should take about 20-30 minutes depending on the thickness of the breast. Let cool slightly on wire racks about 10 minutes. Season with salt.

Important Tips:

Make sure you push the breadcrumb mixture into the chicken to help it to stay!

Variations:

You can use bone-in skin on chicken if you prefer. I almost always try using boneless skinless breasts when possible due to it being a healthier option.

Meal Ideas:

You can serve this with anything you would serve regular fried chicken with; macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes are two things that immediately come to mind. For your greens, I would go with garlic green beans or sautéed spinach!

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