Panko Crusted Oven Fried Chicken
Now, I must start this by stating that this recipe calls for a whole chicken broken down, meaning cut into pieces. This is not easy! I watched a video on youtube and I still made a mess! My best advice; get a sharp knife and a stable cutting board and take your time! You may not be a butcher but you’ve eaten chicken before. I did the wings, then legs and thighs which I then separated and then cut out the breast pieces, cutting them in half and deboning them because that was actually easier! Or, ask your butcher to do it for you! I made chicken stock with the remaining chicken (recipe coming soon!).
Serves 4
3 Pound chicken, broken down into pieces
2 Cups 1% buttermilk
2 Cups panko breadcrumbs
A small handful of fresh dill, chopped (about 2 tbsp after it’s chopped)
Salt
Pepper
– Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour the buttermilk over it, completely submerging it.
– Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let marinade for at least 4 hours, up to 24 hours, in the fridge.
When the chicken is finished marinating:
– Combine the breadcrumbs with the dill, salt and pepper; about 1/2 tbsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.
– Take the chicken out of the buttermilk and shake off the excess liquid but don’t pat it dry.
– Place the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture and press lightly to ensure the chicken is well coated.
– Place chicken in the fridge to let the breading set for at least 30 minutes.
– Preheat your oven to 425.
– Place a roasting rack* on top of a baking sheet.
– Place the chicken on top of the roasting rack (this allows the chicken to get crispy on both sides without burning or going soggy on one side) and bake for 30 to 40 minutes (depending on size of the chicken, larger portions need more time in the oven; I roasted mine for 30 minutes and it came out perfectly).
– Honestly this chicken is so juicy and flavourful that you forget that it is low in fat, nutritious and full of protein.
Notes:
1. You need to be disciplined here; DON’T eat the skin… it’s so bad for you.
2. You can spray a little cooking spray on the chicken before it goes in the oven if you have it on hand, it just makes it a little crispier but if you don’t, this will still be nice and crunchy!
