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
- Chicken Wings
- Chicken Cutlets
- Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
- Baked Garlic Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Francaise
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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.
David Russell says
Pretty darn good for ‘fried’ chicken with a wife on WW!
Erren's Kitchen says
Fantastic, thank you David, glad you were both able to enjoy it 🙂
Crystal Ramos says
Hi! I just have a question about the calories, is it 337 per piece of chicken? Thank you
Erren Hart says
Yes, that’s right.
Briony Sparg says
Oh my word, made this last night! Heavenly – THANK YOU!
Erren's Kitchen says
So pleased you enjoyed it Briony, thank you for your lovely comment! 🙂
Hannah says
Can I make this without cheese?
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Hannah, I’m pretty sure this recipe would still be a success without the cheese. I hope you’ll give it a try.
Celina says
Omg! This came out so incredible. Holy crap. I used panko, I also used 6 chicken drumsticks and cut the ingredients down a bit for the smaller portion. I forgot the Parmesan in the breading, so I sprinkled some on top, WOW, so good!!! It’s so crunchy!!! The flavor is amazing 🙂 none of the fried unhealthinessss
Erren's Kitchen says
Celina, your feedback made my day and I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Susan says
I never try a recipe for guests on the first go, but I did this time….and I used chicken breasts. It was great! Not dried out, tasty (I added extra parmesan cheese) and so easy. Now I wonder if it can be prepared ahead and frozen for later use? Thanks so much!
Rebecca says
I am thinking of making this recipie. I am wondering if you cover the pan when baking. Thanks!
Erren says
You mean the pan its self or the chicken. The chicken isn’t convered, but you can line the pan with nonstick foil if you’d like.
Ejrin Hodzic says
Oh my goodness! This was delicious! It was so tasty. Chicken had full flavor, didn’t get dry or burnt with instructed heat and timing. I also used low-fat milk. I also baked Asparagus seasoned with black pepper, sea salt and topped with cherry tomatoes in a separate baking dish for 15 mins. It was an awesome side dish.
Erren says
Wow, Ejrin! That sounds amazing! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Michelle says
Made this recipe tonight and the chicken turned out delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Erren says
Hi Michelle, that’s so great to hear. Thanks so much for the feedback!
Steph brown says
Soooo good. Used chicken chunks in a wrap – was amazing
Erren says
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! 😁