The inspiration for so many of my recipes starts with a craving. This time it was a hankering for fried chicken — the kind with a crisp, crunchy coating that flakes just enough when you bite into it and gives way to moist, tender and fulfilling meatiness inside; chicken that is heavenly served hot just after it’s cooked, but that also can be the centerpiece of an idyllic picnic when chilled and put out on paper plates set on a gingham cloth.
This baked chicken is all of that, and healthful to boot. It has the enticing textures and savory appeal of fried, but with no greasiness involved.
To start, the chicken is marinated in yogurt that’s seasoned with Dijon mustard, a simple step that serves a few purposes: It gives the coating something to adhere to so you don’t need to fuss with a flour-and-egg dip; it provides a layer of moisture that helps keep the chicken juicy; and the yogurt’s gentle acidity acts as a tenderizer for the meat.
Then you coat the chicken in a mixture of crushed cornflake cereal that’s flavored with paprika, garlic, salt and a touch of ground cayenne pepper. Cornflakes are ideal because they are already toasted and crisp, so you don’t have to rely on the oven alone to get that essential crunchy-flaky texture. The corn also has a slightly sweet undertone that nicely counterbalances the savory spices and kick from the cayenne. Any brand of regular (not sugar-coated) cornflakes will work, but I prefer to use the whole-grain, unsweetened kind you typically find in an organic or health-food store.
A quick spray of olive oil covers the chicken evenly and easily before it is baked so it browns up perfectly.
Crispy coated baked chicken
1cup plain low-fat yogurt
1tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
4pieces bone-in chicken breast (about 2 pounds total), skin removed
4cups corn flakes, preferably whole-grain and unsweetened
11/2teaspoons sweet or hot paprika
3/4teaspoon garlic powder
1/4teaspoon salt
1/8teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Make ahead: The chicken marinates in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
Whisk together the yogurt and mustard in bowl, then transfer to a gallon-size zip-top bag. Add the chicken and seal, pressing as much air out of the bag as possible. Massage to make sure the chicken is evenly coated. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
Process the cornflakes in a food processor to the consistency of coarse crumbs (or place in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin). You should wind up with 11/2 to 2 cups of crumbs. Transfer to a shallow dish and mix in the paprika, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.
Press each piece of marinated chicken into the crumb mixture, making sure it’s evenly coated all over, then place on the baking sheet. Lightly spray each piece of chicken with the olive oil cooking spray.
Discard any remaining marinade.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the chicken is crisp and cooked through; an instant-read thermometer inserted in the meat (away from the bone) should register 165 degrees.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 360 calories, 42g protein, 35g carbohydrates, 5g fat, 2g saturated fat, 120mg cholesterol, 350mg sodium, 1g dietary fiber, 3g sugar
Ellie Krieger’s most recent cookbook is “Weeknight Wonders: Delicious Healthy Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013). She blogs and offers a weekly newsletter at www.elliekrieger.com.
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