Oven-Fried Chicken

I’m not a big fan of white meat, but this chicken was so deliciously moist.  I used organic chicken so I don’t know if that had anything to do with it or not or if it was just the marinade.  But I must say, it was really good!!  And it is only 216 calories per breast.

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper (I didn’t use any pepper)
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (10 to 12 oz. each)*
• 2 1/2 cups crushed corn flakes
• 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon ground poultry seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Whisk buttermilk, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and hot sauce together in large bowl.  Add chicken, turn to coat well, cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

These are large chicken breasts so I made a half recipe for the two of us.  You can put your chicken in a plastic bag with the marinade and is easier to turn over to marinade.

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.  Line rimmed baking sheet with foil, set wire rack on sheet (I didn’t do this), and coat with nonstick cooking spray.

Gently toss corn flakes, bread crumbs, remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, poultry seasoning, paprika, and cayenne in shallow dish until combined.  Drizzle oil over crumbs and toss until well coated.  Working with one piece at a time, remove chicken from marinade and dredge in crumb mixture, firmly pressing crumbs onto all sides of chicken.  Place chicken on prepared rack, leaving 1/2 inch of space between each piece.  Bake until chicken is deep golden brown, juices run clear, and instant read thermometer inserted into breast reads 160 degrees, 35 to 45 minutes.

* You may use bone-in chicken breast, if you like, it may take the full 45 minutes to bake.  Check temperature deep into the breast.  I baked my boneless breasts about 30 minutes.

“The best witness for Christ shows God’s grace and shares His love.”

Marinated Chicken Breasts

My daughter and I have both made this recipe.  She baked hers and I grilled mine.  They were both very good, but hers was moister than mine.  I probably left mine on the grill a little too long, trying to hold supper off for a few minutes while my husband finished up a project.

• 1 to 2 tablespoons vinegar, like cider, balsamic, or red wine
• 2 to 3 teaspoons dried herbs, like thyme, oregano, rosemary, or crumbled bay leaf
• 1 to 2 tablespoons mustard, whole grain or Dijon
• 1 to 2 teaspoons garlic or onion powder, optional
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast, each about 6 ounces

Put all ingredients except chicken in a large re-sealable plastic bag.  Close the bag and shake to combine all the ingredients.  Open the bag and add the chicken breast.  Close and shake the bag to coat evenly.  (I put frozen chicken breasts in my bag).  Put bag in refrigerator and marinate for 24 hours.

Heat your grill or grill pan.  When hot, place the chicken on the grill and cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through, 160 degrees.  You can also bake the chicken in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

Makes 4 servings.

Note:  You may also freeze the marinated chicken for up to two weeks.  When ready to fix, take out of freezer and thaw in refrigerator.

“The risen Christ is the reason for our witness.”