Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken

You can make this simple Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken recipe using chicken pieces or boneless, skinless chicken (breast, tenders, thighs).

American chicken weights have doubled over the past 20 years.Today, it is rare finding a 3 to 3.5 pound chicken. Super-sized chicken provide super-sized breasts.  One chicken breast half (photo below) can weight one pound (450 g) or more. If your store carries large chicken breasts like the one shown below, but east breast into 3 to 4-ounce (85 to 112 g) pieces (3-4 pieces per breast).

Nutrition Values Compared To Fast Food Fried Chicken

How does this recipe compare to KFC’s fried Extra Crispy™ Chicken?

KFC’s chicken fried pieces have bone and skin. For chicken breasts, 20 to 30 percent of the weight is bone and skin.

A KFC Extra Crispy™ chicken breast weighing 180 grams (135 g meat) has 490 calories, 4.5g saturated fat, and 1140 mg of sodium (all KFC values are as of January 2014). Why buy extra crispy or any fried chicken if you are going to remove and throw away the skin and coating? 

135 grams of roasted chicken breast meat, without breading, has about 225 calories, 1.5g saturated fat, and 100 mg of sodium.

Chicken loses water during cooking. With breading, a 4-oz. (114g) piece of Oven Fried Chicken has about 200. Two pieces have 90 less calories (490 vs. 400) than KFC’s and other fried white meat chicken without skin.

Compared to many fast food fried chickens, this recipe has about 30 percent less calories and 40 percent less sodium.

Recipe Type: 700 Calorie Meals, High Protein Recipe

One piece of Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken made from 4-oz. of raw chicken provides 27 grams of protein. This chicken tender meal (19 oz.) has 710 calories and 55 grams of protein.

This chicken sandwich meal (14 oz.) has 770 calories and 36 grams of protein.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition information is based on boneless, skinless chicken breast pieces weighing about 3.5 ounces (100 g) each. Chicken breast tenders can be substitutes. Your actual values will vary depending on the size of your chicken breast pieces. Larger pieces required slightly less coating.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. (900 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders
• 1 1/2 cups (150 g) cornflake crumbs
• 4 teaspoons (12 g) meringue power or 2 egg whites
• 4 tablespoons (60 ml) water (for meringue powder)
• 1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
• Black pepper to taste
• Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
• Vegetable cooking spray

Method of Preparation