Healthy Recipes For Fried Chicken: Light Oven Fried Chicken Recipe Made With Buttermilk

Eating a nutritionally sound diet doesn't mean giving up everything! You can still eat a nutritional diet and have comfort foods. It is about learning to cook old favorites but in a healthier way.

This recipe is from Cooking Light magazine and it has appeared in many different variations. I believe this is the latest version of it and I like to tweak the ingredients according to what I have on hand at the moment.

The most important thing is to note the stats for the original version of the recipe and the slimmed down, healthier version of it. This recipe is not only palatable - it is flat out delicious!

BUTTERMILK OVEN FRIED CHICKEN RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup low-fat or non-fat buttermilk
• 4 bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned (substitute thighs or legs boneless, skinless)
• 1/3 cup unbleached flour
• 1/3 cup cracker meal (or bread crumbs - I use panko)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter - or use olive oil or vegetable oil spray

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 cooking pan with vegetable spray
2. Place chicken and buttermilk in shallow pie plate or dish and turn to coat with buttermilk.
3. Combine flour and panko (or cracker meal/bread crumbs) with salt and pepper in another pie plate or shallow dish.
4. Drip chicken out of buttermilk and next dredge through the flour/crumb mixture to coat one at a time - shake off excess. Repeat with all chicken pieces.
5. Melt butter or use cooking spray in large non-stick skillet - heat to medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan, meatiest side down and cook 4 minutes - until golden brown.
6. Turn the chicken and place the chicken pieces in prepared pan (uncooked side up). Cook for 30-35 minutes or until thermometer registers 165 degrees.

Serves 4

The other component of a great fried chicken meal is the coleslaw - but this is a lightened up version, too!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups packed cabbage and carrot coleslaw - or make up 4 cups of cabbage and carrot
• 3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise - or substitute non-fat sour cream or half of mayonnaise and half of non-fat sour cream
• 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1-1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt if desired

PREPARATION:

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Toss to coat all evenly.
3. Cover and chill.

The above recipe illustrates how you can still eat well and have foods that are delicious - just revamped a bit to lower calories, lower fat and lower sodium intake.

This is but one recipe that you can assimilate into a more nutritionally balanced meal plan - and it is relatively pain free. Try some of the different variations as well with the breading and the cooking. The original recipe calls for the chicken to be cooked in butter on one side, and then the entire skillet is put in the oven to finish baking after turning the chicken.

Cooking Light has some of the best sources available for revamping traditional recipes and still retaining the taste. Cooks.com also is a great source for lighter or healthier versions of old standards.