Some things in life are just a given.
Like, if it rains, you bring an umbrella. If you go to Ikea (or Penneys), you always come out with at least 15 items you never realised you had to have until this very minute. And if Oprah Winfrey dishes out some advice (no matter what it is about), you pull up a chair and listen – hard.
Which is why we are now all over this delicious (and pretty healthy) sounding chicken recipe she shares in her book Food, Health and Happiness: 115 On-Point Recipes For Great Meals and a Better Life.
The talk show queen has made now secret of the fact that she loves southern cuisine, especially fried chicken (I mean; come on, who doesn’t?!). But in her latest book, she has nothing but praise for this healthier version of her favourite food – courtesy of Art Smith, a renowned chef who was Oprah’s personal chef for many years.
Fancy a new midweek dinner favourite? Here you go:
Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce of choice
- 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut in half
- 2 chicken thighs
- 2 chicken legs
- 1 1/2 cups multigrain or whole wheat
- Panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Optional: 1 lemon cut into wedges
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce. Submerge the chicken pieces in the buttermilk mixture, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour but no more than 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 210°C. In a large zip-top bag, combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan, black pepper, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt. Seal the bag and shake to combine the ingredients.
- Remove the chicken from the buttermilk, let excess drip off, and transfer directly to the bag with the breadcrumb mixture. Shake the bag to evenly coat the chicken in the breadcrumbs. Remove the chicken from the bag and lay flat on a nonstick baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken, arrange onto plates, and serve (with lemon wedges if using).
