Oven Fried Chicken (Recipe 47 of 150)

Who doesn't love fried chicken? I never learned to fry chicken and I'm glad I didn't. The mess, the calories, and the mess. That doesn't stop me from eating fried chicken. In fact, I used to order regularly on Friday nights from a local fried chicken place, Ezell's. I'd get my fix of fried goodness. 

Eating lower carb means fried chicken is mostly out. This recipe I wouldn't consider the chicken low carb, per se, but it is lower carb than say Ezell's. Or Grandma's fried chicken. It scratched the itch. 

I tossed some lemon pepper in with the broccoli, oil and garlic. That was a nice add. 

Oven Fried Chicken

Recipe from Cafe Delites

Serves 4

For The Broccoli:

• 2 broccoli heads , washed and dried, cut into florets
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• Salt and pepper

For The Chicken:

• 6 skinless chicken thighs, bone in*
• Salt and pepper to season
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 2 T milk
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1 tsp paprika (sweet or smoky)
• 1 3/4 c Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/3 c vegetable oil
• 2 T chopped fresh parsley leaves, to serve

Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with baking / parchment paper or spray a nonstick tray with cooking oil spray; set aside.

Add the broccoli to a bowl with the oil, garlic, salt and pepper, mix to combine. Set aside.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Set up a work station with 3 shallow bowls. To one bowl, add the flour and set aside. In the second bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, garlic powder, the 3/4 teaspoon of salt and paprika. In the third bowl, mix the Panko with the vegetable oil (I find it easier to use my hands).

Working one by one, evenly coat the chicken in the flour, then dip into the egg mixture, then dredge in the Panko mixture, pressing to coat. Place onto prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining chicken thighs.

Lightly spray each chicken thigh over the top with cooking oil spray (this is optional, but I have found it to crisp the chicken even more). Bake for 25 minutes, remove from the oven and arrange the broccoli next to or around the chicken, and place back into the oven to cook for a further 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through; the crust is crispy and golden brown, and the broccoli is tender-crisp (Note: flip the broccoli after around 10 minutes if you find the tops charring).