Oven-Fried Chicken Strips

Having lived for many years in the South (Tennessee & Alabama), I've always loved me some fried chicken.  I just don't love what it does to my hips and thighs.  So I've learned to enjoy the alternative: oven-fried chicken.  Not the same thing, I know, but still delicious and I don't need to toss my jeans the next morning.  ;-)

This is my boneless, skinless chicken strip recipe.  Of course you can modify it with bone-on pieces, just remember to adjust baking times accordingly. 

This recipe is adapted from a compilation of many traditional fried chicken recipes I'd picked up during my residency down south.  I just modified it to be baked.

Oven-Fried Chicken Strips















Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken tenders or breasts cut into strips
• 2 cups nonfat or reduced-fat buttermilk
• couple dashes of paprika
• couple dashes of Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt (or salt & pepper)
• cooking spray
• 3 cups whole wheat panko bread crumbs
• few dashes of paprika
• few dashes of Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt (or salt & pepper)
• few dashes of Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic (or garlic powder)
• few dashes of Tastefully Simple Onion Onion (or onion powder)

Directions:

• In an airtight container, combine chicken, buttermilk, paprika and TSSS.  Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, up to 24 hours.  I like to do it overnight so I don't have to think about it.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, paprika, TSSS, TSGG and TSOO.
• Remove chicken strips from marinade.  Shake off excess marinade.
• Dredge chicken strips in seasoned bread crumbs.  Place on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 - 30 minutes.