Crunchy, Spicy Oven Baked "Fried" Chicken
This is what you make when you're craving fried chicken but don't want all the fuss, grease and calories. It's super juicy, easy to prepare and full of spicy goodness with a terrifically crunchy crust that surprisingly covers skinless chicken!! I guarantee that it's going to become one of your new favorites!
As a kid, fried chicken was my thing. I could always be counted upon to order it when we went out to eat and would happily chow down on it when we had special "at home lobster extravaganzas", even as my little sisters were happily dipping lobster tails into melted butter! As I said, fried chicken (and not much else) was my thing. Now that I'm grown up and just the teensiest bit more mature (although there are those who would debate that claim) I still love fried chicken but I know that fried food is not all that good for you, nor do I like the smell it leaves in the house, so this oven baked version is a way to enjoy all the things I love about fried chicken without really feeling like I'm making a big sacrifice.
What really separates this chicken from other baked "fried" chicken recipes is the marinade the chicken sits in, which is full of good things like soy sauce, Tabasco and Worcestershire--all imparting a spicy kick to the chicken that really lifts this from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
Every bite is perfectly juicy, tender and with a little spicy kick on the inside while the outside defies crunchiness expectations! I guarantee that even your pickiest fried chicken eaters will love this version. It's a baked "fried" chicken revolution! KFC--watch out!!
Crunchy, Spicy Oven Baked "Fried" Chicken
Makes 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus several hours of marinating, preferably overnight; Bake Time: 45 minutes-1 hour
Ingredients
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (cut this in half if you really don't like mustard)
1/4 cup canola oil
About 4 pounds bone-in chicken--you can use whatever you like--I usually use all white meat
1 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Kosher salt
Lemon wedges to serve on the side (optional)
The Recipe
1. Place the soy sauce, sherry, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, mustard and oil into a large bowl and whisk together well. Unless you are using wings, remove the skin from the chicken and place all the chicken into the marinade, turning to coat all the pieces. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and weigh the top down with a plate or something else heavy to ensure that all the chicken stays submerged into the marinade. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and better yet, overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
3. In a medium shallow bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and melted butter. Season with a few pinches of salt. Remove the chicken from the bowl, letting the excess marinade drip off into the bowl and coat the chicken on all sides with the breadcrumb mixture. Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet (although I've done it without and it was great too--the bottom may not get as crunchy but you can always stick it under the broiler to crisp it up) and arrange the chicken pieces on the rack without crowding them. Bake for about 45 minutes-1 hour until the chicken is fully cooked through.
4. Turn on the broiler and place the pan under the broiler for a minute or two, watching carefully, so the crumbs get even browner and crunchier. If you haven't cooked the chicken on a rack, turn the pieces over so the bottoms get crisped up too. Serve the chicken on it's own or with lemon wedges to squeeze on top.
5. Leftover chicken can stored well wrapped in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from Old School Comfort Food by Alex Guarnaschelli. I use less mustard and only chicken breasts, whereas the original calls for a whole chicken cut up.
