Picnic Oven-Fried Chicken

Name: Picnic Oven-Fried Chicken
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Ingredients: ½ cup buttermilk; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon hot sauce; 2 1/2-3 pounds whole chicken legs, skinned and cut into thighs and drumsticks; ½ cup whole-wheat flour; 2 tablespoons sesame seeds; 1 ½ teaspoons paprika; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; ⅛ teaspoon salt; ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper; Canola or olive oil cooking spray

Rating: 3.76 stars

29 Ratings
29 Reviews

This oven-fried chicken recipe gives you all the deep-fried flavor and crunch without all the oil. Removing the skin and using our tried-and-true “oven frying” method, where we bread the chicken and then coat it with cooking spray before baking at high heat, eliminates 92 calories and 2 g of saturated fat per serving.

Patsy Jamieson

Source: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2012; October 2020 30th Anniversary

Gallery

Read the full recipe after the video.

Recipe Summary

active:

20 mins

total:

1 hr 35 mins

Servings:

Nutrition Profile:

Heart Healthy

Low-Calorie

Low Carbohydrate

Low Sodium

Healthy Aging

Healthy Immunity

Low Added Sugars

Nutrition Info

Directions

Step 1

Whisk buttermilk, mustard, garlic and hot sauce in a shallow glass dish. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for up to 8 hours.

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Step 2

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Coat a wire rack with cooking spray and set it on the baking sheet.
Step 3

Combine flour, sesame seeds, paprika, baking powder, thyme, salt and pepper in a sealable bag. Tapping off excess marinade, place one or two chicken pieces in the bag and shake to coat the chicken with the flour mixture. Tap off excess flour; place the chicken on the prepared rack and coat with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining chicken thighs and drumsticks.
Step 4

Bake the chicken until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part without touching bone registers 165°F, 40 to 50 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 4 oz. chicken

Per Serving:

284 calories; protein 32g; carbohydrates 6g; dietary fiber 1g; sugars 1g; fat 14g; saturated fat 3g; cholesterol 163mg; vitamin a iu 126.6IU; vitamin c 0.3mg; folate 9.5mcg; calcium 54.7mg; iron 1.9mg; magnesium 41.3mg; potassium 372mg; sodium 226mg; thiamin 0.2mg.

Reviews (29)

Read More Reviews

29 Ratings

5 star values: 6
4 star values: 17
3 star values: 2
2 star values: 1
1 star values: 3

Reviews: Most Helpful

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EatingWell User

10/30/2011

After making so many flawless Eating Well recipes this one hit the skids. My husband and I made it together using boneless/skinless chicken thighs and breasts. We let it marinate for 30 mins. We tried using the shake and bake technique but it turned into a gummy mess in the bag. I instead whipped up a second batch of coating and dredged the chicken pieces instead. They never crisped up in the over (even after turning it up by 50 degrees 1/2 through baking. So instead there was a cooked flour coating liked they'd just been dusted. My husband attempted to eat them and we ended up throwing the entire batch out. Read More

EatingWell User

11/19/2011

What a disappointment Save yourselves the cost of ruined chicken. I didn't like this at all and I'm mad at myself for trying it! Cons: Bland and tastes like raw flour Read More

Gay Griffeth

01/20/2019

I won't make it again I didn't think it was anything special. Read More

EatingWell User

10/30/2011

My husband and I enjoyed eating this dish without any guilt. How often can you say that about "fried chicken"?! Kavi Read More

Jennifer Brush

08/18/2019

This worked really well. I cheated and left the skins on and cooked it for an hour. Read More

EatingWell User

10/29/2011

I made this for the second time last night. Fried chicken is my favorite thing and this tastes just like it. Be sure and put the foil on the baking sheet. I didn't have foil so the bottom didn't get crispy. And I agree you have to spray it on the top AND bottom to get rid of the flour patches and get it to crisp up. Also I just used boneless skinless chicken thighs. Read More

Vicky Bakaitis

09/27/2016

I used to make this frequently years ago. Delicious. I'll have to make this again. A tip for the chicken and soggy bottoms. Heat oven to 450 place baking sheet into oven for about 5-6 minutes remove sheet spray and place chicken on it. You'll hear the chicken start to sizzle. Read More

EatingWell User

01/10/2013

Extremely Healthy Oven Fried Chicken I'm from New Orleans so no stranger to the kitchen. Big Smile) I used lemon juice and plain old milk to do my marinade but I also added some grated Parmesan cheese to the marinade. Just an FYI that any chicken would be considered bland if you only add spices to the marinade. In my recipe change I also added chili powder salt lemon pepper and paprika to the wheat flour just to make sure that it has a kick and I also sprayed the chicken all over with butter flavored olive oil cooking spray. I wrapped a turkey rack (the kind inside of a turkey pan) with foil and perforated hole sin the bottom of it. Worked like a charm. The chicken was extra crispy because I baked it at 450 for an hour or so. The skin was also nice and golden brown. I will definitely be doing this chicken again soon. OUTSTANDING! Pros: Outsanding Flavor Cons: Had to take it up a notch Read More

EatingWell User

10/30/2011

Mine crisped up but there were patches of flour coating the chicken scattered all over. The chicken was moderately moist. Read More

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EatingWell User

10/30/2011

EatingWell User

11/19/2011

What a disappointment Save yourselves the cost of ruined chicken. I didn't like this at all and I'm mad at myself for trying it! Cons: Bland and tastes like raw flour

Gay Griffeth