Healthy Fried Chicken Recipes

This riff on classic chicken Parmesan replaces the usual marinara with a luscious lemony cream sauce. We've lightened it up by using half-and-half instead of cream and by coating the chicken in whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs, with just-as-delicious results. Serve this lemony chicken dinner with whole-wheat pasta or brown rice.

Here's a fun way to serve oven-fried chicken for a picnic: put it on a stick. It's fabulous served with this homemade Vidalia onion and honey-mustard sauce, but it's also great with barbecue sauce or Frank's hot sauce. This is an easy recipe to double if you're serving a crowd.

A fresh tomato-and-basil topping on panko-crusted chicken cutlets makes an easy meal for family or casual entertaining.

These chicken drumsticks are coated in breadcrumbs with oregano, paprika, and pepper and are oven cooked rather than deep-fried. This recipe is incredibly easy to prepare, making it a perfect party appetizer for any occasion.

Air fryers need a lot less oil to create a deep-fried crispy crust. Here, chicken thighs are marinated in buttermilk and dredged in a simple breadcrumb coating. With the help of a little cooking spray, they cook up nice and crispy with a lot less fat. Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce or slice them up to top a salad.

A blend of whole-wheat panko and fine cornmeal gives this healthy chicken recipe the perfect amount of crunch even though it's not deep fried. Making an easy homemade buttermilk ranch dressing recipe means you can skip bottled, which may have additives and stabilizers.

This recipe crisps chicken in the oven rather than in a skillet or deep-fat fryer, cutting down on calories and fat.

Fried chicken gets a hearty kick of heat and a slash in calories and sodium with this healthy baked chicken recipe. Serve the crispy chicken as they do in Nashville--with soft bread and dill pickle slices--or alongside a green salad with blue cheese dressing to help cool down the spiciness.

Give these oven "fried" chicken strips a try, and you may just find the perfect healthy swap for restaurant chicken fingers.

This easy kid-friendly dinner pairs healthier oven-fried chicken with crisp, raw vegetables and a homemade ranch dressing for dipping.

This chicken francese gets its crispy and delicious exterior from a dredge with flour and egg; skip the breadcrumbs. Pair it with fresh vegetables like corn, tomatoes and green beans.

The buttermilk marinade lets these fried chicken tenders get crispy on the outside and stay deliciously juicy on the inside. The fresh crunchy slaw helps balance the richness of the chicken. Don't have buttermilk on hand? Make a substitute by mixing the equivalent amount of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar.