Julie’s Oven Fried Chicken

Marinating in seasoned buttermilk and coating the chicken in seasoned panko breadcrumbs with olive oil creates this finger-licking good copycat and healthier alternative to deep fried chicken

Chicken Ingredients (4 servings):
• 1 cup buttermilk (see recipe below)
• 1 tsp. vomFASS Chicken Seasoning
• 1 tsp. vomFASS Sweet Smoked Paprika
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 whole chicken cut up, skins removed

Chicken Coating Ingredients:
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 2 TBLS vomFASS Extra Virgin Olive Oil (your choice) + more for drizzling
• 1 ½ tsp. vomFASS Sweet smoked paprika
• 1 TBLS vomFASS Herbs de Provence Spice Blend
• 1 tsp vomFASS Chicken Seasoning
• 2 TBLS Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Remove skin as best you can from the chicken pieces. Combine all the dry chicken seasonings in a bowl and coat chicken well on all sides. Place chicken in a large Ziploc bag or large bowl. Pour buttermilk over chicken to coat. Marinate for 2 hours to overnight in refrigerator.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F
3. In a shallow mixing bowl, add panko bread crumbs and drizzle in the olive oil. With your fingertips, toss and gently rub the bread crumbs to evenly moisten.
4. Add remaining dry coating ingredients, toss well to mix
5. Piece by piece, remove chicken from buttermilk marinade, let excess buttermilk drip off, then dredge both sides of chicken in panko mixture, while pressing crumbs to adhere.
6. Add chicken pieces to greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
7. Repeat with all chicken pieces.
8. Spray or drizzle olive oil onto tops of chicken (1-2 TBLS).
9. Bake until golden brown and cooked through (about 40-45 minutes, internal temp 165°F)

How to make your own buttermilk
I have many recipes that call for buttermilk, like my buttermilk pancakes, biscuits, Bill’s favorite chocolate cake and my oven fried chicken recipe above. Buttermilk has a thicker consistency and is slightly acidic which will make your biscuits, pancakes and cakes fluffy and is a perfect addion when you crave fried chicken, but want a healthier version for your family.
I rarely buy store bought buttermilk because it is hard to find small amounts and I end up pitching what I don’t use. But the biggest reason for bypassing store-bought, is that it is SO easy to make just the amount you need for your recipe. Here are my 3 easy recipes for homemade buttermilk:
• 1 TBLS vomFASS Champagne Vinegar (white wine vinegar) in 1 cup milk
• 1 TBLS Lemon Juice in 1 cup milk
• 1 ¾ tsp Cream of tartar in 1 cup warm milk

1. Add the vinegar, lemon juice or cream of tartar to measuring cup first and then fill to the 1 cup mark.
2. Let sit 10 minutes at room temp and your home-made buttermilk is ready to use. Store unused buttermilk for up to 2 weeks in a sealed glass jar.

Submitted by

Julie Ginsler-vomFASS Cary