Oven-Fried Chicken Sammiches

I’m a big fan of anything fried, especially chicken. And cheese. But mostly chicken. Unfortunately, my metabolism doesn’t like fried food nearly as much as I do, so I try to keep it to a minimum.

I clipped this recipe from a Light & Tasty magazine many moons ago, because the picture looked so yummy. (I’m a sucker for a good recipe photo.) It’s very simple: just marinate chicken breasts in some buttermilk, coat them with a seasoned cornmeal mixture, and bake. No oil or butter needed. I like mine on a Kaiser roll with lettuce, straight up, no mayo.

It doesn’t taste exactly the same as the deep-fried goodness that is a chicken filet, but when I’m craving one, this recipe is a pretty darn good fake-out. Of course, that might have more to do with the toasted Kaiser roll. Always toast your buns!

Oven-Fried Chicken Sammiches
Serves 4-6

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to about ½” thin
1 c. 1% buttermilk
½ c. reduced-fat baking mix (Bisquick)
½ c. yellow cornmeal
1½ tsp. paprika (I uses 1 tsp. paprika and ½ tsp. hot pimentón, just for extra heat)
¾ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. poultry seasoning
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
Cooking spray
4-6 kaiser or other rolls, toasted before serving

1. Combine the chicken and buttermilk in a resealable bag. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

3. Combine the baking mix, cornmeal, and seasonings in a shallow dish.

4. Coat the chicken in the seasoning mixture and place in a baking dish coated with cooking spray.

5. Wash your hands, unless you can cook like this:

6. Bake the chicken about 15 minutes, then flip. Continue baking about 12-15 minutes, or until cooked through and no longer pink. Serve on rolls. (Did I mention you should toast them?)