I used to miss crispy chicken until I realised that I could still have it post-op – I just needed to tinker with the recipe and cook in a different way to get the same kind of result as the fried former version. Here’s my favourite way of producing a Crispy Caesar Chicken, perfect for serving with a side salad.
CRISPY CAESAR CHICKEN
Ingredients
METRIC/US
low-fat cooking spray or mist
25 g/¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
25 g/¼ cup crispy Panko breadcrumbs
1 tbsp melted light butter
4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, about 100 g/4 oz each
½ tsp garlic or onion powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 tbsp low-fat Caesar dressing (use one of your choice or see the recipe here)
chopped parsley to garnish
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220 C/425 F/gas 7. Spritz a baking tray with low-fat cooking spray or mist.
- To make the crispy coating mix the Parmesan with the breadcrumbs and butter.
- Flatten the chicken breasts between sheets of cling film or grease-proof paper until about 1.25 cm/½ inch thick. Season with the garlic or onion powder and salt and pepper to taste,
- Place the chicken on the tray and brush the tops with the Caesar dressing. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture, pressing down lightly to stick and coat the chicken.
- Bake for 10-14 minutes or until the chicken is cooked – it is ready when the juices run clear when the centre of the thickest part of the breast is cut.
- Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.
SERVES 4
WLS PORTION: ½-¾
CALORIES PER PORTION: 196
PROTEIN: 31g
CARBOHYDRATE: 6g
FAT: 5.4g
Image courtesy of http://www.pillsbury.com