Fried Chicken Breast

All the crunch of fried chicken without the oil. Skinless chicken breasts go through a triple dip: non-fat yogurt, flour, then egg white, before getting coated in seasoned bread crumbs and baked at high heat until golden and crispy.

The yogurt step is what makes this coating stick. It clings to the chicken better than a plain egg wash and adds a slight tang that you’d never notice but would miss if it weren’t there. The egg white layer between the flour and bread crumbs acts as glue that locks the crumbs on during baking.

Garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, and parsley in the bread crumb mixture deliver a well-rounded seasoning that covers the chicken evenly. No bland spots, no pockets of too much salt.

Pro Tips

• Press the breadcrumbs on firmly with your hands. A light roll won’t hold during the long bake.
• Use a baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Don’t skip it or the coating will fuse to the pan.
• Don’t flip the chicken during baking. One side crisps against the pan while the top crisps from the oven heat.
• Check for doneness at 45 minutes. Thinner breasts may be done earlier than 60.

Variations

• Use panko breadcrumbs instead of regular for an extra-crunchy, lighter coating.
• Add a teaspoon of smoked paprika to the crumb mixture for a deeper, smokier flavor.
• Swap non-fat yogurt for buttermilk for a more traditional Southern-style flavor in the coating.