Un-Fried Chicken

This is oven-fried chicken built around a key substitution: nonfat yogurt in place of buttermilk for dipping, and a skinless, boneless chicken breast stand-in for the bone-in pieces of the classic. The coating is a proper seasoned breading: flour, breadcrumbs, Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, thyme, basil, and oregano.

The ice water soak is a small but critical step. Thirty minutes of cold water tightens the chicken’s muscle fibers and keeps the breasts from drying out during the hour-long oven time. The yogurt provides the clingy medium for the breading (thicker than buttermilk, so the crumbs stick better on a spray-sprayed baking sheet instead of a sea of frying oil).

Cooking at 400°F (200°C) on the bottom rack with turns every 20 minutes produces even browning without the oil. The coating crisps, the interior stays juicy, and you get most of the crunch of fried chicken at a fraction of the fat.

Kitchen Tips

• Don’t skip the ice water soak. Chicken pulled straight from the fridge cooks unevenly and dries out faster.
• Use Greek yogurt for thicker breading adhesion. Regular yogurt works but runs thin.
• Shake the chicken in the breading bag two pieces at a time, not all at once. Overcrowded pieces transfer breading to each other and leave bare spots.
• Spray the coated chicken with cooking spray on both sides. The oil in the spray is what gives you the golden, fried-looking color.
• Turn every 20 minutes, but don’t flip more than that. Each turn breaks off some of the breading.

Variations

• Swap Old Bay for Cajun or Creole seasoning for a spicier, Gulf Coast feel.
• Use panko breadcrumbs in place of regular for an even crunchier crust.
• Add a tablespoon of hot sauce to the yogurt before dipping for a Nashville-hot-style oven-fried version.