Garlic Yogurt Baked Chicken

Garlic Yogurt Baked Chicken with Braised Brussels Sprout

I always get taken in by these things, you know.  Oven fries, oven-fried chicken, baked onion rings, samosas, you name it.  If I see a recipe claiming to replicated fried food in an oven, it's like a instinctual switch goes off and I MUST TRY IT.

Even though I absolutely know, folks, that the oven cannot fry.  It cannot replicate the deep fry.  Sure, it can make some vaguely similar items, it can get pretty darn close (try Cook's Illustrated oven fries recipe and see how close they come) but, really, it always fails to be as indulgently crispy, greasy, and flavorful as its fried counterpart.

Now perhaps the "fried" part of the recipe title is like a marketing pitch - "hey, try me, I could be good." Because, had this recipe been called "Garlic Yogurt Baked Chicken" instead of "Oven Fried Chicken," perhaps my perception of it would have been different.  Then again, it came from the American Heart Association's low-sodium cookbook, so perhaps the demographic they're looking to attract is drawn to fried.

Thought you probably needed to see my dirty dishes.

None of the above ramblings should imply that this was a bad dish - in fact, it was really, really good.  It was easy - mix chicken with garlic & yogurt, roll in breadcrumbs, and bake.  The chicken stayed very moist, despite being cooked a smidge too long (the sprouts weren't done, damn it!).  The yogurt did a great job keeping the crumb coating attached, while I suspect helping the chicken stay juicy and tender, like soaking real fried chicken in buttermilk is said to do.  Loved the mellow garlic and big Old Bay flavors in the coating, too. Super easy, and super good.

But, folks, this ain't fried chicken.  Not even close.  Just don't go into it expecting KFC.

Hear me out for a minute here - Cooking Light had a recipe a year ago on the cover of the magazine for lightened-up Fried Chicken.  As in, fried in oil in a pan, honestly fried chicken.  Yes, you skin it, yes, you use not a lot of oil, but, dang it, it's fried.  I'm trying that next.  Until then, my belly is happy to stick to the oven. A recipe for you belly is after the JUMP.



Garlic Yogurt Baked Chicken
From the AHA Low-Sodium Cookbook.

4 to 6 chicken thighs (or assorted chicken parts), skinned and trimmed of fat
1 8-oz container plain, low-fat yogurt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups bread crumbs (whole wheat, panko, regular, or homemade from very stale bread, or a combo)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning
1 Tbsp onion powder
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
Olive oil and cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, mix garlic and yogurt together.  In a shallow bowl, mix breadcrumbs with salt, old bay, onion powder, parsley and freshly ground black pepper (lots).

Trim any remaining fat from chicken thighs/parts, then throw them in the big bowl with the yogurt. Stir well to evenly coat the pieces.  One at a time, remove the pieces, roll in prepared crumbs, and place on prepared baking sheet.  Lightly coat the tops of the thighs with cooking spray.

Bake thighs at 400 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until juices run clear (or they reach 165 on an instant-read thermometer). Let cool slightly, then serve.