Southern Unfried Chicken

(33 Votes)

Updated May 18, 2018

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SERVES: 4 to 6

CHILL TIME: 1 Hr 30 Min

COOK TIME: 15 Min

If you're craving a true southern staple like fried chicken but you don't want to feel guilty afterwards, then Chef Art Smith has the perfect solution Southern Unfried Fried Chicken. Packed with tons of flavor and crunch, you won't even miss the real thing!

What You'll Need

1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon Louisiana hot sauce
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally
1 1/2 cups whole wheat or regular Panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
Cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

What to Do

In a large bowl, combine buttermilk and hot sauce. Submerge chicken breasts in marinade and allow to soak at least 1 hour (up to 24 hours).
While chicken is marinating, in a large resealable plastic bag, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, ground red pepper, paprika, and salt, if desired. Shake to blend.
Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Using tongs, remove chicken from marinade and place in bag with bread crumb mixture. Shake well, until chicken is evenly coated with bread crumbs. Place on prepared baking sheet and chill uncovered in refrigerator 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat each chicken breast with cooking spray.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until no pink remains.

Notes

Don't forget to serve this yummy chicken recipe with our Southern Broccoli Tomato Salad. It makes the perfect summer combination!

Want even more chicken dinner recipes? Check out our collection of Southern Fried Chicken Recipes: 9 Easy Fried Chicken Recipes.

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Nutritional InformationShow More

Servings Per Recipe: 4

Amount Per Serving % Daily Value *
Calories 322
Calories from Fat 60
Total Fat 6.7g 10 %
Saturated Fat 2.3g 11 %
Trans Fat 0.0g 0 %
Protein 42g 83 %

Amount Per Serving % Daily Value *
Cholesterol 117mg 39 %
Sodium 420mg 17 %
Total Carbohydrates 22g 7 %
Dietary Fiber 0.6g 2 %
Sugars 3.3g 0 %

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toniretman 5006408

Mar 27, 2016

Loved it. I thought a little too hot though, so next time I'll just add less cayenne

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smhilsol 9236826

Apr 30, 2015

Would appreciate recipes without mixing cheese and chicken/meat together.

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douglasdherbert

Oct 22, 2015

Then go to another site. Most of us are happy with the recipes and don't complain when we do not like a recipe.

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nananotel

Oct 22, 2015

Wow-that a nasty retort. I personally don't like the cheese and chicken combination either. I like either one but not together. I don't think the writer said anything adverse but was saying recipes that were not combined would be appreciated. I would also appreciate that.

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sailorgal47 1472275

Apr 10, 2015

The flavor was good but boy was it hot and spicy! The chicken was wonderfully juicy and I actually brought out the blue cheese dressing to offset the 'heat'.

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snowpetersen66

Jun 15, 2014

What can I substitute for the Louisiana Hot Sauce and ground red pepper in this recipe? Neither my daughter nor I care for the added heat either of these add to a dish. She doesn't even like me to add plain old black pepper!! I'll be watching for a reoly. Thanks ever so much!!!!

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doloreseleeson 3927811

May 06, 2018

Just omit the hot sauce but still soak in the Buttermilk.

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barbara 0462270

May 19, 2014

It would be nice to be able to see the nutritional values for the recipes. For those of us on Weight Watchers.

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Test Kitchen Team

May 20, 2014

Hi there Barbara! We're currently working on adding the nutritional content for all of our recipes. We'll be sure to let everyone know once it has been done. Thank you for your patience!

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Cajunwoman1964 9054059

May 10, 2014

Why do you have to coat each chicken breast with cooking spray before you put in the oven?

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MrSoul

May 11, 2014

Oil spritz helps it brown and get crispy. Crushed corn flakes or other cereal works as breading. Change up spices to enjoy Italian or Mexican or whatever flavor you like.

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donjuan 0753109

Apr 24, 2014

can't have wheat, celiac disease any substitute?

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Test Kitchen Team

Apr 24, 2014

Thank you for your question. This site does not have much at this time for people with Celiac's disease. You can try our other site, www.everydaydiabeticrecipes.com. I did a quick search for substitutions for breadcrumbs and there are plenty out there. Since we don't know what works for you specifically, we recommend doing the search on Google and see what substitution you would prefer. Thank you!

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edbo11

May 10, 2014

I use crushed potato chips or potato flakes. Both work quite well.

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eileen 0201363

Apr 23, 2014

I love your recipes, but your "READY IN" times are WAY off. If following the directions, this recipe will not be ready for 2 hours.

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catlady6866 2887274

Feb 27, 2015

This chicken won't be anywhere near ready in 15 to 20 minutes for 4 breasts! I would use an instant read thermometer after 20 minutes, and continue baking them until they reach 165 degrees.

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korandawnellen 1604311

Dec 03, 2013

These are BETTER with corn flake crumbs...also baked in the oven!!!!

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catlady6866 2887274

Feb 27, 2015

Duhh! They're 'supposed' to be baked in the oven! What recipe were you reading?!

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reimerosa 9915225

Nov 30, 2013

panko breadcrumbs are the best-super crunchr

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catlady6866 2887274

Feb 27, 2015

I agree.

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flyingbird

Nov 29, 2013

I forgot to purchase bread crumbs so subbed them out with Rice Crispy cereal. Oh, it was so good

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jb3213199

Nov 12, 2013

Can you chicken tenders?

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Test Kitchen Team

Nov 13, 2013

You can absolutely use chicken tenders. Enjoy!

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ctldy0471 1721695

Nov 12, 2013

Can I use plain flour as a substitute for the bread crumbs without affecting the outcome?

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Test Kitchen Team

Nov 12, 2013

You can use flour only if you bake the chicken right away and dont refrigerate like the recipe mentions. It won t be as crispy as they would be if you used the panko bread crumbs, but flour will work. Enjoy!

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esal01 8430938

Jun 21, 2013

First time making this....loved it. How do you get nutritional info?

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gjh

Mar 10, 2013

If it is too spicy, just leave out the hotsauce...

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rjduckworth

Nov 12, 2013

If it is too spicy, use common sense and leave some of the spice out such as leave the cayenne pepper out or use less and decrease the amount of hot sauce.

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redsetters181 6314866

Mar 08, 2013

Didn't care for this....too peppery for me. Ended up scraping off panko crust

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thehicksons 4758490

Mar 06, 2013

Is it really necessary to use buttermilk? Most people don't always have it on-hand.

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bsparklett 4343131

Mar 06, 2013

You can always put a little bit of vinegar in regular milk.....that makes buttermilk...

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JulieMRL

Mar 07, 2013

This is from Taste Of Home.com: There are a number of substitutes for buttermilk in baking. For each cup of buttermilk, you can use 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to measure 1 cup. Stir, then let stand for 5 minutes. You can also use 1 cup of plain yogurt or 1-3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar plus 1 cup milk.

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theirmom3

Nov 11, 2013

You can buy powdered buttermilk in the baking section then rehydrate only amount needed for each recipe.

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mkjrn 6848082

May 06, 2014

Buttermilk helps tenderize chicken so is great if you have it. I often use white vinegar in milk if I don't have buttermilk.

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xpianomover 7635591

Mar 06, 2013

Chilling the chicken allows the panko or bread crumbs to set or stick to the buttermilk before bakeing the chicken.

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mardieffenbach 4343489

Mar 06, 2013

Why do you chill the coated chicken for 30 min. before baking it?

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Test Kitchen Team

Mar 07, 2013

Great question! Allowing the chicken to chill after coating it with the Panko bread crumbs will help the coating adhere to the chicken while it cooks.Thank you!

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pieman81 6122421

Mar 06, 2013

I really like getting the crunch without frying,and with 1/2 the calories

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lajones1963

Mar 06, 2013

this sounds like an awesome recipe. I can't wait to try it out.

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