Give fast food chicken a run for the money

Who doesn’t like fried chicken but avoids it like the plague because it’s too much grease or you’re a KETO kind of person?

Fried chicken is a comfort food with that amazing crunch and would be a great dinner staple if only it could be just a bit more healthy than deep-fried. Well, here you have it! I experimented in my kitchen and came up with this recipe.

Here is your shopping list:

1. Eight bone-in chicken thighs (with skin required)

2. 2 Tbsp Baking Powder (not baking soda)

3. 2 Tbsp cornstarch (if Keto, then make this additional Baking Powder)

4. 1 heaping Tbsp Lawry’s Season Salt

5. 1 Tbsp black pepper

6. Vegetable Oil Spray

Set oven at 400 degrees

Take the chicken thighs and pat dry. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Sprinkle over the chicken like a dry rub. Take the vegetable spray and spray to evenly coat the top of the chicken. You want to hold this at least 12 inches above the chicken as not to spray away the dry rub.

Place in a Pyrex dish and bake for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on your oven) or until a thermometer reads 165 degrees F. I took the dish out about 15 minutes before finished cooking and spooned some of the juices in the pan over the thighs for more crispiness. Remove and plate.

Fun Fact: It is important to focus on dryness before dry-rubbing as this is crucial for crisping up the skin. Baking powder can be used to achieve the crispiness of the chicken skin as it acts as a leavening agent that creates air bubbles that lead to a lighter more crispy texture. The cornstarch is primary used for thickening and creating a crispy crust, hence the reason I used both. But if you KETO, just double up on the baking powder rather than adding the cornstarch.