As always, my food photography leaves something to be desired… but don’t let that discount this AMAZING recipe! My mom made this recipe all the time when I was growing up! I’m pretty sure she got it from the Junior League of Austin cookbook. She included it in a recipe book she made for me about a decade ago, and I recently rediscovered it. I made it for the first time in several years at the beginning of quarantine, and I am obsessed! It is so easy to prepare and is so moist and flavorful. I’ve made it like eight times since March, I kid you not.
Just a few notes before jumping into the recipe! You definitely don’t have to bread the chicken in this recipe – you can simply marinate the chicken per the instructions below and then bake or grill it for a slightly lighter version. Still so tasty! The other thing I want to mention is the texture – since this isn’t *actually* fried, don’t expect the chicken to be crispy like actual fried chicken. The coating is meant to be softer! Trust me when I say this will become an instant classic in your house. I love pairing it with a kale salad and some cous cous, but it would be delicious with practically any side you can think up!
INGREDIENTS
1 chicken, quartered or 2-4 chicken breasts (I typically do thinner chicken breasts)
for the marinade
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
for breading
Depending on how many chicken breasts you have, you may want to double this part!
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
- Heat oven to 350 degrees and coat a large pyrex with non-stick spray.
- Combine chicken with marinade ingredients in a zip lock to marinate. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more (the longer the better – I’d suggest at least four hours)!
- Combine breading ingredients in a separate zip lock bag.
- Add chicken to breading bag one piece at a time to coat, saving marinade.
- Arrange breaded chicken on pyrex dish, then drizzle chicken with some of the leftover marinade.
- Bake in oven uncovered until done – cooking time will depend on thickness/cut of chicken! If you’re using chicken breasts that aren’t super thick, 35 minutes should do it.
- Serve with sides of your choice! You can also garnish with lemon slices and parsley if you want.