Chicken Italiano (AKA Nonna’s Kentucky Fried Chicken)

If you are trying to cook a little healthier, this Chicken Italiano is a healthy food choice.

When I was a little girl, we didn’t have much money and we didn’t go out to any restaurants or do take-out.  My Nonna Emilia was very resourceful and she invented her own Kentucky Fried Chicken.  The problem was that hers floated in about an inch of oil.  I tweaked her recipe to make it healthier.  This Chicken Italiano will have that crunchy coating, but not the calories.  It is finger-licking good. I used chicken thighs because they are my favourite, but I have used a whole cut up chicken for this recipe.  

I start by loving those thighs with a some olive oil.  Mix the oil, balsamic vinegar and spices together.  You can dip the chicken pieces into this mixture or simply pour the mixture over the chicken and toss. 

Now mix your bread crumbs and parmesan cheese and coat the chicken with this mixture. Do this to both sides of the chicken.   The crumbs and the cheese will adhere to the chicken. 

Half way through the cooking, I turn the thighs. 

I serve them over some brown rice.  After the rice cooks, I add some orange zest and some nutmeg to give it that little surprise.  Nonna made Italian roasted potatoes that sat in a scrumptious inch of oil.    🙂  They were good!!

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Chicken Italiano

The best oven fried chicken the Italian way.  

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 2

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp red pepper chilli flakes optional
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 4 bone-in chicken thighs (skin removed) I also use boneless chicken
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp olive oil for drizzling (divided in two)
• freshly ground nutmeg
• parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

   Mix the oregano, garlic powder, dried basil and red pepper chilli flakes.

   Mix the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

   Rub a chicken thigh into the olive oil/balsamic mix and , then into the spice mixture. Place in a baking dish. ( If I make a large amount I put the cut up chicken in a large bowl and completely coat it with the olive oil and spice mixture and then bread it)

   Repeat with the remaining chicken thighs.

   Mix bread crumbs and cheese and sprinkle over thighs. Drizzle some olive oil over the thighs.

   Bake for 45 minutes. Turn the chicken over after 25 minutes and drizzle some more olive oil over entire chicken.  

   To serve, grate some nutmeg and chopped parsley over the portions.

   Serve with a simple couscous, brown rice or polenta.  

Sometimes I make a huge pan of this chicken. Love on a platter.