Southern Oven-Baked Crispy Chicken

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Serving size: 3 pieces of chicken

Ingredients

4 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¾ cup skim milk
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 cup cornflakes
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
½ cup panko bread crumbs

Instructions

Place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of wax paper and gently pound with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until the breasts are about ½ inch thick. Cut each breast into 3 equal pieces.
In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and hot sauce.
Place the chicken pieces in a large resealable bag and pour in the milk mixture. Squeeze out excess air, seal the bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to overnight (depending on how much time you have).
When you're ready to cook, preheat oven to 400° F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
In a food processor, combine ½ cup of the cornflakes, the paprika, salt, and pepper. Pulse until the cornflakes become crumbs. Pour them into a shallow baking dish and stir in the panko.
In a small resealable bag, gently crush the remaining ½ cup cornflakes by hand into small pieces. Transfer the hand-crushed cornflakes to the panko crumb mixture.
Remove the chicken pieces one at a time from the marinade and place in the cornflake mixture. Evenly cover each piece of chicken.
Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes at 400° F, then reduce the oven temperature to 350° F and bake until the chicken is cooked through and crispy, 5 to 10 minutes longer.