Spicy Oven-Fried Chicken with Ancho Honey

Word on the street is way back when I started talking whenever a family member would ask what I wanted to eat I did a little chicken dance and declared "I want chicken tonight!"

Apparently that was KFC's thing back then.

My grandma likes to tell me this story, about my love of KFC. I think the dancing/clucking thing is a figment of her imagination...

A family rumor if you will.

I do remember really loving the spicy chicken strips they used to have. I believe I became a bit anti-social when they got rid of it...WHY?! It was soooo good! I could live off of that spicy chicken, potato wedges and biscuits with honey and butter.

If you never experienced this spicy chicken from KFC I speak of then bless your heart...sucks for you. There was a spicy sauce underneath the breading and it was awesome. I know they've played around with some other recipes like that but nothing has quite been the same.

Even this here recipe isn't the same...but it's a satisfying "at-home" version...and it's healthy at that. Semi-win!

This is a baked version of "fried" chicken. It's still crunchy but not covered in grease and oil and guilt. The one thing to keep in mind is that if you are reheating this, do it in the oven...please. Any other way will make it soggy.

Ew.

Spicy Oven-Fried Chicken with Ancho Honey
Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

1/2 sleeve (about 20) whole-grain salted crackers, pulsed in a food processor until fine (about 1/2 cup)
2 1/2 cups corn cereal flakes, pulsed in a food processor to fine crumbs (about 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 egg whites
1 cup lowfat, plain yogurt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
Olive oil cooking spray
4 medium sized skinless chicken breasts and 4 skinless chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry (about 3 1/2 pounds chicken)
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with olive oil.

Combine the crackers and corn cereal crumbs, sesame seeds, cayenne, paprika and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Reserve.

In a large bowl, combine egg whites, yogurt, Dijon mustard,hot sauce and salt. Add the chicken pieces and coat thoroughly with the yogurt mixture.

One at a time, dip the chicken pieces in the cracker mixture, packing crumbs onto chicken. Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet and spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a knife.

Combine honey, chili powder and salt in a small bowl. Serve with chicken as a sauce.