Best Faux Fried Chicken

I found this recipe on FoodGawker.com.   This is the best oven "fried" chicken recipe we have had.  It is so tasty with a little bit of Cajun spice and stays crispy after baking it in the oven.  Not many that I have tried actually do.  I think it would be really good using ranch dressing mix, too.  The recipe calls for chicken thighs but you can use breasts.  I also cut them up into strips.  I'm usually halving the recipe but will make 3/4 of the Panko mixture so it covers all my chicken.  For some reason I always run short on the breading on all the recipes I try.

Oven-Fried Chicken
Yields 6 servings

3 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, excess fat trimmed
1 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon hot sauce, or more to taste
1 1/2 cups Panko
3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup peanut oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.  In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper, to taste.  In another shallow bowl, whisk together egg, milk, hot sauce, salt and pepper, to taste.  In a third shallow bowl, combine the Panko, Cajun seasoning, paprika, peanut oil, salt and pepper, to taste.  Working one at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour, dip into the eggs, then dredge in the panko crumbs, pressing to coat.  Place onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the chicken is completely cooked through.

We had broccoli slaw with ours...too bad I didn't get a picture of that too.

Enjoy!