There aren’t too many foods more comforting than fried chicken. But you know what I don’t find very comforting: actually having to fry the fried chicken.
I know, I know. But the whole process is just way too messy for me. I don’t particularly enjoy having hot oil splattered all over my kitchen. Not to mention the risk of burning any uncovered body parts that dare to come within close range.
So fried foods don’t happen very often in my kitchen. But what is happening in my kitchen on a regular basis is this Mustard Roasted Chicken. It’s awesome. Like lick-your-fingers kind of awesome. The chicken is juicy and tender. It just falls off the bone. Hot damn. And the bread coating is all kinds of crunchy, herby and salty goodness.
And the best part: it’s all accomplished in the oven. No frying. No mess to clean up. No burn cream required.
Cheers,
Liz
Recipe from Ina Garten’s Foolproof via Alexandra’s Kitchen
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 2 cups breadcrumbs (see my note below)
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the Dijon mustard and the buttermilk. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to eight hours.
- Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of your food processor with the blade attachment, pulse together the garlic cloves, thyme leaves, lemon zest, salt and pepper until the garlic is finely minced. Add the fresh breadcrumbs and olive oil, pulsing until everything is well combined and the breadcrumbs are moistened. Transfer the breadcrumb mixture to a wide bowl or plate.
- Dip each piece of chicken, skin-side only, into the breadcrumb mixture, pressing down with your hand to help the mixture adhere. Place the chicken pieces on your baking sheet, crumb-side up. Transfer to your oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Notes
1. To make breadcrumbs, simply pulse any kind of bread in your food processor with the blade attachment until small crumbs are formed. Homemade breadcrumbs are a great thing to have on hand. Whenever I have a few leftover pieces of bread, I turn them into breadcrumbs and store them in a Ziplock bag in my freezer to be used at a later date.
