Isn’t fried chicken comfort food at its finest? You’d be amazed that healthy Greek yogurt and olive oil produce moist and juicy chicken. It’s a no fuss, no muss recipe that you can cook up for busy, weeknight suppers.
By Jill Nammar
When you’re hankering for the good stuff, this lighter recipe will not disappoint. While you’re eating it, you don’t yearn for the real thing. You’re happy to be crunching into the super light, slightly smoky crust. You’re amazed that heart healthy Greek yogurt and olive oil produce moist and juicy chicken. It’s a no fuss, no muss recipe that you can cook up for busy, weeknight suppers. It’s equally good to take along on picnics. The chicken is super tender. The coating is light and crisp. I confess, I’ve eaten it cold, standing at the fridge, after a late night at the hospital. I think you’re going to love this recipe as much as I do. 
Crispy Oven Fried Chicken
- Yield: 6 drumsticks 1x
Description
Adapted from Home Magazine The chicken is coated with a healthy Greek yogurt mixture, keeping it über moist, tender and juicy. Additional flavor is achieved from smoked paprika and lots of freshly cracked black pepper. Pair this chicken with a some sautéed corn and potatoes and you’ve got yourself a cozy meal. Green beans or a crisp garden salad are also a great side dish. As it cooks, drizzle some olive oil over it to ensure maximum crispness.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken drumsticks. I use free range raised chicken.
- 3 garlic cloves minced on a microplane zester or pressed in a garlic press
- 1 7 ounce container of 2 percent Greek yogurt.
- 1 heaping tablespoon of dijon mustard
- 1 cup white flour or more for dusting the chicken
- 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
- A teaspoon of fine grain sea salt
- Lots of freshly cracked pepper
- Olive oil for drizzling or olive oil cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425
- Line a large baking pan with foil and coat with olive oil so the chicken doesn’t stick to the foil. You can also liberally coat with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl combine the Greek yogurt, mustard, smoked paprika, minced garlic, salt and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. Add the chicken. Coat the chicken in the yogurt mixture. You might have some yogurt mixture left over.
- Place the flour in a separate bowl or on a plate. Coat each chicken drumstick with the flour.
- Put the drumsticks on the oiled, foil-lined tray and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. About half way through the cooking time, drizzle each drumstick with more olive oil, ensuring that any dusting of white flour that remains visible is coated in oil. You can also liberally spray the chicken with cooking spray. Finish cooking it. Once done, remove the drumsticks and place on a paper towel lined plate. Serve hot or at room temperature.
- Category: Main
Looking forward to trying this! Thanks for the recipe Jill!
Thanks Maya! I hope you like it. Who knew healthy ingredients produces great oven fried chicken? Thanks for leaving a comment! Jill
I’ve since made this with self rising flour instead of regular white flour and it was even more light and crispy. You can also swap the black pepper for sriracha sauce. Enjoy!
I realize that this post is 4 years old but I found the recipe via Pinterest yesterday and made it last night for dinner. It was super easy to make and absolutely delicious. My husband even had seconds. Like you explained in the recipe, the key is to keep the drumsticks oiled throughout baking. I followed everything exactly and they turned out perfect. Thanks for the new addition to my recipe box!