If you’re looking to try a preparation for chicken breasts that mimics southern fried chicken but without any frying, this is an easy recipe for you. The flavorful breading is made of cornmeal instead of wheat flour, and we kept our version dairy-free by using vegan Parmesan. We paired this with a dairy-free Sweet Potato Salad; both recipes originate from the same cookbook, “Fun Fast, Cook Fast. Eat Slow.” which we recommend regardless of whether you consider yourself a runner. We drizzled a fast homemade honey mustard dressing over top of the moist chicken breasts. This meal makes awesome leftovers for lunch on-the-go because you can enjoy it cold or at room temperature.
Oven “Fried” Chicken with Sweet Potato Salad
This meals is based on recipes from the cookbook, “Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow.” The chicken breasts stay super-moist with a flavorful and wheat-free breading; we drizzled a fast homemade honey mustard dressing over top and served alongside a cold Sweet Potato Salad with bell pepper and edamame.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Total Time1 hr 5 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 640kcal
Ingredients
Oven “Fried” Chicken
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 2/3 cup cornmeal
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup vegan Parmesan grated
- 1 cup almond meal
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
Honey Mustard Dressing
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp mustard
- Kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sweet Potato Salad
- 3 cups sweet potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 tbsp Avocado oil
- 1/2 cup non-dairy plain unsweetened yogurt
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup shelled, thawed edamame
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 2-3 green onions chopped fine
Instructions
Sweet Potato Salad
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the sweet potato cubes in Kosher salt and avocado oil and then spread them out on the prepared sheet.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes in the oven (pull them out and flip them halfway through) until they start to brown. Remove from oven and set aside, allowing them to cool completely.
- Whisk the yogurt, mustard, lemon juice, Kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper together in a large bowl. Add the cooled sweet potatoes, edamame, bell pepper, and green onions, and stir to coat.
- Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.
Oven “Fried” Chicken
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides. If you’re using chicken breasts, cut them in half.
- Line up three bowls on your counter next to your stove. Place the cornmeal in the first bowl; whisk the eggs in the second bowl; and combine the vegan Parmesan, almond meal, oregano, and salt in the third bowl.
- Prepare the chicken – dredge each piece in the cornmeal, then in the eggs, and lastly in the almond meal mixture, coating all sides. Allow excess to drip off during each stage. Place the breaded chicken on the prepared backing sheet.
- Bake in the oven 20-25 minutes, until the breading is crispy and golden brown, and the chicken is cooked through.
Honey Mustard Dressing
- Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl until emulsified (completely blended together). Drizzle the dressing over your serving of chicken and enjoy!
Notes
The Sweet Potato Salad tasted better day after we prepared it, so we recommend making it one day ahead and allowing it chill in the fridge overnight if possible. The original recipe called for plain whole milk yogurt, but to keep this dairy-free, we used our favorite Forager Project cashewgurt. You can use any standard dijon mustard in this recipe, and you should be able to find shelled edamame (soy beans) in the freezer section of your local grocer. We used an orange bell pepper, but red bell peppers would create a beautiful rainbow effect with this meal, especially with the golden honey mustard dressing and bright orange roasted sweet potato.
