Is it possible to make fried chicken diabetes-friendly? Absolutely! Especially if you have an air fryer. This small appliance “fries” food with hot circulating air, so you can create the crispy, crunchy exterior or frying with a fraction of the fat and calories from traditional deep frying. This recipe creates juicy, flavorful fried chicken by marinating the chicken in buttermilk, then coating it in a cornflake crust. Then the air fryer works its magic and delivers this fried chicken that’s crispy, tender, and loaded with flavor! Top this chicken with a reduced-fat Creamy Gravy and pair with a side of Southern Collard Greens for the ultimate southern comfort meal!
About Time
- Prep Time 10 mins
- Cook Time 20 mins
- Total Time 30 mins
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1/4 tsp hot sauce
- 1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut in half lengthwise to make 4 equal portions)
- 6 tbsp corn flakes
- 3 tbsp stone-ground cornmeal
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp coarse-ground black pepper
- nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- In a small, deep bowl, stir together the buttermilk and hot sauce. Place the chicken in the buttermilk mixture. Allow to stand 15 minutes.
- Place the cornflakes into the work bowl of a food processor. Process until coarse crumbs form. Add the cornmeal, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper and pulse until evenly mixed. Pour the crumbs into a shallow bowl. (if you don’t have a food processor, you can crush the cornflakes in a plastic bag with a rolling pin.)
- Drain the chicken, allowing the excess buttermilk to drip back into bowl. Coat the chicken pieces evenly in the cornflake mixture. Place the coated chicken pieces on a wire rack.
- Place the chicken in the air fryer basket. Spray with nonstick cooking spray for 2 seconds (do not crowd the chicken; cook in batches if all the chicken doesn’t fit). Set the temperature to 375°F and air fry for 7 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces. Air fry for an additional 7–10 minutes or until the chicken is done and a meat thermometer inserted in the center registers 165°F.
