Who doesn’t love some crispy, breaded chicken from time-to-time?  The fried stuff kind of grosses me out now days, but the oven-baked stuff still grabs my attention!  I love this version because it carries nice subtle Mexican flavors.  And, instead of dipping into a high-calorie sauce (BBQ Sauce, Ranch, etc.), you dip it in salsa.  Great idea, right!?

Now, you’ll want to keep in mind that any time you put bread crumbs on your meat you are using up carb counts.  For me, sometimes it is TOTALLY worth sacrificing other carbs for the sake of knowing I can actually eat breaded chicken without gaining weight.  Besides that, it also takes some stress off of trying to decide what else to make.

So, go have yourself some flavorful, fried oven-baked chicken, and enjoy every stinkin’ bite of it!

Crispy Mexican Chicken
Adapted from sparkpeople

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded until uniform in thickness
2 teaspoons taco seasoning
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
salsa, for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by covering with foil and then spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray. (I also placed an oven-proof baking rack on top of my foil so that when my chicken cooked it was able to keep it’s crispness on all sides.  If you don’t do this, I would just coat the top and sides of your chicken strips with panko, because the bottom looses it’s crispness as it cooks right up next to the foil.)

Meanwhile, heat a small, nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Place panko bread crumbs in skillet and constantly stir until lightly golden brown.  Remove from skillet and place in a shallow dish along with the taco seasoning and salt.

Remove any fat from the chicken breasts.  Slice the breasts into strips or sections (mine were about 2-inchs wide).  Pat the chicken dry and then spray each strip with nonstick cooking spray, then dip into the bread crumb mixture to coat the entire surface.  Transfer the chicken to the baking sheet.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the meat reaches 165 degrees.  Serve with salsa.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 4 Ounces)
Calories:  128.8
Protein:  23.8g
Carbs:  6.3g
Fat:  1.1g
Fiber:  0.3g
Sugars:  0g