Fried foods have long been a staple in the North American diet, with fried chicken being a particularly popular comfort food. While undeniably delicious, fried foods are high in calories, unhealthy fats, and salt and eating them regularly can have adverse effects on your health, contribute to issues like obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes.
If you want to enjoy the delicious taste of fried chicken with fewer potential negative side effects, consider the following tips for a healthier alternative:
- Use a healthier oil: Choose healthier cooking oils like olive, avocado, grape seed or canola oil, which contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that are better for your heart.
- Oven-bake or air-fry: Instead of deep-frying, try oven-baking or using an air-fryer to cook your chicken. They require less oil and result in a lower fat and calorie content.
- Use whole grain breadcrumbs: Swap out traditional white flour breadcrumbs for whole grain options, which offer more fibre and nutrients. You can also try crushed nuts like almonds or pecans for an added boost of healthy fats and protein.
- Ditch the skin: Remove the skin from the chicken before cooking — it’ll significantly reduce the fat content.
- Marinate in buttermilk: Doing this before cooking can help tenderize the meat and add flavour without adding excessive salt.
- Season wisely: Use herbs and spices to add flavour to reduce reliance on salt. Experiment with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper and other seasonings to find your perfect blend.
Have you experimented with making your guilty pleasures healthier? Tell us about your successes — and failures by sharing your experiences with the Shop Talk community!
Did you know? Add a healthy side
One more tip: Pair your healthier fried chicken with nutritious side dishes, like steamed vegetables, whole grains or a fresh salad — it’s a healthy smart way to create a well-rounded and satisfying meal.
I dont mind trying new products
I like trying new products
good apps
sounds delicious
interesting tibits on cooking chicken or other meats… I didn’t know about Buttermilk!
I like the buttermilk and seasoning ,
I must try it the next time I`m doing
fried chicken.
I like to use olive oil but next time I`ll try my fryer
Thank you for help
We should always ditch the skin
that`s the worst thing to eat on a chicken
I don`t like nuts on my chicken but I like
to coat the chicken with coconut flower as
a coating for the chicken instead of bread crumbs.
I have a all purpose seasoning that I make
up for all my chicken witch is very tasty I
add it to the coconut flour when I`m breading it,
fried chicken yes it can cause health issues from the oil when I make chicken I remove the skin I make my own shake and bake with spices bread crumbs an egg then of course shake the chicken with the spices then I would put it in the oven oh yeh I would also add kind off lots off hot spice witch makes the chicken alot healthier
yes of course you want to use a healthier oil with is olive oil and yes hot spice is healthier to use as a spice