Crunchy Buttermilk Baked Chicken

It is always fun for me to discover a new chicken recipe.  Especially when the recipe is a success!!!  I've been eyeing Buttermilk Baked Chicken lately.  I finally found an easy/do-able recipe that is super yummy.  I discovered it in a lovely magazine called, Cook's Country.  What a gem of a magazine!  I'm splurging and subscribing to it ASAP. :-)

Crunchy Buttermilk Baked Chicken

(recipe from Cook's Country magazine)

Ingredients:

2 cups buttermilk - I used 2% milk with a Tbsp of lemon juice added to it (I didn't have any buttermilk on hand)

1/4 cup sour cream

1 (1oz.) envelope Ranch Dressing seasoning mix

1 Tbsp salt

2-3 lbs bone in chicken pieces, skin and excess fat removed

4-5 slices of hearty white sandwich bread

Directions:

1. Place oven racks to the lowest and middle positions. Heat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Make the brine by whisking together buttermilk, sour cream and 2 Tbsp Ranch Dressing mix and salt in a large bowl....

3. Add in chicken and toss to coat....

.....refrigerate, covered for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

4. Make the coating for the chicken.  Place broken up bread slices and remaining Ranch Dressing mix in a bowl of a food processor....

....Pulse off and on until bread has been finely ground.

5. Bake bread crumb mixture on a rimmed baking sheet......

.....in the middle rack of the oven, stirring occasionally, until golden brown - about 5 minutes....be careful not to let the bread crumbs burn!

Place bread crumbs in a shallow bowl.

6. Line a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.  Remove chicken in brine from refrigerator and dredge chicken pieces in bread crumbs...

...then place on prepared baking sheet...

....Spray chicken lightly with cooking spray - this holds the crumbs together and allows a yummy crunch-ness to the chicken.

7. Bake on lowest rack in oven until bottom of chicken is golden brown - about 10 minutes.  Then move chicken to middle baking rack and reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F.   Bake until chicken is golden brown all over and "white meat" registers 160 degrees on a meat thermometer ("dark meat" at 175 degrees) - this takes about 20-25 minutes.

Serve with happiness!  I served mine with mashed mashed potatoes, gravy (sinful!) and green beans.

Happy Crunchy Buttermilk Baked Chicken Baking!