Who doesn’t love fried chicken? I could eat it at least once a week. But I avoid deep frying anything, so oven baked is the better option for me. I prefer the dark meat so that is what I use in this recipe. You can use any combination of white or dark meat you like. I get two meals out of this and the left overs are even better.

I have a previous post on Italian Baked Fried Chicken. This version is different from the first post, in that the egg mixture is flavored with olive oil, balsamic and other seasonings. It adds a wonderful flavor to the chicken by marinating it.The addition of Panko breadcrumbs to the regular breadcrumbs adds the extra crunch. I also bake the chicken on a rack so the chicken does not sit and cook in it’s own fat. The chicken comes out crisp and delicious.

• 4 Chicken thighs and 4 chicken legs
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 3/4 cup each of 4-C Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and 4C Seasoned Panko Breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated

In a large bowl add the beaten egg, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Mix everything well. Add the chicken pieces and mix to coat well. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, up to overnight.

Pre-heat the oven to 395 degrees. Prepare a sheet pan, that will fit the amount of chicken you have ,by covering it with heavy duty aluminum foil. It will save the clean up later. Place a rack on top of the sheet pan and spray or brush the rack with oil.

Place the seasoned breadcrumbs and the Romano cheese on a flat plate and mix well. Before coating the chicken, mix well in the egg mixture. Coat each piece of chicken well by dipping into the breadcrumbs on all sides. Press the breadcrumbs into the chicken to coat evenly. Place the chicken on top of the rack and bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown.