Fiery "Fried" Chicken

Sometimes, the best meals turn out to be those that take 30 minutes or less to prepare.  They occur on nights when you really don't want to cook, but you really don't want to pour yourself a bowl of cereal either.  We had one of those nights recently.  I had absolutely no intention of making anything for dinner.  But, I've come to realize that I need to have daily kitchen time.  I've been baking/cooking with such frequency that I've found that it's now a part of my daily routine!  I'm certainly not complaining about this... and I don't think Ron is either.  


I found this incredible recipe for a spicy baked chicken after doing a recipe search online.  Pineapple juice, chicken, breadcrumbs and chili sauce?  I had all of this leftover from the recent pork nightmare dinner.  Perfect!  What made this experience even more perfect was how easy and fast it was to prepare and cook.  


After reading some of the comments from other taste-testers, I decided to marinate the chicken for about 30 minutes before dredging it in the breadcrumbs.  I also decided to omit the oil in the dredge process and my breadcrumbs stuck just fine.  This chicken was amazingly juicy.  The amount of kick from the chili sauce was just enough to give it incredible flavor.  Ron ate with BBQ but I didn't think the chicken needed anything extra.  I mixed up a quick batch of some Near East mango couscous and served the chicken with a side of peas and corn.  Delish!  I definitely recommend trying this out tonight.  


P.S. Sweet Chili Sauce is now a common ingredient in my kitchen.  The stuff is amazing!

Fiery Fried Chicken
adapted from Real Simple
Yield:  4 servings
Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce (found in the international aisle of most supermarkets)
• 3 tablespoons pineapple juice
• 4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs (I used a mix of Panko + regular)
• Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons canola oil (I left this out)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 450° F. 
2. In a large bowl, combine the chili-garlic sauce and pineapple juice. 
3. Add the chicken and toss to coat. 
1. I let the chicken marinate for about 30 minutes prior to dredging the chicken.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the bread crumbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the oil (if using).
5. Working with 1 piece at a time, coat the chicken in the bread crumb mixture and transfer to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. 
6. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts. 
7. Bake until cooked through, about 13 to 15 minutes.