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    Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Chicken

    Healthy KFC

    Published: Jan 3, 2021 by Dannii · This post may contain affiliate links · 32 Comments

    1350 shares
    • 502
    Jump to Recipe
    Diet: Low Carb / Low Fat

    You can get all the crispiness and flavour of KFC chicken by making it at home - plus it's healthier and cheaper too. Seasoned and breaded chicken breasts that are baked to crispy perfection for the Healthy KFC alternative. Put it in to a burger bun for a homemade Zinger Tower Burger.

    Healthy KFC on plates next to fries, coleslaw and corn on the cob

    If you are looking for some other breaded recipes to try, they why not try our Salmon Fishcakes, Homemade Fish Fingers, Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets or Parmesan Chicken Bites.

    Jump to:
    • Why you will love it
    • Step by step
    • Is it healthy?
    • KFC Seasoning
    • Zinger burger recipe
    • What chicken to use
    • What to serve it with
    • FAQs
    • More takeout recipes
    • Recipe
    • Feedback

    Why you will love it

    • Cheaper and healthier than actual KFC
    • Lower in calories and fat
    • You can adjust the seasoning to your own tastes
    • Kids will love it

    Step by step

    One: Prepare the spice blend

    A white plate with six small piles of spices

    Two: Put the bread in to a food processor and blend to make breadcrumbs.

    A white plate with a pile of breadcrumbs

    Three: In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the spice blend. Season with salt and pepper.

    Two bowls, one with mixed and one with unmixed breadcrumbs and spices

    Four: Cut the chicken breast into strips.

    A blue plate with raw chicken breast cut into four long strips

    Five: Whisk the egg and put the flour onto a plate.

    A plate with raw chicken breast strips, a plate with white flour, a bowl with seasoned breadcrumbs and a bowl with whisked egg

    Six: Coat the chicken in flour, then dip in the egg. Transfer to the bowl with the seasoned breadcrumbs and coat completely.

    A plate with flour coated chicken, a bowl with flour coated chicken dipped in egg, a bowl with chicken coated in breadcrumbs

    Seven: Put the coated chicken on a baking tray and put in a pre-heated oven at 220°C/400°F for 40 minutes. It may need longer, depending on the size of your chicken pieces.

    Long chicken strips, coated in seasoned breadcrumbs, arranged in a row on a baking sheet

    Is it healthy?

    It's not called Healthy KFC for nothing! But seriously, its healthier.

    One thing a lot of us would like to cut back on in a bid to be healthier, and have more disposable income, is fast food and convenience food. Sure, it's easy to just rock up to a drive-thru and put in your order, but who has the money to do that all the time?

    Not only is making it yourself healthier, as you can control exactly what goes in to it and portion control, but you have the satisfaction of having made the delicious alternative yourself. With minimal effort too!

    If you want to get that exact KFC flavour, then you are doing to need to deep fry the chicken to get it super crispy. But baking it gets it crispy enough, without a load of extra calories from the oil.

    We have coated ours in breadcrumbs and baked it, rather than dipping it in flour and frying it, so there is going to be a taste difference there. But this is a healthier version after all. Also, KFC using MSG in their recipe and we gave that a miss too.

    Three pieces of Healthy KFC on a white plate

    KFC Seasoning

    The exact spice seasoning mixture in KFC is a closely guarded secret. However, after a lot of taste testing, we have come up with something that comes very close. You can adjust the spices to suit your own tastes.

    Zinger burger recipe

    One of the best things to order at KFC is the Zinger Tower Burger. You can recreate that at home too by taking a piece of this breaded chicken and putting it in a bun with some cheese, lettuce, some Restaurant Style Salsa and one of our Homemade Healthy Hash Browns.

    What chicken to use

    To make a healthy KFC, we used chicken breasts, not only to keep it lean but because we were serving it in a burger and didn't want the bone in it. However, if you just want to use your hands and bite straight in to some chicken, then you could use wings, drumsticks or thighs.

    Healthy KFC on a red and white plate. French fries are in the background

    What to serve it with

    Here are some suggestions of things to serve with this Healthy KFC:

    • Air Fryer Fries
    • Baked Sweet Potato Fries
    • Grilled Corn
    • Mexican Coleslaw
    • No Mayo Coleslaw
    • Baked Tortilla Chips

    FAQs

    What's in KFC coating?

    The exact KFC recipe is a closely guarded secret. However, with a few taste tests and some experiments ourselves we came up with a pretty great homemade version. It is a mixture of paprika, thyme, oregano, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper and mustard.
    If you prefer one flavour and don't like another as much, feel free to change the quantities. Use this recipe is a base. We might add some chilli flakes next time.

    Can you make homemade KFC gluten free?

    This homemade KFC is really easy to make gluten free, as most of the ingredients are gluten free already. Just use some gluten free breadcrumbs and flour for the coating and you are good to go.

    Can you cook healthy KFC in the air fryer?

    You can get this chicken even crispier than the oven by using an air fryer. Simply follow the recipe as below and then put it in your air fryer for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through

    How do you store healthy KFC?

    If you have leftovers, then they can be stored in an air tight container and kept in the fridge for 2 days. You can then slice them up and add to salads and sandwiches.

    More takeout recipes

    • Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry
    • Lamb Stir-Fry
    • Chicken Pesto Burgers
    • Garlic Mushroom Pizza

    If you’ve tried this healthy KFC recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
    Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

    Recipe

    A piece of Healthy KFC on a plate with fries and slaw

    Healthier KFC

    It is never going to taste exactly the same, as it is a lightened up version, and it is not deep fried, but this Healthier KFC is still very tasty.
    The words low carb in a white circle.
    Low Carb
    the words low fat in a white circle.
    Low Fat
    4.76 from 33 votes
    Author: Dannii
    Pin Print Save recipe Recipe saved!
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Allergens:
    An illustration of a cracked egg.
    Eggs
    An illustration of two ears of wheat.
    Gluten
    An illustration of a cow's head.
    Meat
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 138kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    UK Metric Measures - US Customary Measures
    • 300 g Chicken breast
    • 1 Egg - beaten
    • 1 slice whole wheat bread
    • 2 tablespoon plain flour
    • 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 0.5 teaspoon Smoked paprika
    • 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 0.5 teaspoon Dried oregano
    • 0.5 teaspoon Ground ginger
    • 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper

    Instructions

    • Prepare the spice blend.
    • Put the bread in a food processor and process until it becomes breadcrumbs.
    • Put into a bowl with all the herbs and spices and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
    • Cut the chicken breast into strips.
    • Whisk the egg and put the flour onto a plate.
    • Coat the chicken in flour, then dip in the egg. Transfer to the bowl with the seasoned breadcrumbs and coat completely.
    • Put the coated chicken on a baking tray and put in a pre-heated oven at 220°C/400°F for 40 minutes. It may need longer, depending on the size of your chicken pieces.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1piece | Calories: 138kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 141mg | Potassium: 319mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1.1mg
    DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

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    • Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. John Curtain

      May 15, 2021 at 5:34 pm

      5 stars
      this must be my third time making these, I can't get anough of these! i have personallised them to me by reducing the cayenne chilli pepper and adding mixed herbs (i add mixed herbs on everything)

      Reply
      • Susi

        July 28, 2021 at 9:04 pm

        1 star
        This recipe looked delicious. Unfortunately the chicken was dry but I think I sliced the chicken too finely. Also the sweet potato fries were soggy and not crisp. I followed the recipe for these exactly. I'm sorry but I won't be trying this recipe again. It was also quite time consuming!

        Reply
        • Dannii

          August 02, 2021 at 7:11 pm

          Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy it. Yes, if the chicken it sliced too thin, then it will change the cooking time and it would end up dry if you still used the cooking time in this recipe. As for the sweet potato fries, they definitely shouldn't be soggy. It will depend on your oven and it being at the exact temperature. Did the fries also have lots of space on the baking tray? If they are too close together they will not get crispy.

          Reply
    2. Cheran

      March 22, 2021 at 8:17 pm

      Hiii, this looks so amazing. Definitely going to try. I was wondering two things. Firstly, could they be coated then frozen as I usually meal prep for the week? Secondly, does the 300g of chicken make up 4 servings?
      Thank you so much. Really enjoy your recipes.

      Reply
      • Dannii

        March 25, 2021 at 7:37 pm

        Yes, 300g is for 4 portions and yes you can coat them and then flash freeze them. Hope you enjoy them!

        Reply
    3. Carl

      January 04, 2021 at 9:05 pm

      Edit Required. re: Gluten Free ... You should probably use Gluten Free flour prior to dipping in the egg ...

      Reply
      • Dannii

        January 05, 2021 at 7:04 am

        Thanks for letting us know we missed that out.

        Reply
    4. peter drake

      January 04, 2021 at 9:04 pm

      Coulyou use drumsticks for this recipe

      Reply
      • Dannii

        January 05, 2021 at 7:05 am

        Yes, you could. It would change the nutritional value and cooking time though.

        Reply
    5. Noelle Simpson

      January 04, 2021 at 8:20 pm

      5 stars
      Great idea! Super easy way to make a delicious meal healthier. Thanks for sharing this great idea

      Reply
    6. Priya Lakshminarayan

      January 04, 2021 at 7:32 pm

      5 stars
      Love the sound of it! Looks so good..perfect for entertaining!

      Reply
    7. Cat

      January 04, 2021 at 7:05 pm

      This looks even better than KFC! Love that it's a healthier version too, saving to make soon!

      Reply
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    My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.
    Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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