Super Easy Panko Fried Chicken

If you've always wanted to make 'easy' fried chicken but nobody managed to explain the ins and outs to you, fret not! I'm about to tell you one of the quickie recipes used in our house when we've got no time to cook. First of all, this is very light on the skin meaning no egg, no flour, etc. Here's what you need:

4 Chicken Thighs
4 C. Chicken Broth
2 C. Honey Panko Japanese bread crumbs. (If you can't find them at your local grocery, try http://asianfoodgrocer.com)
2 tsp. Salt
2 liberal pinches of black pepper
1 T. garlic powder
1 T. garlic salt

Wash the chicken thighs well in cold water and use a tooth pick or fork to prick the meat in several places and place it in a large, bleachable container with the garlic salt. Cover and refridgerate for at lest 5 hours, overnight is best. You can skip this step if you're in a rush.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and line a baking pan with tin foil. Spray the tin foil with a small amount of butter flavored cooking spray.

In a large bowl mix the salt, garlic powder and black pepper into the panko. Carefully take the chicken out of the broth and don't pat dry, instead dip the damp thighs into the panko mixture, coat on both sides and lay out bone-side up in the baking pan and cover pan with a second piece of foil. Place in the oven and let it bake for 20-25 minutes then take the chicken out. Reduce heat to 400. Turn the chicken over and place it back into the oven uncovered for another 20-25 minutes or until the juices run clear. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve with mashed potatos and gravy or a garden salad, great for every season!

A nice variation is to brush the chicken with bottled BBQ sauce before the final 10 minutes of baking are up or, if you're feeling adventureous, make your own ( I like to make mine out of a combo of tomato paste, sweet and sour, brown sugar, mapel syrup and and pineapple juice, myself. ). Just put it back in the oven, bake and enjoy!