If the crisp autumn weather has put you in the mood for a fried chicken takeaway, this Slimming World chicken has got your cravings covered. With crispy chicken thighs smothered in our not-so-secret blend of herbs and spices, our fakeaway will bring a bit of southern comfort to your dinner table, without sending your weight loss plans off the rails.
The impressive thing about this southern-style chicken recipe is that, because the chicken is baked instead of deep fried, it fits perfectly into Slimming World’s healthy eating plan and still delivers chicken thighs that are crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. Even better, this recipe includes BBQ beans, fries and slaw, so you can enjoy all the best bits of your favourite fried chicken takeaway, without having to queue up for the drive-through.
If you’d like to find slimming-friendly versions of all your southern-fried favourites, we’ve got a bucketload of American-inspired dishes on the Slimming World member website, including our take on the big daddy burger and our kickin’ chicken tower burger.
But first, it’s time to tuck into a Slimming World southern-style chicken that’s just as tasty as the high street version.
Slimming World southern-style chicken
serves 4
3½ Syns per serving
ready in 1 hour
What you need:
4 large baking potatoes, cut into fries
2 sweetcorn cobs, halved
2 x cans barbecue-flavour baked beans
For the slaw:
1 large carrot, coarsely grated
¼ red cabbage, cored and finely shredded
¼ white cabbage, cored and finely shredded
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp fat-free natural fromage frais
For the chicken:
8 tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp ground ginger
2 large egg whites
6 skinless and boneless chicken thighs
6 chicken drumsticks, skins removed
4 small slices wholemeal bread (from a 400g loaf), whizzed into breadcrumbs in a food processor
low-calorie cooking spray
What you do:
1. Preheat your oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 7.
2. For the chicken, mix together the tomato purée, paprika, garlic salt and ginger in a large bowl and season lightly. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the tomato mixture.
3. Dip the chicken pieces into the egg mixture, then roll in the breadcrumbs to coat evenly. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and spray with low-calorie cooking spray. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through.
4. Meanwhile, mix all the slaw ingredients in a bowl. Season lightly to taste and chill.
5. Cook the fries in a pan of boiling water over a high heat for 2-3 minutes, then drain well. Spread the fries out on a non-stick baking tray in a single layer and spray with low-calorie cooking spray. Season lightly and cook in the oven with the chicken for the last 15-20 minutes of the cooking time, or until golden.
6. Place a non-stick griddle pan over a high heat. When hot, spray the sweetcorn with low-calorie cooking spray and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning often. Heat the beans. Serve 3 pieces of chicken per person with the fries, slaw, sweetcorn and beans.
Do you fancy a fried chicken fakeaway tonight? We’d love to know what you think of our Southern-style chicken recipe. Send your food snaps in to the blog or you can share them on social using #theSlimmingWorldblog.