Buffalo wings are one of those foods that I always knew were terrible for me (unlike say, chocolate anything, which I'll gladly eat without much initial guilt). There's the butter in the sauce, the oil in the deep-fried batter, the skin on the chicken, and the mayonnaise in the dip. All that fat makes for a heavy, greasy experience. The good news? The whole process can be successfully lightened up: oven baked tenders (read: no skin and much less oil) in a light panko breading with a blue-cheese yogurt dip. Still spicy and crunchy, any fan of the originals will thank you (I know my boyfriend did).

 

Hurry – ENTER MY CURRENT BRACELET GIVEAWAY HERE - it ends tonight!

 

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Ingredients and Preparation:

 

For the Hot Sauce:

8 tablespoons Hot Cayenne Pepper Sauce (such as Frank's)

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

salt to taste

 

1. Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan, and over low heat bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and then turn off.

 

For the Blue Cheese Sauce:

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

 

1. Stir together the yogurt, blue cheese, parsley and pepper in a bowl.

2. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

 

For the chicken:

3 lb. skinless, boneless chicken tenderloins

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups low fat buttermilk

6 tablespoons Hot Cayenne Pepper Sauce (such as Frank's)

3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

6 cups panko crumbs

2 cups of flour

8 teaspoons paprika

Cooking spray 

 

1. In a bowl, combine buttermilk, hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Whisk together.

2. Add the chicken and marinate for at least 3 hours or over night.

3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray an oven-safe wire rack with cooking spray.

4. Combine panko, flour, and paprika in a large bowl.

5. Dredge chicken in the flour and bread crumb mixture. Place chicken tenders on a wire rack. Spray each tender completely with more cooking spray.

6. Bake for about 10 minutes. Turn over and spray other side with cooking spray and bake for another 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked completely and crispy.

7. Using a pastry brush, brush buffalo sauce on top of each tender and serve.