How to Cook Chicken in Olive Oil With Bread Crumbs

If you’re like a lot of cooks who favor breaded chicken dishes, your recipe file likely includes recipes that call for the inclusion of butter, which contains a large amount of unhealthy saturated fat and cholesterol, as a coating or baking agent. If you're opting for healthier ingredients, rather than discarding those recipes, you can often simply substitute olive oil for butter, as it is lower in saturated fat, contains healthy fat and has zero cholesterol. You're also likely to discover that you don't even miss using butter when cooking breaded chicken.

Things You'll Need

Boneless chicken breast halves or chicken tenderloins, washed and patted dry
Two bowls
Light or regular olive oil
Salt and pepper
Minced garlic (optional)
Brown sugar (optional)

Bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese
Stuffing mixture (optional)
Skillet or baking dish
Nonfat cooking spray

Instructions

Combine some olive oil with seasonings, like salt, pepper and some minced garlic, in a bowl large enough to hold a piece of chicken. If you prefer a sweet mixture, add a few teaspoons of brown sugar and stir. When you're cooking with olive oil, use regular or light olive oil.
Pour the breadcrumbs in another bowl also large enough to coat a piece of chicken.. You can purchase seasoned breadcrumbs, or season them yourself with Parmesan cheese and your favorite spices. If you’re low on bread crumbs, or simply crave a greater crunch factor, add some dried stuffing mixture to the crumbs. Crush the chunks slightly with a potato masher to make for a more consistent topping.
Decide how you wish to prepare your chicken: on the stovetop or in the oven. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit if you're opting for the oven. Also drizzle a baking dish with some olive oil. If you're going to cook your chicken on the stovetop, drizzle your skillet with olive oil. When you're ready to fry your chicken in the skillet, heat the oil first. Keep in mind that when heating olive oil in a skillet, you shouldn't heat it at a high heat; instead, raise the temperature gradually.
Wash your chicken pieces under cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel. Organize your work space on a counter so that the chicken is easy to prepare. In order, line up your chicken, the olive oil, the seasoned bread crumbs and a dish to hold your breaded chicken pieces. Dip one piece of chicken at a time in the olive oil, covering it on both sides. Then drop the chicken into the breadcrumbs, covering the chicken on both sides. Sprinkle some bread crumbs over any parts of the chicken you missed. Spray the chicken lightly with nonfat cooking spray to keep the bread crumbs in place. Place the chicken into the heated olive oil in the skillet, or in the baking dish, and then the dish into your oven.
Bake the chicken in the oven for about 30 minutes. Cook the chicken in your skillet on a medium heat for about 20 minutes, flipping at least once, until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. Using an internal thermometer, check to ensure that your chicken reaches 165 degrees F.

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