Baked Buffalo Chicken Breasts

Step 1

Place the oven rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 450°F. Lightly brush a large baking sheet with vegetable or canola oil and set aside.

Step 2

Use a long, thin boning knife to slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to create two thin fillets. Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap on a cutting board, and gently pound to about 3/8-inch with a meat tenderizer. Place the chicken breasts in a 9 X 13 baking dish. Pour the hot sauce over the chicken and toss to coat. Marinate the chicken in the hot sauce for 30 minutes.

Step 3

Pour the cooled melted butter into a shallow bowl and scatter the panko bread crumbs onto a small plate. Remove a chicken breast from the hot sauce and dip both sides allowing the excess to drip off, then into the bread crumbs. Pat the bread crumbs into each side of the chicken breast until its evenly coated, then place on the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.

Step 4

Bake the chicken breasts for 10-12 minutes or until the bread crumbs are lightly browned and toasted and the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven and garnish with crumbled blue cheese. Serve with Ranch or blue cheese dressing and more hot sauce on the side, plus carrot and celery sticks.