Crispy Baked Chicken & Citrus Teriyaki

Source: Adapted from Steamy Kitchen (Jaden Hair)

Ingredients:

For the Sauce:
7 TBS Soy Sauce (reduced sodium)
4-5 TBS Fresh Orange Juice
(I used only 4 to keep the Orange taste minimal)
1 TBS Rice Wine Vinegar
6 TBS Sugar
7 TBS Mirin

For the Chicken:
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Cup Flour
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 Whole Egg - Plus 2 Egg Whites
1 3/4 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
(I used a mix of White & Whole Wheat b/c that's what I had)

Directions:

For the Sauce, combine the first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for about 6 minutes, until slightly thickened (mine didn't thicken all that much). Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 475º F. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray (AKA Pam).

Set up an assembly line of 3 shallow dishes (I use pie plates). In the first pie plate: wisk together flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. in the 2nd pie plate: lightly beat the egg and egg whites together. In the last pie plate: place the Panko Breadcrumbs (oh man- i LOVE me some Panko!).

Take your washed/trimmed chicken breast (one at a time) and place them on a cutting board, cover with wax paper and gently pound out until about 1/2 inch in thickness. Lightly season both sides with salt & pepper. Using tongs (working with one piece of chicken at a time), dredge the chicken in the flour mixture making sure to thoroughly coat both sides. Shake lightly to remove any excess. Next, dip the chicken into the egg wash and shake gently to remove the excess. Last, place in the panko and turn (making sure to coat the chicken well).

Transfer to the prepared wire rack. Repeat the entire process with the remaining chicken pieces until all are coated. Once all the chicken breasts are in place on the rack, spray lightly with cooking spray (this helps in achieving that lovely golden brown look).

Bake for 15 minutes at 475º F, until the chicken is cooked through and the bread crumbs are golden. Allow to rest for a few minutes prior to slicing (I left my chicken pieces whole). Serve with the teriyaki dipping sauce and prepare to be wowed!

I served this with my own concocted - super simple Veggie Lo Mein (a nice salty complement to the sweet teriyaki sauce).