When looking for healthy meal ideas, it is very easy to get discouraged by the endless unhealthy food options and shockingly large portions. With this guide for Healthy Meal Ideas: 6 Baked Chicken Recipes, you can make a comforting chicken dinner for your family that is also healthy and nutritious. Any of the following healthy meal ideas is only the beginning; serve a delicious baked chicken recipe with a hearty helping of green beans or your preferred vegetable for a hearty, filling, and balanced meal.
 

Fried chicken is a Southern favorite, but it is not the healthiest option out there and sometimes it seems like much more effort than it is worth. If you and your family love the taste and comfort of fried chicken, try one of the following baked chicken recipes that are both healthier and easier than the classic Southern dish.

For more easy Southern recipes for chicken, check out 8 Fried Chicken Recipes.

Healthy Meal Ideas: 6 Baked Chicken Recipes

Coca-Cola Drumsticks – Nothing beats a juicy and tender chicken leg, and this Southern recipe for Coca-Cola Drumsticks delivers true Southern succulence. Chicken legs marinated in a tasty mixture of Coca-Cola and spices before getting baked in the oven until crispy and moist.
 

Buttermilk Oven-Baked Chicken – The secret to this perfectly moist and flavorful oven-baked chicken is marinating the chicken pieces in a combination of buttermilk and hot sauce. The marinated chicken in marinated in panko breadcrumbs for the crispiest coating imaginable.
 

Oven-Baked Barbecue Chicken – If you crave the smoke and flavor of barbecued chicken all year round, try this recipe for Oven-Baked Barbecue Chicken that will allow you to enjoy great grilled flavor no matter what the season. With this simple Southern cooking recipe, you can achieve saucy and juicy chicken in the comfort of your house

Check out 7 Easy Chicken Pot Pie Recipes for more Southern cooking recipes.

Fritos Fried Chicken – Despite its name, this recipe for Fritos Fried Chicken is baked, not fried. The secret to making this chicken as crispy as regular fried chicken is to bake it on a wire rack so that the oven's heat surrounds the chicken and makes the coating as crunchy as can be.
 

Buttermilk Baked Chicken – Besides the obvious health benefits, baked chicken is a great alternative to fried chicken because you don't have to babysit a pot of hot oil. This Buttermilk Baked Chicken is just and crunchy, juicy, and tender as regular fried chicken but without the oily mess.
 

Crispy Baked Fried Chicken – When making oven-fried chicken, the most important thing to consider is the coating. This recipe for Crispy Baked Fried Chicken uses crushed cornflakes to give the chicken great texture and crunch. Even though this Southern cooking recipe is health-conscious, you definitely won't miss the deep-fried flavor.