This easy Oven-Fried Chicken turns out perfectly crispy and juicy every time! The special seasoning blend tastes just like KFC, but it’s made with wholesome ingredients in your own kitchen. No deep fryer needed!
Can’t get enough crispy chicken recipes? Try this Crispy Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce, Parmesan Crusted Chicken, or Air Fryer Fried Chicken!
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this crispy Oven-Fried Chicken:
- What people are saying:
- Oven-Fried Chicken ingredients:
- How to make fried chicken in the oven:
- Quick things to remember:
- How to store leftover chicken:
- Why is my baked fried chicken not crispy?
- Make-ahead option:
- Serving Suggestions:
- More baked chicken recipes:
- The Best Oven-Fried Chicken Recipe
If you’re craving traditional fried chicken but don’t feel like going out, this Oven-Fried Chicken will hit the spot!
Instead of deep frying, this recipe coats chicken strips in eggs and a panko bread crumb mixture for a crispy coating. They’re baked on a sheet pan with butter to get that signature crunch.
It has all that big flavor of KFC fried chicken, but with less fat.
This is a dinner recipe that our whole family loves, especially the kids! Serve it up with Spicy Mayo, Sweet and Sour Sauce, or Homemade BBQ Sauce and watch it disappear fast.
Why you’ll love this crispy Oven-Fried Chicken:
- Better than takeout: because we’re making it at home, we know what’s going into it.
- Wonderfully crispy: You get all the crunch of fried chicken but baked in the oven! No deep frying required.
- Quick and easy: All you need are a handful of simple ingredients and basic prep, and it’s ready in no time for an easy weeknight dinner.
What people are saying:
“WoW – Absoltely FanTAStic!!! A random search on Google led me to your site and after seeing the huge numbers of high ratings, decided to give it a shot. SO GLAD I did – crispy yet juicy and spot on flavor. With a real feel of -22 in ND, this was Exactly what I needed. Highlight of my weekend 😁” Gabriella
Oven-Fried Chicken ingredients:
- Chicken breast: One batch of this recipe makes about 3-4 chicken breasts, or around one and a half pounds, cut into strips. One chicken breast equals about three strips, the way I cut them. You could also use tenders, thighs, or legs!
- Eggs: Coat your chicken with beaten eggs to help the coating stick more.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted butter is fine.
- Flour: All-purpose flour helps coat the chicken to produce a crispy exterior! You can swap with gluten-free flour if needed.
- Panko: Panko breadcrumbs give the chicken a crunchy, crispy coating. For a gluten-free option, you can use pork rind panko!
- Seasoned salt: This versatile seasoning goes with everything! I use Lawry’s brand, but feel free to use your favorite brand.
- Paprika: It isn’t spicy, but it adds depth of flavor, a slight sweetness, and lots of color. You could add a dash of cayenne pepper to make it spicier if you like!
How to make fried chicken in the oven:
This recipe is the best way to enjoy fried chicken at home! For the full list of recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card below.
- Whisk the eggs in a shallow dish. Mix the coating by combining bread crumbs, flour, and seasonings in another shallow dish.
- Coat the chicken by dipping each piece in the egg, then pressing it into the breadcrumb mixture. Bake the chicken until it’s golden brown and crispy.
Quick things to remember:
- Cooking time: Depending on the size and thickness of your chicken pieces, you may need to adjust the cooking time, so always check your chicken for doneness before diving in.
- Add oil: If the pan is dry when you flip the chicken, add a drizzle of oil, to the to ensure the bottom pieces of chicken get crispy.
How to store leftover chicken:
To refrigerate leftover chicken, allow it to cool on a wire rack or paper-towel-lined plate. Then transfer the cooled pieces into shallow, airtight containers. Store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
To freeze, place the chicken in a single layer on a tray in the freezer until frozen solid. Then, transfer the frozen pieces to freezer bags and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat Oven-Fried chicken, place chicken pieces on a wire rack on a baking sheet and place in the oven at 250 degrees just until heated through.
Why is my baked fried chicken not crispy?
While baking chicken isn’t always known for crispy results, this recipe really does deliver a crispy “fried” main course right out of the oven! Still, I wanted to add some tips that might help if you find that your chicken is not as crispy as you’d like.
- Use Dark, Non-Stick Pans. Dark pans heat to a higher temperature than light-colored pans, which will help with getting a crispy coating. Make sure the pan and butter are hot when you add the chicken.
- Use Butter, Not Cooking Spray. I know you might be tempted to bake the chicken with cooking spray instead of butter, but unfortunately, this just doesn’t work as well. The fat in real butter makes a lot of difference in crisping up the chicken! If you want, you can spray the other side of the chicken when you flip for extra insurance.
- Check when you flip: When you flip the chicken, you may find that the pan is a little dry. You can add more butter or oil to the pan to help crisp up the bottom of the chicken as it cooks.
- Serve with Care: As the chicken sits on a plate, the underside may get a little soggy from condensation. Therefore, I recommend serving immediately. If you’re not serving right away, place the chicken on a rack or a plate lined with a paper towel, or just keep it warm in a 225°F oven.
Make-ahead option:
You can make the breading mixture and bread the chicken pieces, and then “flash freeze” them on a tray in the freezer until frozen solid.
From there, transfer the breaded frozen chicken to freezer bags, and keep for up to 3 months frozen. There’s no need to thaw them before baking, but you will need to add more cooking time (around 2 to 5 additional minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the chicken).
Serving Suggestions:
When it comes to serving Oven-Fried Chicken, I like to go with classic, comforting sides, like baked beans and slow cooker mashed potatoes! If you want to add some veggies, you can’t go wrong with some glazed carrots.
Every once in a while, I like to go for something more indulgent and make my cream cheese mashed potatoes!
More baked chicken recipes:
- Baked Chicken Wings — perfect for a party!
- Baked Chicken Breast — SO juicy.
- Baked Chicken Thighs — perfectly crisp skin.
- Baked Chicken Drumsticks — the kids love these!
The Best Oven-Fried Chicken
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon seasoning salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (about 3 or 4 breasts)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter plus more if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a shallow dish, whisk the eggs.
- In a second shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, flour, seasoning salt, paprika, and pepper.
- Coat each piece of chicken in the egg, then in the bread crumb mixture, pressing on firmly to adhere. Place the chicken on a plate and repeat until all the chicken is coated.
- To a rimmed baking sheet, add the butter and put the pan in the oven to melt the butter. (You want the pan to get hot, but be careful not to burn the butter.)
- Place each piece of chicken on the hot pan, leaving a good amount of space in between. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping gently halfway through, or until cooked through and a meat thermometer inserted into the chicken reaches at least 165°F and the coating is browned. If necessary, add another dab of butter when flipping.
- Remove from pan and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Want to save this recipe?
Create an account easily save your favorite content, so you never forget a recipe again.
Tried this recipe?
Tag @thereciperebel or hashtag #thereciperebel — I love to see what you’re making!
Tag @thereciperebel
Deb Brown says
Here’s what I did differently: I pounded the chicken down to make it a size that would fit on a burger bun. For my sandwich, I put remoulade sauce and coleslaw. My husband had his with cheese, mayo, and lettuce. The chicken was juicy and flavorful.
Ashley Fehr says
That’s such a great idea!
Janet says
DELICIOUS!! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad!
Amy Torres says
Absolutely the best oven fried recipe, and I’ve tried quite a few!
Crunchy on the outside and juicy inside. I went a little lighter on the pepper because of a picky eater in the house (about 1/2 of recommendation).
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad you liked it Amy!
Kathy says
I tried this recipe a twice – it was delicious and very moist. But, the coating didn’t adhere well, so this time I am adding the egg wash. Could you please tell me , since I soak the chicken in buttermilk first, should I be drying the chicken before coating the chicken in the egg wash, flour and panko? I think that’s where I went wrong- I wasn’t drying the chicken first.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Kathy! I think if you want to soak in buttermilk beforehand then I think it is a good idea to dry it. I don’t think the buttermilk is necessary though!
Nicole Chartier says
Bonjour j’adore vos recette je vous dit un gros merci et bonne journée,juste que j’ai un four ordinaire
Ashley Fehr says
Merci Nicole!
Donna says
I thought, why not try it. Who doesn’t love Fried Chicken. I followed to the tee when It tasted nothing like KFC. I am disappointed. Seems like everyone putting out a fried chicken recipe thinks it’s the best or tastes like KFC. Nope.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it!
Ken Vaughn says
Hey we love this recipe! I downloaded and first made it in 2020 and many times since. It captures the spirit and yumminess of KFC that I like. Remember, the Colonel’s exact herbs and spices are a secret! The prep and baking methods work well for me too.
Ken
PS- Thank you Ashley
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Ken!
Gabriella Nicole Theodore says
5 star ratiing!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you!
Gabriella Nicole Theodore says
WoW – Absoltely FanTAStic!!! A random search on Google led me to your site and after seeing the huge numbers of high ratings, decided to give it a shot. SO GLAD I did – crispy yet juicy and spot on flavor. With a real feel of -22 in ND, this was Exactly what I needed. Highlight of my weekend 😁
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Malcolm says
Great recipe. I modified to accommodate thighs and legs. Cooking about 6 pieces.
Modified adding coating using a teaspoon of McCormick’s salt free Garlic and Herb seasoning. (I also only used a 1/2 teaspoon of salt).
I used 1 teaspoon of Hungarian sweet Paprika and 1 teaspoon of hot paprika.
I also did double coating with an egg wash (2 eggs 2 tablespoon milk).
I added 20 minute (for a total of 40 minutes), flipping the pieces at the first 20 minutes.
Chicken turns out tasty and moist.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing!
Frieda says
Thanks for recipe
Toni says
Great recipe. I tried it today. The only issue was it tasty very salty. Next time I think I will add less salt and more pepper.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Toni! It’s possible that some seasoning salts are higher in salt than others.
Carol says
Just tried this recipe and really liked it, I like the idea of a little more panko though which would definitely help with the crispness. It was crispy but I had to be careful so I wouldn’t pull off the breading when I turned it. Overall I will definitely make it again. So easy and yummy!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Carol!
Heather Smith says
Can you use this recipe with boneless pork chops?
Ashley Fehr says
I haven’t tried, but I like that idea!
Tania Youngson says
I’ve made this chicken twice. The first time was slightly crispier. The second time, I thought maybe the recipe had been changes or updated. It was no crispy at all. I still had bitter on the pan when I flipped them over and when they were completely cooked through. So I definitely had enough fat. I cooked for 20 minutes at 425 and used a thermometer. Did everything the recipe stated. If I had to guess what the problem is, it would be the ratio of flour (3/4 c) to panko crumbs (1/2c). Way too much flour. If I try a third time, I will use more panko and very little flour.
Thank you for your recipe and website. I have LOVED every other recipe I’ve tried and use one weekly.
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Tania! The recipe hasn’t changed, but I am going to run some more tests to see if there’s anything that can be changed.
Lynne says
I gave this three stars bc mine did not come out crispy at all. A far cry from the taste of KFC.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m sorry it wasn’t a hit! This one gets rave reviews over here.
Barb says
Well…these taste great. Marinated tenders in buttermilk, big batch in oven as directed but not crispy. Kept them warm in 225 oven which helped some. But…also left 3 of them a while in the dry mixture, yielded a thicker breading; fried in olive oil with crispier results.
Patty says
I am not the best of cooks but I tried this recipe and my family loved it. Still in our rotation for dinner. Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Patty! I’m so glad!
Sharon E Reihart says
In the oven now and I can’t wait! I just wanted to let you know that at the bottom of your recipe it says to put it in the oven at 225 instead of 425. I was wondering why it didn’t look like it was not cooking, until I realized that the temp was so low. I smoke meat and that’s the lowest temp that you are supposed to use, so I should have questioned it earlier.
Gina says
The 225 degree oven was for keeping the already cooked chicken warm…I was thinking a person would have to have two ovens to make that work.
SHAHAB AHMED says
I love to make chicken and I was looking for a oven fried chicken to find a good alternative to fast-food, salt overloaded fried chicken. This recipe sounds awesome. I am gonna try this hopefully next weekend. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
I hope you enjoy it!
Kristi L says
Tried this recipe tonight and although it has a really good flavor (I also added a bit of pickle juice to the milk marinade and let it soak for a couple hours) mine did not turn out crispy. Maybe the double breading trick and then possibly frying would help with crispiness. But then it’s not “oven fried” chicken.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Kristi! I’m sorry to hear that. There are a couple reasons that could happen. If there was not enough fat on the pan, or if there was too much moisture on the chicken before dredging in the dry coatings, it may not have turned out crispy. It will also not stay crispy as it sits, so if it was not served immediately it will not stay crispy.
Anonymous says