This is the BEST Oven Fried Chicken recipe! It comes crispy right out of the oven, is much lower in fat and made with lean chicken breast. It takes just like KFC but it’s baked instead of fried! Includes step by step recipe video.
I seriously love chicken.
I love chicken every way: in pasta, on the grill, in rice, in tacos, in cupcakes (say what?!)…. you name it, we love it.
Since I really got into using my Instant Pot at the beginning of the year, I especially love making chicken breasts in there (check out my tutorial on how to cook chicken breasts from frozen!).
But one thing it cannot do is crispy, oven fried chicken.
And that’s why we’re here 🙂
Maybe this surprises you, but I can’t remember the last time I ate deep fried chicken.
Maybe for some of you that seems really sad.
It’s honestly not something I really long for, but what I do love about KFC is that incredible spice blend. This oven fried chicken is the closest I’ve ever come to KFC at home. It’s a recipe our family loves (and lots of you love!), and one that we make over and over again!
The last time I made it, it got rave reviews from our newest taste tester — our 10 month old girl! I know it’s a good one when she bounces up and down in her high chair, saying, “Mmm, mmm, mmm!” and becoming upset when it’s not on her tray fast enough.
How to Make Oven Fried Chicken:
This recipe is for oven fried chicken breast, and although you can use the same coating recipe for chicken thighs, chicken tenders, chicken wings or legs (do — it’s delicious!), the cook time will vary according to the cut you use.
The cooking time will also depend on the size and thickness of your chicken, so be sure to always check to make sure your chicken is done before diving in. The safest way to do this is with a meat thermometer. You want to ensure the chicken has reached 165 degrees F in the thickest part.
How to get truly crispy Baked Fried Chicken!
I know some people have had issues with sogginess, so I wanted to follow the recipe exactly as written, once more, and make sure there are no issues with the recipe. We had no issues with the coating falling off or sogginess, so I wanted to add some tips that might help:
- Use dark non-stick pans — this will help with getting a crispy coating as they heat to a higher temperature than light coloured pans.
- I keep my chicken breasts in the freezer, then thaw them in the fridge. They are quite moist when I stick them in the bag with the coating, and I have no trouble getting it to stick. If you’re working with fresh chicken breasts, you’ll want to soak them in milk first (buttermilk adds great flavor!).
- I know you might be tempted to bake the chicken with cooking spray instead of butter. This will not work as the coating needs some fat to make it crispy and golden brown. If you need a healthier substitute, try margarine or reduced calorie margarine.
- I cook pretty much exactly 10 minutes per side. Again, check the internal temperature to be sure, but be sure not to overcook it or it will not be juicy!
- As the chicken sits on a plate, the underside got a little soggy. Therefore I recommend serving immediately, and if it is going to be sitting on a plate for any length of time, lay it on some paper towel or place on a wire rack to keep it from getting soggy.
- 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.
The Best Oven-Fried Chicken
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 3-4 chicken breasts about 1lb, cut in strips (I get about 3 out of one breast)
- 4-5 tbsp melted butter
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp seasoning salt I use Lawry’s
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a large piece of parchment paper on the rimmed baking sheet (10x15x1″) and brush butter over top (there will be a little extra butter, but you need it to crisp up the coating!)
- *NOTE: If you’re working with fresh chicken breasts, you will want to soak them for 15-30 minutes in milk or buttermilk before coating. This will help the coating to stick. I use frozen, thawed chicken breasts so they are already very moist on the outside.
- Combine all ingredients besides chicken and butter in a large paper or ziploc bag. Add the chicken and shake to coat.
- OPTIONAL: For extra crispiness, do a double coat — simply dunk coated chicken in a little bit of buttermilk, and coat once again in the flour mixture. You would need extra coating mixture for this step
- Place your chicken on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a space between each strip. Bake 10 minutes, flip gently with a spatula, and bake another 10 minutes. (If the pan is dry when you flip the chicken, add a drizzle of oil to ensure the bottom crisps as well)
- Be sure to check to make sure your chicken is cooked (165 degrees F), as the thickness can greatly affect baking time. You want it to be done but not overdone and dry. Bake another 4-5 minutes if needed.
- Remove to a plate lined with paper towel to soak up any excess grease. Serve immediately. To keep warm until serving, place on a wire rack on a baking sheet in a 225 degree F oven.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Heather says
For the double coat can I dip it in milk instead of buttermilk? Thanks!
Ashley Fehr says
Yes absolutely 🙂
Leslie Thilges says
Tried this for an easy Saturday night dinner, and it was a huge success! My husband raved about it, and my college student daughter actually said it was really good (she hasn’t liked a single oven-fried chicken – before now).
This will definitely be added to my menu lineup on a regular basis. I served it with barbecue sauce and sweet and sour sauce, although it was good enough to eat by itself. Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Leslie!
Mary says
Hi Ashley! Can I use gluten free flour like almond flour or oat flour?
Ashley Fehr says
I think either of those would work fine!
Tracey Pharris says
Worked great for me! Soaked in buttermilk for about 15 min…. used foil with butter instead of parchment… cooked at 450 10 min on each side… came out perfect! Made a little too much… any suggestions on reheating?
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Tracey! I’m so glad! I would recommend reheating in the oven (350 just until hot) or in the air fryer if you have one!
Iain Gunn says
Haven’t tried this exact recipe, but similar. I now use my air fryer to achieve best results. Extra crust add a little backing powder and or baking soda.
Ashley Fehr says
The air fryer does make fabulous chicken but isn’t an option for everyone
Kim says
Tried this for our family Sunday dinner and it didn’t come out quite right. I used the exact ingredients and brushed with the exact amount of butter the recipe called for. I flipped the chicken as directed and it looked great. However, the underside was white where it was so dry there was no juices left to soak in to give it the color needed. The flavor was good but like only enough butter for one side.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Kim! When you flip the chicken, if you notice that there is no butter left on the pan I would recommend adding a bit more.
Elizabeth says
Aw, this didn’t work for me :-/ I even did the buttermilk + second coating, but ended up with a (not browned) soggy coating that fell right off. The underlying chicken was just fine, but that was a ton of work and a big mess for just regular baked chicken sitting in soggy breading. I wonder why this works for some and not for others. Womp womp.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Elizabeth. I’m sorry to hear that! I’m not sure how the coating got soggy — a bread crumb coating that is cooked in oil should brown and crisp. I would make sure that, especially after using the buttermilk, any excess buttermilk is dripped off and the chicken is well coated in dry crumbs.
Sheryl says
If I do this with chicken chunks like nuggets, how long do you think I should cook it?
Ashley Fehr says
Maybe 10-15 minutes
Maia Hadi says
I tried the recipe but it did not come out as I had hoped. The crust came off and it took longer to cook through. It was very tasty though. I am going to try it again. I really prefer the pan fried over the deep fried.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Maia! There are a few tricks to ensure the coating stays on. Use a flat spatula to flip that doesn’t dig in and loosen the coating, and ensure there is enough fat on the pan to crisp up and cook the coating.
Tammie says
I tried this tonight with high hopes after reading all the great reviews but after cooking it for 20 minutes, flipping half way through and putting it under the broiler a couple minutes, it still wasn’t crispy chicken at all but the Chicken was done so didn’t want to dry it out by leaving it in longer to try to get that crispy Chicken I wanted.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Tammie! I’ve included lots of tips in the blog post for trouble shooting and getting perfectly crispy chicken 🙂
Patti says
Was going to try it tonight.
However, after the reviews I am going to raise the oven temp for the the first 5 minutes each side.