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.
Perfectly Crispy “Fried” Chicken in the Oven
I seriously love chicken.
Whether it’s One Pot Chicken Lo Mein, Caprese Chicken and Rice, or this simple Slow Cooker Chicken Breast… you name it, we love it.
This year, since I really got into using my Instant Pot, I’ve been especially enjoying making chicken breasts in there (check out my tutorial on how to cook chicken breasts from frozen!). But one thing the Instant Pot cannot do is produce crispy, oven-fried chicken.
And that’s why we’re here 🙂
This oven-fried chicken breast recipe is perfectly crispy and juicy, without fail. It captures that KFC, special-herbs-and-spices flavour, without all of the deep frying and processed ingredients that go into the fast-food version.
Most of all, this is a recipe our family loves, and 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 daughter! 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).
What You’ll Need to Make Oven Fried Chicken
For this recipe, I use chicken breast, but you could substitute chicken thighs, chicken tenders, chicken wings, or even legs. The seasonings and crispy coating are always delicious! Just remember that the cooking time will vary according to the cut of chicken.
- 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.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted butter is fine.
- Flour: All-purpose flour, or you could use gluten-free flour if you prefer.
- Panko: Panko breadcrumbs give the chicken a crunchy, crispy coating. Original or pork rind panko are fine.
- Salt and Pepper
- Seasoned Salt: This versatile seasoning goes with everything! I use Lawry’s brand.
- Paprika: Made from dried, ground peppers, paprika isn’t spicy, but it adds depth of flavor, a slight sweetness, and lots of colour.
How to Make Oven Fried Chicken
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. The safest way to do this is with a meat thermometer. The chicken should reach 165°F in the thickest part.
- Get the Oven and Baking Sheet Ready. To get started, preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet (10×15) with parchment paper, and brush the butter over the surface of the parchment. It might seem like a lot of butter, but that’s fine. It will help to crisp up the chicken coating!
- Bread the Chicken Breast Pieces. Combine the flour, panko, seasoned salt, salt and pepper, and paprika in a large paper or zip-top bag. Add the chicken to the bag, and shake the bag to coat the chicken pieces.
- Bake. Place your chicken on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a space between each strip. Bake the chicken for 10 minutes, flip carefully with a spatula, and bake for another 10 minutes. (Note: if the parchment is dry when you flip the chicken, add a drizzle of oil, to the to ensure the bottom pieces of chicken get crispy.)
- Check for Doneness. Check to make sure your chicken is cooked (165°F), as the thickness can greatly affect baking time. You want it to be done, but not overdone and dry. If it’s not yet up to temperature, bake for another 4-5 minutes at a time, until it’s cooked through
- Enjoy! Transfer the oven-fried chicken to a plate lined with paper towel, to soak up any excess grease. Serve immediately.
Why is my baked 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.
- Use Moist Chicken. I keep my chicken breasts in the freezer, and then thaw them in the fridge. So they’re quite moist when it’s time for me to bread them, and a lot of the coating sticks to them easily. If you’re working with fresh chicken breasts, you’ll want to soak them in milk first (or buttermilk, which adds great flavour!).
- 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 need a healthier substitute, try margarine or reduced calorie margarine.
- Watch the Parchment: When you flip the chicken, you may find that the parchment paper is a little dry. I recommend drizzling more butter or oil onto the parchment 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, a plate lined with paper towel, or just keep it warm in a 225°F oven.
Can I make this ahead?
Yes! 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 cook 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 breast, I like to go with classic, comforting sides. Here are some of our family favorites:
- Glazed Carrots: These simple Honey Glazed Carrots are made with honey, brown sugar, butter, and garlic. They add a sweet touch to the dinner table, and go perfectly with crispy, well-seasoned chicken.
- Mashed Potatoes: These easy, creamy mashed potatoes come together in the slow cooker, which makes them almost completely hands-off! Try Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes once, and you may just find yourself making them every week! (Looking for something even more indulgent? Try my Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes)
- Baked Beans: A beloved potluck favourite, sweet and savory Instant Pot Baked Beans come together quickly, but taste like they simmered all day.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
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 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.
The Best Oven-Fried Chicken
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 3-4 chicken breasts about 1-1.5 lb, cut in strips (I get about 3 out of one breast)
- 4-5 tbsp melted butter
- ¾ cup flour
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp seasoning salt I use Lawry’s
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 tsp paprika
Instructions
- If using frozen chicken breasts, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. If using fresh chicken, soak the chicken breasts for 20 minutes or so in milk or buttermilk before breading (this is optional but it helps the breading stick).
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Place a large piece of parchment paper on the rimmed baking sheet (10×15) and brush butter over the parchment. It might seem like too much butter, but you need it to crisp up the coating!
- Combine all ingredients besides chicken and butter in a large paper or ziploc bag. Add the chicken and shake to coat **
- 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°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°F oven.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Dolores Butler says
Are the chicken breasts with skin or without?
Ashley Fehr says
Without, but either would work as long as they’re boneless. Bone-in would just require longer cook time.
Judy says
Can you use bone in chicken pieces in this recipe.
Ashley Fehr says
Yes! They just might require a little longer in the oven.
Leslie Bailey says
Hi, I definitely want to try this recipe! The instructions say 425 degrees but the video says cook at 450 – I’m assuming 450 but want to confirm.
Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Leslie! Technically either will work, 425 will just take a little longer. The recipe is written with 425 degrees in mind, it is the video that has the error, but either will work.
Ieuan says
You say “there will be a little extra butter, but you need it to crisp up the coating”, but then you never mention using it.
Ashley Fehr says
On the pan when you melt the butter, there will be extra sitting on the pan. That is all there is 🙂
Lori Edwardsen says
I’m not sure if I commented before, wanted to let you know that this is the third time I’ve made the chicken, and it truly is the best. My husband, a former KFC person, loves it, granddaughter wants it weekly for dinner. Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Lori!
Marie says
I have Not made it yet. I will as soon as I can for my Family up North. I know they will enjoy it. And I will let you know as soon as I do. Thank You again for a Great Recipe. Take Care and Be Safe. Marie in Fl 🌴
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Marie! You too!
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
Kathy says
I am just starting to use an air fryer. How long did you cook these and at what temperature, please? Did you turn them half way through cooking?
Ashley Fehr says
I would recommend starting at 400 degrees for 6-7 minutes, then flip and cook until done.
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.