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.
This recipe has been updated and republished since its original debut in 2014.
Table of Contents
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.
- Buttermilk (optional): you can soak your chicken in buttermilk to help the coating stick more.
- 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. Soak the chicken in buttermilk (you can skip this step if you like, but it helps the coating to stick!). 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
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
- 2 lbs chicken breasts (about 3-4) cut in strips — I get about 3 out of one breast
- 1 cup buttermilk (optional)
- 6 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
- Cut chicken breasts into thick strips and soak in buttermilk.
- 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 flour, Panko, seasoning salt, paprika and pepper in a large zip-top 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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Barbara says
I pinned this recipe a while ago and tried it for the first time last night. It was delicious. I used fresh chicken tenders, so I soaked them in buttermilk as suggested. I baked them at 425 for 12 minutes a side, since I was concerned about using parchment paper at 450. Otherwise, I followed the recipe as written. Best baked “fried” chicken I have made. (and I’ve made a lot) Thanks!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Barbara! I’m glad to hear that!
Pam Reis says
Wow! My husband and daughter are the pickiest eaters ever! I didn’t make enough although I made one more than normal! Love, love this recipe! Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Pam!
Kofi Yankey says
Hi Ashley,
I used the recipe to make chicken thighs for the first time tonight, cooking it longer remembering that “bone-in” chicken takes longer. The thighs did come out crispy; one thing I did differently was that when I flipped them over, I brushed some of the leftover butter on top of them. Nice and crispy! Next time, I’ll try the recipe using chicken breast!😎
Thank you!🤓
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Kofi!
Domesticdoll says
My family loves this recipe but I have made a small change. I use chicken thighs and brown them in a cast iron skillet, still in butter then bake them. They come out crispy and amazing! Thank you.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing!
Natalie says
The video says 450 but written instructions say 425…
Ashley Fehr says
There won’t be much of a difference between the two, maybe a couple of minutes of cook time. The oven temperature in the video is an error, but even so, it won’t change the recipe.
Loiza says
Can legs be used?
Ashley Fehr says
They can, but bone in chicken usually takes longer to cook so you will have to factor that in
CASSY says
This is one of my family’s favorites!! Recipe is easy to follow. I usually double the dry ingredients while I’m making it but put it in another ziplock to use for the next week, or whenever I want since the dry ingredients will stay good. My husband loves chicken thighs and it works great with this recipe. Keeper and highly recommended 👌
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Cassy! I am so glad you all enjoy it!
Shannon G. says
So tasty! Husband was a big fan also! I just didn’t pay attention that the batter was enough for 3 pounds of chicken, and I only had 1 (7 strips), so I wasted a lot of batter, but that was on me not reading 🙃
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Shannon! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Kacie D says
This recipe was amazing! It is my go to now. I didn’t have any panko breadcrumbs so I made it with some Italian breadcrumbs that I had and it by far exceeded my expectations! Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Kacie! I’m so glad!
wilhelmina says
This chicken turned out perfectly! So crisp an juicy, my family loved it. Great recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so happy to hear that!
Natasha says
The end result was awesome! It’s crispy outside, moist and tasty inside. My kids loved it so much.
Ashley Fehr says
thanks Natasha!
Isabelle says
Who would have thought homemade chicken could taste SO good?! Yum!
Ashley Fehr says
thanks Isabelle!
Lisalia says
This was absolutely the BEST oven fried chicken. So moist and the perfect crunchy exterior. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad you liked it!
Stephanie says
This was amazing! The chicken was super crispy and moist…loved it!!
Leo H says
We made this tonight and it was wonderful. I’ve tried several oven fried chicken recipes and this was the best -BY FAR! Total time from start to eating was 40 min. We will definitely be making this again.
Ashley Fehr says
thanks Leo! I’m so happy to hear that!
Will says
So so good!
Am using chicken thighs which are super juicy and possibly the extra fat helps crisp up the coating 🙂
Don’t have the seasoning salt here so am using paprika, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, turmeric.
Found it important to make a lot of the coating powder and not put too much chicken in the bag otherwise it turns into a soggy mess. Can individually coat of course using a bowl for the coating which yields perfect results.
Enjoy!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for the tips Will! Chicken thighs would be great in this!
Angie says
This recipe was a huge disappointment. I followed it to the letter, but the coating was soggy and stuck to our teeth. It became dark on the bottom but still wouldn’t crisp up. And if I wasn’t super careful, the coating would slide right off the chicken. 0/4 of my family liked it. I will NOT be making it again, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone else.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m sorry to hear that Angie! The coating will become soggy with sitting, but should be crispy and golden out of the oven. There are 516 reviews on this recipe and most have enjoyed it1 I’m sorry you didn’t feel the same.
W. Maynard Pittendreigh says
When do you add the remaining butter for crisping?
Ashley Fehr says
You put it all on the pan. You will have a little extra butter on the pan or parchment, but it is necessary for making crispy chicken.
Kelly says
My family loves these! They call them the “fancy tenders” and cannot get enough! I usually make a double batch so we can eat them the next day too. I highly recommend this recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you so much Kelly!