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The BEST Oven-Fried Chicken

4.84 from 468 votes
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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!

a piece of oven fried chicken on a fork with chicken beside it on a plate.

Can’t get enough crispy chicken recipes? Try this Crispy Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce, Parmesan Crusted Chicken, or Air Fryer Fried Chicken!

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

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Oven-Fried Chicken ingredients:

ingredients needed for oven fried chicken in bowls and plate.
  • 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.
large baking sheet full of oven fried chicken.

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.

a plate filled with oven fried chicken with parsley behind.

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.
close up image of baked fried chicken split in half.

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:

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The Best Oven-Fried Chicken

This Oven-Fried Chicken has all the crispy, golden crunch of traditional fried chicken but is baked instead of fried! With a seasoned panko coating and juicy, tender chicken, it's a family favorite that's easy to make.
a grey plate full of oven fried chicken.
4.84 from 468 votes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
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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.

Video

Notes

*Nutrition information is estimated and will depend on exact serving size, brands and products used. Calorie count includes all flour and bread crumbs, so it will be less if there is coating mixture left over.
 
** OPTIONAL: For extra crispiness, do a double coat — simply dunk coated chicken in the egg again, and coat once again in the bread crumb mixture. You would need extra coating mixture for this step.
 
February 11, 2025: this recipe has been updated to ensure more reliable results. The seasoning was not changed. I have simply swapped the buttermilk for beaten eggs for better adhesion, and removed the parchment paper. You can see the original recipe here.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 376cal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 131mg, Sodium: 1508mg, Potassium: 661mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 790IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 71mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Ladonna says

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  2. 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!

  3. 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!

  4. 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!🤓

  5. 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

      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.

  6. 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 👌

  7. 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 🙃

  8. 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!

  9. Natasha says

    The end result was awesome! It’s crispy outside, moist and tasty inside. My kids loved it so much.

  10. Lisalia says

    This was absolutely the BEST oven fried chicken. So moist and the perfect crunchy exterior. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe!

  11. 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.

  12. 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!

  13. 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.

  14. 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!

4.84 from 468 votes (327 ratings without comment)

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