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
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Tina says
Ok, I made these a little different than the recipe. I put extra seasoned salt, garlic powder and dehydrated chopped onions. I omitted the paprika and regular salt. I soaked the chicken in a bag of milk before dipping it into the breading. Then, I cooked the chicken for 12 minutes then flipped and cooked another 12 (my chicken breasts were pretty thick). The end result was seriously the most tender chicken I’ve ever eaten!! Flavor was great as well. Breading was pretty soft. It wasn’t bad, just unexpected. Any clue why? Anyways, great recipe!!! Everyone loved it. My one year old ate it so fast I had to check and make sure she hadn’t tucked it away some where and my two year old tried a bite and didn’t spit it out!! Lol, that is huge news.
Ashley says
Haha, so glad it was a hit with the kiddos! If you find it soft you could try reducing the butter on the pan a bit or baking on a rack on a baking sheet.
yesenia says
Will this work with bone in chicken?
Ashley says
The seasoning would be great but you’ll likely have to increase the cooking time. Just be sure to check doneness with a meat thermometer.
lori says
Made these tonight and they were fantastic! Thanks so much for a quick,easy, delicious recipe!
Ashley says
So happy to hear that!
mary says
HI, I have the pickiest eaters in my family. I am going to try this recipe tonight because they do like KFC. How can I go wrong! thanks.
Ashley says
Hope you like it!
Nathan says
KFC long touted their blend of “11 herbs and spices.” Where are the other 7?
SZQ says
Why can’t I search for a recipe by name??? I have no clue what month it was in.
Ashley says
If you look in the sidebar there is a search box.
Linda says
I have never left a reply/comment on a recipe that I made but this time I just had to. I am an average cook. I followed the directions exactly (and did the half panko bread crumbs/half flour combination) and this chicken blew me out of the water. I mean, seriously fantastic. I wish more of the breading had stuck (next time I will moisten the chicken pieces before shaking it in the bag to see if that helps) but it in no way took away from the flavor. We love KFC but I am trying to keep within a budget and eat a little healthier, and this fit the bil on both countsl. THANK YOU so much for this delicious recipe!!
Ashley says
So glad you liked it!
Donna says
I made this last night for dinner and it was delicious! My husband said this will definitely become a regular meal in our house. My only problem is my chicken did not look like the photo at all. My breading did not stick to the chicken at all. How do you get the breading to stick? I was very careful with flipping each piece after the 10 minutes.
Ashley says
Was your chicken fairly moist when you put it in the flour mixture? Mine is pretty wet without soaking in anything, but you could always try soaking in a bit of milk first if it’s not sticking well.
Jen says
All I can say about this chicken is oh my! This is the best oven baked chicken recipe. I baked it exactly as Ashley listed in her original recipe. The chicken breaking did not stick to the pan and the chicken was moist, not dry. My family loved it! Thank you for this recipe!!!!!
Ashley says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Beverly says
Trying it out tonight….can’t wait! We like KFC, and I like the healthier recipe.
Ashley says
Hope you like it!
Sharon says
I showed this recipe to my hubby last night as he loves KFC , and he said to try it. So it’s on the menu for tonight. As I work in the poultry business, my family gets a little tired of chicken.lol. I will let you know the results.
Thanks for sharing.
Ashley says
I’d love to hear how you like it — it’s one of our favorites!
Lenore says
This was fantastic! Not greasy at all! I did adjust the seasonings slightly. The butter I used was organic butter and at first I was concerned about the butter burning and tasting nasty. I was wrong, it made the flavor of the seasoning work very well with the chicken as a whole. I made extra and cannot wait for leftovers tomorrow! Thank you.
Ashley says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it abd that it worked for you!
Nicole says
Made this for dinner for my husband and me. I used only 2 chicken breasts, but kept all the measurements the same since it was only coating the chicken. Figured it wouldn’t make a difference. I had a reduced sodium variety of seasoned salt so in the end, the chicken needed a bit more salt but other than that, this was quite good. The coating stayed on too, but it actually wasn’t particularly crispy even despite removing it from the pan and placing it on paper towels to drain excess grease.
This also cooked in 20-21 mins, turning over halfway through. Very pleased.
Ashley says
Thanks for commenting Nicole — glad you liked it!
Dymond says
I’m on a no red meat diet so ima try this wish me luck..
Ashley says
I hope you like it!
Becca says
Just wanted to comment. I have been CRAVING Chicken Fried Chicken and usually only get it when we go out to eat. (if they serve it, which not many places do) This was a PERFECT alternative that is a lot more healthy! I followed directions pretty much exactly and my whole family LOVED it! 😀 Definitely a keeper for this family of 5 with 3 picky kiddo’s! 🙂
Ashley says
Thanks Becca! I’m so glad it turned out for you and that your family enjoyed it 🙂
Purdue says
Good call on the cooking timing alteration. This looks mouth watering.
Ashley says
Thanks!
Kim Frost says
I made this tonight using the half flour half panko recipe keeping everything the same and it was amazing! It will definitely be in our rotation of dinners from now on!
Ashley says
Thanks Kim! Glad you enjoyed it!
April says
This…is…phenomenal! Something that’s so simple to make is not suppose to taste so good! I made this for breakfast and put it on honey butter biscuits. BIG hit at my house! Thanks for sharing Ashley!!
Ashley says
Thanks April! And thanks for coming back to let me know how you liked it!
Dawn says
I made this tonight and followed the directions but the flour didnt stick to the chicken…slipped off of the chicken when I flipped it. It smells soooooo good!!! I added some bread crumbs and baked a few minutes longer. I am wondering if I should have put it on a different pan. Can’t wait to try it again!!!
Ashley says
Ive never had any issues with my coating sticking to the chicken. You can always try soaking it in milk first, but it’s never made any difference in my results so I always skip it.
Scott says
Try lining the pan with non-stick foil. That will let the metal pan crisp up the bottom while cooking, but it won’t keep the crispy goodness for itself!
Michael Vasquez says
Why do you think my chicken was really watery/juicy inside. I cooked for about 10 mins more than you suggested and it still was a little pink inside.
Ashley says
I would guess your chicken was a little thicker than what I used or your oven temperature might be a little lower. You can always check for doneness and then put it back in the oven and continue baking!
matthew says
the quality of the chicken bought can really play a difference. I did the test an bought chicken at superC that I diced and cooked I a pan and I latterly had water in my pan… then I went for air chilled chicken, the difference in taste, the outer crisp vs inner moist was remarquable. It was just all better and I did not deal with a sea of water in my pan… https://www.organicauthority.com/air-chilled-chicken-vs-water-chilled-chicken-whats-the-difference/
LOVE COMPASSIONATELEE says
MAKING THIS RIGHT NOW FOR SUNDAY DINNER! THANKS FOR THE RECIPE ASHLEY, ENJOY A RESTFUL SUNDAY 🙂
Ashley says
Hope you enjoy it!
Mandy says
I think I will try this recipe but with chicken legs and thighs. I love making oven fried chicken but we are dark meat chicken people unless I am making chicken fingers and fries.
Ashley says
I’m sure that will work great!