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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Catherine Mutter says
I didn’t have seasoning salt so I used buttermilk ranch seasoning and it was amazing!
Ashley says
That’s an interesting twist! Good to hear — thanks!
Aaliyah says
I’m trying the recipe with chicken quarters, will I have to do anything differently while cooking?
Ashley says
With bone-in chicken you’ll likely have to increase baking time. Just be sure to check with a thermometer for doneness!
Craig Hood says
All week long I’ve been telling my wife I’m going to make fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and biscuits for dinner one night. Once I found your recipe, I knew it was time. I made your chicken tonight and it was delicious. I did follow one of your alternative recipes: I added panko to the flour mix for extra crispness. This is a keeper. I’m sharing the recipe with everyone who will listen.
Ashley says
I am so glad you liked it! It is the best oven version we’ve tried. The Panko is awesome, too! Thanks Craig 🙂
Cindy says
These are SO easy and they turned out perfectly! They had great flavor and we had no problem getting the breading to stick.
Ashley says
I’m glad!
Julie says
I honestly was browsing the web for easy quick chicken recipes and followed your seasonings/time without putting too much thought into it and they came out perfectly! I did let them sit in the oven an extra minute or so after the last turn while I was getting something else ready to prolong the crispness. Thanks!
Ashley says
That is awesome Julie! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment!
Jessica says
We just tried this recipe tonight! Although it was yummy, we didn’t have much of a “breading” on it. It was kinda of all washed off when we flipped it. I don’t think we had too much butter either. I’m thinking we may need to use an egg wash or something to help thicken the crust. Any ideas? My food didn’t look anything like yours. =( I’ll be trying it again but I’m going to try more of a coating!
Ashley says
That’s strange Jessica. Sometimes food won’t release from a pan if the pan isn’t hot enough or wasn’t completely browned, so you could try increasing the temperature a bit or leaving it another minute or so. Do you think there was enough butter on the pan? I know some people have had luck with non-stick spray, but I find it doesn’t work for me, and unless there’s a good amount of butter I can’t get it to brown and it starts sticking. Was your chicken pretty moist before breading? I use thawed frozen chicken breasts, so I never need to soak the chicken first but it might be worth a shot if your chicken is pretty dry on the outside. I hope that helps! This is one of our favorites 🙂
Ann says
Bravo!! There were delicious I was missing a slight crunch like fried chicken but my goodness were these good I had no problems with the coating not sticking and I used chicken tenderloins and it worked perfect!! My one year old loved them too! Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Ashley says
Thank you! So glad you (and your one year old!) enjoyed them!
Samantha says
Made this exactly by the recipe-also using dark, non-stick pan- and still turned out soggy :/ loved the flavor though.
Ashley says
I’m so sorry it didn’t work for you! Glad you liked the flavor! If you can tell me more about how you made it maybe we can figure out some improvements.
Arie D. says
I have made this twice now, I have changed it up a bit on my second. I added twice the amount of paprika and seasoned salt, added a bit of cayenne as well. I also cooked it 15 min on each side. It perfect! The key for crispness is to let it cool off a bit. Thanks
Ashley says
You must like things with a bit of heat! I think we prefer ours a little milder. I’m glad you found a way that you enjoy! Thanks for the comment!
Lael says
To prevent the chicken from getting soggy if you have to wait to plate it is to let it cool on a rack. The air can circulate and not get soggy.
Ashley says
That’s a great tip!
Becky Jepsen says
Do you think ground pork rinds would work instead of flour?
Ashley says
I really can’t say — I don’t think I’ve ever even purchased them! If you decide to try it, let me know how it turns out!
A. Tomlin says
I “fried” a whole cut up chicken. I melted a stick and 1/2 of butter in large baking pan. I then left space between pieces. Cooked 20 minutes and flipped and cooked another 20 flipped again for 5. It did turn out crispy. I seasoned the chicken with paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, pepper and salt and let sit a bit, I then seasoned flour. My family loved it. I used regular salted butter, but of course light butter would work too. I will be using this method again. Less messy and smelly in kitchen is always a plus. 🙂
Ashley says
Great! Glad it turned out for you!
Kim says
I’m trying this tonight!! I’ll re-post when the the chicken is done. 🙂
Ashley says
I’d be glad to hear how it turns out!
Debbie says
Hi, I made the oven fried chicken last night. I followed the recipie exactly. I did not have a crispy chicken, I had soggy chicken pieces, some still had flour on them even after turning them over halfway through. I see other people had much better results. I’ve looked this over and over and did everything correct. Just don’t understand why mine didn’t turn out! I could taste the flour every time I took a bite. Any suggestions? Thank you!
Ashley says
I would recommend more butter on the pan. You really need the butter to crisp up the coating. I’ve tried with non-stick and my chicken is still floury. If you had quite a bit of chicken on the pan there just might not have been enough butter to brown all the pieces, or if you used the smaller amount of butter. If you notice when you’re cooking them that the butter is all used up and the chicken isn’t browning, I’d add another couple tbsp to the pan as you’re cooking. Hope that helps!
Lea says
I made this chicken last night and I just HAD to comment. I was very skeptical about the outcome since it’s oven “fried” chicken and other oven fried chicken recipes i’ve tried always turned out very soggy and gummy. Let.me.tell.you. I was SO impressed with this chicken!! It blew my mind. It was crispy and had great seasoning! I think the key is to make sure you space out the chicken. I used a cast iron skillet and 2 dark pans to cook 4 breast. So good! Thank you!
Ashley says
That’s awesome! Great tip on leaving space between — that’s super important! So glad you liked it 🙂
sasha says
Hi there! Great recipe! I was just wondering if there are any spices you would recommend instead of paprika? I just ran out tonight and am trying to use other spices I have round the house.
Thanks very much!
Ashley says
Hi Sasha! Thanks! That’s a tricky one, because there is so much paprika. You could try adding some cayenne, but cayenne is hotter so just be careful with it (unless you like things really spicy!). You could try a bit of cayenne and a bit of chili powder or cumin, but the chili powder and cumin will change the flavor significantly. I hope that helps! You could also try increasing the seasoning salt a bit and adding maybe 1/2 – 1 tsp cayenne.
Barb says
I followed the recipe to the T, and they were soggy! I had to put them in the broiler to try and crisp them up! The flavor was good but definitely NOT CRISPY! Don’t think I will make these again!!
Ashley says
There are lots of reasons this can happen. Oven thermometers are not always accurate — I would make sure that you check your oven temperature with an external thermometer and use a dark, heavy pan. I’d also make sure that your oven is completely preheated before putting it in the oven. I would also make sure there’s not excess moisture in the chicken: if it’s not 100% thawed, or if you’ve soaked it in milk, it could have excess moisture that’s seeping out. I hope that helps!
Autumn says
I had never made fried chicken before. I saw this on Pinterest, and after looking at the recipe, I knew this would be an easy recipe for me to make. I’m all for recipes with 5 ingredients or less and very few directions (shows me it’s easy!). It turned out really delicious. I ended up cooking it on a lower temperature for a bit longer because I was baking macaroni and cheese at the same time, but it turned out really yummy. My husband felt it tasted more like Long John Silver’s chicken with the batter taste, but regardless, this will be a must-have dish in our home that’s cheap and yummy!
Ashley says
Thanks Autumn! I’m glad to hear it!
Emilee says
Will this recipe work with Chicken Legs?
Ashley says
I’m sure it would, yes, but you’ll have to bake longer probably. Just check with a meat thermometer.
chellsea says
I’m going g to sound dumb but the butter you had as an ingrediant, is that for on the pan or out in the mixture with extra butter on the pan?
Ashley says
The butter goes in the pan before you put the chicken in! No problem 🙂
Maria says
Made this yesterday and it turned out perfectly! Not soggy at all. Thanks!
Ashley says
I’m so glad!
Mindy says
I tried this tonight and was very disappointed. Absolutely no crisp, not much browning either, I even turned the broiler on hoping that would help before burning the entire pan. I honestly don’t know what I did wrong, I used a dark non-stick pan. Your picture looked amazing and I’m a little discouraged to try it again.
Ashley says
Did you have a good amount of butter on the pan to start? You really need the butter and a high temperature to brown the chicken. I would even recommend checking your oven temperature with a thermometer as the oven thermostat can be pretty unreliable. The only trouble I’ve had getting the coating to brown was when I tried it with non-stick spray. I don’t really like using the broiler because it can dry out the chicken. Any other recommendations I could make are listed in the update from February above and on the experiment page. I hope that helps!