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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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SR says
We’ve made these many times over the years and I found myself looking for those instructions, as well. I was confused by mention of parchment paper and whatnot. You should definitely add those instructions back for people like me who need a reminder of the prior technique.
-SR
Ashley Fehr says
I am actually not sure which instructions you speak of — this is the way we’ve made it for quite some time! You are free to go without parchment, but it does help to prevent sticking and ensures the chicken flips easily.
Rosie says
The butter is brushed on the parchment paper, but says you need the rest to crisp the chicken. Mine turned out soggy and looks terrible. Can’t find a place to comment, so I put it in a reply.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so sorry it didn’t work out for you! With a dark pan and high oven temperature, it shouldn’t be soggy and I’m sorry that was the result for you. If you remove it from the oven to a plate with no paper towel or wire rack, it does quickly become soggy as it sits so you do have to be careful about that.
Stephanie says
I am hoping to make this tonight. I have been reading through comments and saw some concerns over soggy coating after cooking. I will be using a dark cooking pan. Would it be okay to cook it on a rack so that its elevates and not sitting directly on the pan or does it need to be directly touching?
Ashley Fehr says
You know, I haven’t tried cooking on a rack. My concern is that you wouldn’t have the butter to crisp up the coating. You need a bit of fat on the coating to make it crispy, otherwise the flour just bakes. I think if you wanted to bake it on a rack you’d need to drizzle with butter or something like that.
Duska says
Could you place it on a rack after cooking with paper towels underneath to catch drips. That is how I even do actual fried chicken. It’s a hit around here, and my girls have picked up the technique.
Ashley Fehr says
You definitely could! That’s a great idea 🙂
Bhavya says
It’s so scrummy and I am eagerly waiting to eat. thank you for sharing
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Aimee!
Melanie says
My daughter tried this, but after 10 minutes, when she went to flip them, there was no coating left on the bottom. So only one side ended up crispy. I will have to give it a try next time and see how it turns out.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m sorry to hear that Melanie! Did she use parchment paper? I find it’s the best way to ensure nothing sticks!
Jamielyn says
This chicken looks PERFECT! Crispy, flavorful and delicious….Yum!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Jamielyn!
John Frazier says
what do you do with the butter I want to try this but cant find where the butter is used
Ashley Fehr says
In the first step
Andie Thueson says
This looks so good and such a nice alternative to fried chicken.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Andie!
Jennifer Lehner says
One of my all-time favorite fried chicken recipes.
Ashley Fehr says
Mine too!
Sandy says
I’m always looking for a great fried chicken recipe. This one is the best that I’ve tried! So good.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Sandy!
Donna says
Your Recipe Instructions say to set oven temp. and cook at 425 degrees, but your video says to cook at 450 degrees. Which is the correct temp.?
Ashley Fehr says
The written recipe is correct — sorry for the confusion!
Arie B says
Great and simple recipe! Thanks for sharing this!! I’ve tried it twice and I would like to have it without a strong buttery taste. Do you recommend any other oil/grease besides butter?
Ashley Fehr says
If you want to cook it without butter I would suggest canola oil as it has one of the strongest smoke points. Let me know how it goes!
Wendy says
Have tried this multiple times (with soaking the chicken in buttermilk before breading) and each time does not disappoint. I did, however, change the amount of salt (personal preference) but the flavor is outstanding. So deliciously simple and quick. Thank you for sharing.
One question though… were the recipe instructions changed recently? I could have sworn the directions were to melt the butter in a preheated pan and once the butter was melted, to add the breaded chicken. Now I see it says to line a pan with parchment paper and brush that with melted butter before adding the breaded chicken. I don’t remember seeing those directions before.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Wendy, you’re right! I did update them because I found that adding the melted butter to the pan before putting in the oven was easier. But you can definitely do it either way!
Michele Winslow says
I have a breading similar to yours which I make in large batches, then store in the veggie bin. Then I just take out what I need. Made a mistake the other day, and the better half said to throw out the chicken but keep the breading. As in your recipe, I soaked the chicken in milk for about 30 minutes, then melted butter. I mistakenly breaded the chicken before putting it in butter. Soooo, I breaded then put in butter, then re-breaded chicken. Poured the leftover butter on the bottom of the tray, then baked. Got a nice crunchy crust I had also added some extra Panko to the mix. But must admit, the mistake came out just right.
Ashley Fehr says
That does sound like a wonderful mistake! Thanks for sharing!
ROD says
Very good. A definite keeper.
Ashley Fehr says
So glad to hear that!
Linda says
I don’t have a dark baking pan only stainless steel. How would I adjust for baking? Also, if using a cast iron pan..would you prepare the recipe the same and put in the oven?
Ashley Fehr says
If your options are stainless steel or cast iron, I would definitely do cast iron! I think it will turn out crispier that way 🙂 For stainless steel, you may want to raise the oven temperature 15-25 degrees.
Rachel says
Followed exactly and they were delicious and crispy.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad to hear that!
Emily says
Loved it! We all did.
Used GF flour and it turned out great.
Ashley Fehr says
So happy to hear that Emily!
Arlene M. Puliafico says
This is a five star “keeper” recipe. I added a bit of poultry seasoning to the flour, etc. I took the chicken out of the pan as soon as it was cooked, no sogginess what so ever. This recipe reminds me of an old Amish recipe that I use to make years ago, only this one is easier and tastier. Thank you for sharing, Best regards, Arlene P.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Marianne Ehcols says
How much is considered a serving? The nutrition facts don’t mention how much the 338 calories is for.
Ashley Fehr says
About 1/4 lb of chicken is considered one serving
Barb says
I fried mine in a frying pan with butter, but added Greek seasoning 1 Table spoon if not more turned out wonderful
Ashley Fehr says
So glad you liked it!