You won’t be disappointed by this recipe – it’s the BEST Crispy Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken!
Made using a simple technique, this chicken gets so crispy in the oven – it’s hard to believe it isn’t deep fried! It’s easy to make and way less messy than the traditional way – no greasy stove to clean!
Have you ever been disappointed by a really promising recipe on the Internet? I’m sure you have. I know I have! And more than once.
There was the sheet cake incident of 2006. The pumpkin cream cheese cupcake mishap of 2013. The stir fry mess up of 2015. And definitely the pancake disaster of 2017. Uhm, with many more failed recipes in between them.
I can assure you one thing though:
If you love crispy fried chicken, crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside – this is the real deal right here. With a coating that actually sticks to the chicken. One that gets truly crispy in the oven.
And the best part? None of the greasy stovetop cleaning.
How to Make Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken:
I’ve been making chicken like this for years. Years! Probably soon to be a decade… Sigh, getting oooold over here.
I mean, if you consider soon-to-be 27 old. Tadaa, no big deal. Only told the Internet how old I am. Stay beautiful and just walk away, they say…
Either way, I never thought my recipe would become SUCH a hit when I shared the original Crispy Oven Fried Chicken a couple of years ago. And it really is The Chosen One, The Recipe to Rule them All, The King in the North of the Crispy Chicken World.
You don’t have to take my word for it though – go read all the glowing reviews on that original post, or on the more recent Garlic Parmesan Crispy Oven Fried Chicken one!
Because I’ve been making so much oven fried chicken in my rather young lifetime, I do have an absolutely foolproof way to get it as crispy as possible. Let me show you:
Marinate the chicken
I haven’t done this in my other two oven fried chicken recipes, but here I’m using a mix of buttermilk and spices to marinate the chicken, preferably overnight.
It really tenderises the meat and I found the difference in how juicy the chicken was on the inside was notable. However, it is NOT mandatory to let it sit overnight, it turns out very delicious with just a few hours in the marinade, or even a quick massage in a zip-loc bag.
Stick to this foolproof breading method:
I know it sounds silly to be so conservative about this, but I’ve seen enough students at school do this the wrong way despite incredibly clear instructions. And I just like to talk about food, so here goes:
1) Separate bowls for wet and dry ingredients
To Bowl 1, you’ll add:
The flour
The breadcrumbs (I know this is NOT in traditional fried chicken, but it makes the chicken a lot crispier in the oven than just using flour!)
The seasoning
The baking powder (to puff up the coating to create some space between the moist chicken surface and the breading)
To Bowl 2, you’ll add:
The eggs
The buttermilk
2) The dredging and dipping process
Step 1:
Shaking off excess buttermilk marinade, dredge the chicken pieces through the flour mix. Easiest done with forks, as fingers tend to get very sticky. Alternatively, strictly use one hand for dipping in the wet bowl, one hand for dipping in the dry bowl.
Step 2:
Dip the floured chicken pieces in the egg mix, shaking off any excess but making sure there are no dry spots left.
Step 3:
Dredge the chicken through the flour mix once more, making sure it’s evenly coated all the way around.
About the pan you’re using:
It’s very important to use the right kind of pan for this recipe. It needs to have the following features:
It needs to be dark to better reflect heat back onto the chicken
It has to have a rim to hold in the melted butter
It needs to be preheated in the oven before placing the chicken on top
Preheating the pan is a VERY important step – I do it with everything I want to get crispy in the oven, from oven fried chicken to homemade chicken nuggets to oven fried shrimp and even baked potato wedges.
And then just melt the butter on top…
Add the chicken without crowding the pan and bake…
Flip…
Bake and broil…
And serve! We love them dipped in honey mustard or a homemade ranch dip. With potato wedges or mash on the side. And plenty of slaw, usually a wild mix like this one.
I don’t know who decided it would be a good idea to put slaw, potatoes and crispy chicken on the same plate… But you, Madame or Monsieur, were a true genius.
Oh and P.S: Here’s how to reheat any leftovers so they crisp up again! You’re welcome, mes amies.
Also, no clue what you’re talking about. Never told you how old I am, ever.
More Oven Fried Recipes You’ll Love:
Truly Crispy Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika I used smoked, but regular is fine
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 lemon juice only
- 2 pounds chicken breast cut into strips (or use tenders)
For the dry coating:
- 1 1/4 cups white flour
- 4 tablespoon bread crumbs panko or regular both work
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 tablespoon salt use less if your salt is strong
- 2-3 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the wet coating:
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
For the pan:
- 1/3 cup butter
Instructions
Prep the chicken:
- Marinate: Whisk together all ingredients for the marinade (except for the chicken) in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces, making sure they’re all well coated. Cover and place in the fridge for one hour up to overnight. (If your’e short on time, simply place all the ingredients in a zip-loc bag and massage the chicken for a few minutes. Let it sit in the fridge for 10 minutes before using.)
Preheat oven and pan:
- Prep the pan and oven: Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C). While the oven is preheating, place a dark, rimmed roasting or baking pan in the oven to heat up (more info in the post).
Bread the chicken:
- Mix the dry coating: Place all ingredients for the dry coating in a large bowl. Mix well.
- Mix the wet coating: To a separate bowl, add the eggs and 2/3 cup buttermilk. Whisk very well.
- Coat the chicken pieces: Shake off any excess marinade. Dredge the chicken through the flour mix, shaking off any excess. Dip in the egg mix, making sure the chicken is evenly covered. Dredge through the flour mix once more, making sure the chicken is evenly covered, shaking off any excess.
- Bake the chicken:
- Place butter and chicken on pan: Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven, using oven gloves. Melt the butter on it, then place the chicken pieces on top without overcrowding the pan.
- Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, carefully flip and bake for another 5-10 minutes (depending on how thick your chicken pieces are). Finish by broiling for a few minutes, until golden and crispy.
- Serve: The chicken will feel soft right as it comes out of the oven. Let it sit for 2 minutes before serving, it will crisp up. Don't let it sit for a long period of time before you eat it, or it will start turning soggy.
Notes
Nutrition (this is an estimate)
Check out our Oven Fried Chicken Breast Recipes collection for more ideas!
Alexis
Absolutely amazing!! I had some leftover buttermilk and needed to use it up, so I searched through Pinterest and found this. All of the ingredients are pantry staples, so I was so happy to see that I had everything I needed. The crispy breading is absolutely delicious! I will be making this all of the time!
Nora
Your comment makes me so happy, Alexis! This is one of our favorite recipes – I’m always glad when others enjoy it, too. Thanks for your review, I appreciate your time.
Faz
Dearest Nora
Thanks so much for an awesome recipe. Since we love spicy food, I added some chili powder to the chicken before marination.
My guests absolutely loved it are all proud owners of your recipes.
Wishing you all the best!
Best regards
Faz
Cape Town
South Africa
Michele
Holy moly! This is dynamite , I just finished it. Made it for my mom and me. Hard to believe it’s oven baked. There were so many crispies! I followed recipe to the t. I’m so impressed, so thank you for this recipe.
Joy Chapman
With 2 lbs of chicken tender strips and not crowding the pan, how many batches does it take to make it all?
Nora
With a full sheet pan? I do it in 2. You could probably do 3 but I find that’s too much of a hassle. We sit down to eat the first batch while the second batch bakes, which works out perfectly fine!
Kim
This recipe has me really curious, but I need an alternative to wheat. What would be a good substitute for the breadcrumbs?
Thanks for your help!
Nora
Hi Kim, I’ve made this recipe with coarse cornmeal instead of the breadcrumbs and it was fine. You can also use unsweetened shredded coconut or crushed cornflakes. Hope that helps!
Mark
The absolute best oven fried chicken I’ve ever had! Thanks so much for this recipe!
Nora
So glad to hear it, Mark!
Diana
Oh my goodness!!! This was so yummy!! My family loved this chicken. This is one keeper for this family!! The chicken was so crispy a and crunchy!! It went well with my mashed cauliflower!! Thank you so much!!
Nora
Glad to hear it, Diana. Thanks for your review – I appreciate it!
Ashley
Planning on making this over the weekend! Question though, is the lemon juice simply for flavor and therefore something I can omit or is it serving as an extra acid that’s needed?
Nora
Hi Ashley, you can leave out the lemon juice! Hope that helps!
Ashley
Thank you!
Terrance
Awesome! It’s everything I love about fried chicken. Minus the grease and the stomach ache afterwards. I love how the butter adds that delicious nutty taste as it browns with the chicken. Buttery crust is good on everything but I never imagined it with chicken. Thank you!
Nora
This comment is making me so happy, Terrance! Glad the chicken turned out well for you, and thanks for taking the time to leave a review – I appreciate it!
Lori
Made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! Thanks for the awesome recipe! I did not change anything. Yum!
Nora
Glad you enjoyed the chicken, Lori! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, I appreciate it.
Rochelle
I like this recipe. It is easy to make. I didn’t follow it to the T, I added a little bit more spices and brown sugar in my flour mixture. The only thing I forgot to do was out the butter down first. I but it on top of the chicken. Simple mistake but a learning lesson.
Mk
This was kind of wet and gloppy going into the oven, but OMG!! It wss so delicious!! My husband kids and their friends devoured it and commented on how they loved it. It was crispy and delicious. I used bonless thighs, small chicken breasts and drumsticks. It was sooooo good! I cooked it until it was very crispy. Thank you for the recipe!!
Krista
This is now my go to recipe. I’ve also used buffalo ranch seasoning in the marinade/flour which is great for a change on chicken burgers! My tip for a newbie to this recipe is heed the advice to preheat your pan and I have found saving some butter to add half way through cooking seems to prevent sticking even better. MAKE. THIS. NOW.
Nora
Krista, you are making my day with your comment! I love the idea of the seasoning, I HAVE to try that! And yes, I agree – everybody make this NOW 🙂
Rosa
Thinking about making this tonight. Do you think a large cast iron pan will work ?
Nora
Hi Rosa, I think that would work just fine! Just make sure you’re using enough butter so that the coating doesn’t stick. And as I don’t know how large your skillet is, just be careful so you don’t overcrowd the pan, or the chicken may get soggy. Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
Elizabeth
This is an amazing recipe. I made one variation and only dipped it once in the breading mix (I don’t like a lot of bread). I tried it on cauliflower slabs as well and was also amazing. Thanks so much. Every other recipe I came across calls for corn flakes and I just could not do that.
Nora
Elizabeth, thank you SO much for your recipe review! I’m glad you enjoy the chicken, and I love the suggestion with the cauliflower!
Kerry CISSNE
I’m making this tonight. I had drumsticks so I need to adjust the time I think. Wow the instructions were so simple. Can’t wait to eat lol.
Nora
Hope it turned out amazing, Kerry!
Susan
Did you use bone in or boneless
Nora
Hi Susan, I used boneless, but many readers have successfully made it with bone-in. So you can use whatever you like best!
Rebecca
Making this tonight!
Nora
Awesome Rebecca, let me know how you like it!
Phyllis B
Great instructions for a great meal!
Phyllis B
Excellent recipe, directions, and great taste!
Nora
I’m so glad you liked it, Phyllis! And than you for taking the time to review the recipe – I appreciate it!