This is my way of making oven fried chicken – and I think it is the best method out there to get it crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Better than KFC!
A few years back I loved getting chicken from KFC as a Sunday night treat. Now that I have my own family, I much prefer to stay home and cook a homemade meal. And I especially prefer to have less greasy traditions! That’s why I figured out how to make “fried” chicken at home.
Everyone will love this crispy oven fried chicken recipe – it’s so simple to make but full of flavor! We love to serve it with mashed potatoes, potato wedges or a quick mac and cheese, plus a vegetable on the side. But it’s also delicious in a burger or a sandwich!
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
Ingredient notes
- Chicken parts: I usually use skinless, boneless chicken breast because it’s easiest for me to make and everyone will eat it. You can use whatever pieces you want, though – many readers have successfully made it with thighs and drumsticks!
- Buttermilk: It’s not mandatory to use actual buttermilk. If you don’t keep any on hand, feel free to use either just regular milk or regular milk with 1 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar stirred in.
- Breadcrumbs: I use plain breadcrumbs because I always have those on hand, but Panko is also very delicious and yields amazing results.
- Salt and spices: I reduced the salt by half from a previous version because some people felt it was too salty; if you’ve made this before and the saltiness was right for you, feel free to increase. And I know it sounds like a crazy amount of spices… But trust me here, your chicken will turn out bland if you don’t season it enough. If you want to add some heat, try using some cayenne pepper or chili powder.
- Baking powder: This helps the breading to puff up a little and behave more like a batter fried in oil. I know it sounds like a strange ingredient in oven fried chicken, but please don’t skip it!
- Butter: While this is a baked recipe, it still needs fat to crisp up and brown right. If you prefer to stay away from butter for whatever reason, I have also made this with canola oil before and it turned out well.
How to make Oven Fried Chicken
1. Start by heating the oven. You want to place your baking sheet in the oven as it preheats, it needs to be hot when you add the breaded chicken later for best results.
2. Prepare the breading ingredients: Whisk the buttermilk and egg in a medium bowl, and combine all of the dry ingredients in a shallow dish (I use a small-ish baking dish so there’s enough room to properly coat the chicken).
I also cut the chicken into pieces (about 2-3 per breast). If you leave yours whole or leave chicken thighs whole, you’ll need to increase the baking time.
3. To bread the chicken, proceed as follows:
- Toss the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture (I do them all at once for more efficiency).
- Shake off any excess flour, then coat with egg wash (again, I do all of the chicken pieces together here because it’s faster and works just as well).
- Finally, thickly coat each chicken piece with dry mix again (this needs to be done for each piece individually). You’ll want to pack on a lot of breading and then pound it onto the chicken with kitchen tongs or a large spoon to make it stick.
4. Melt the butter on the prepared, pre-heated pan (careful, hot, use oven gloves and keep kids/pets away!), then add the chicken.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, then very carefully flip. Add more butter if need and finish baking for another 8-10 minutes. I always finish the chicken under the broiler for 1-2 minutes for the ultimate crispy result!
Recipe tips
- Use a dark pan: A dark pan reflect the heat best, which results in the crispiest chicken. A silver pan is acceptable and yields good results, too.
- Use kitchen tongs plus spoons: Use kitchen tongs to toss the chicken in the flour mix initially, and to pound on the breading. Use one large spoon to stir the chicken in the egg mixture and to remove single pieces to drop back into the dry mix (this is your “wet spoon”). Then use a second, separate spoon to pile breading mix onto the chicken (this is your “dry spoon”). This is the easiest way to keep the mess to a minimum.
- Breading: Do not skip pressing/pounding on the dry flour mix in the final step of breading. This is very important to help the breading stick to the chicken and to keep it from flaking off during baking.
- Flip it VERY carefully: Use a spatula to slide underneath the chicken and very gently release the chicken from the pan before flipping/serving. If you just rip it off with tongs etc, the breading will fall off.
- Let the chicken rest for 2-3 minutes before serving, but don’t let it sit around for longer than this. Otherwise, it will start getting soggy.
In full disclosure: While I do love this recipe 100% (I wouldn’t have shared it otherwise!) it is important to me to tell you that you shouldn’t expect the same results from baking as you should from deep-frying.
This recipe here does make a crispy oven fried chicken, but it’s not identical to regular deep fried chicken. It’s very delicious though (I do really do like it better than KFC!) and your family will probably fight for the last crunchy oven fried chicken piece. I know mine does 😉
Reheating leftovers
If you have leftovers, you can easily reheat them in the oven. The chicken won’t be quite as juicy as freshly baked, but it’s still good.
Check out my step by step instructions for reheating fried chicken here!
Freezer instructions
Either freeze the breaded, unbaked chicken OR the fully baked and cooled chicken. Flash-freeze in a single layer on a cookie sheet for ~1 hour before transferring to freezer bags (flash freezing is mandatory for the unbaked chicken, but also very much recommended for baked chicken).
Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing. Label the bag or container with the contents, and the use-by date (freeze for up to 3 months). Place the flash-frozen chicken in the bag and freeze.
Reheat the frozen chicken for 20-30 minutes at 375 in the oven, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. You don’t need to defrost it before reheating.
Side dish ideas
Finally, I want to show you just how versatile this recipe is. There are lots of ways to have fried chicken and these are some of our favorites:
- Sautéed green beans and mashed potatoes
- In a bun topped with sliced avocado and coleslaw on the side (I had this at a restaurant with regular fried chicken and it was so good!)
- Corn on the cob, baked beans and sweet potato fries
- Baked Potato Wedges and Cucumber Salad
Really, this is THE recipe you’ve got to try. It’s what my kids want for their birthday dinner every single year, so you know it’s a good one 😉
Watch the recipe video
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my email list, too!
Crispy Oven Fried Chicken
Recipe details
Equipment
- roasting pan (dark colored)
Ingredients
For the egg mix:
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup buttermilk OR regular milk; see notes
For the breading:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs Panko or Italian seasoned work as well
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
For the chicken:
- 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into strips (I do 2-3 per breast)
For the pan:
- ¼ cup butter or more as needed
Instructions
- Prep: Heat the oven to 410°F (210°C). Place a dark-colored (or at the very least a silver metal) roasting pan (a rimmed baking sheet works as well) in the oven to heat up.
- Prepare breading: In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and the milk. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, breadcrumbs, baking powder and seasoning together.
- Bread the chicken: Toss the chicken pieces in the flour, coating evenly and shaking off any extra flour. Next, toss the chicken pieces in the egg mixtures. Then, dip each into the flour mix again, this time coating very well – press the breading well on the chicken to make it stick.
- Place chicken on pan: Take the baking pan out of the oven and melt the butter on it. Place the coated chicken pieces on the tray – leave enough space in between, I usually bake it in two batches.
- Oven fry: 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 the chicken until it turns golden brown and crispy.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Chicken parts: I usually use skinless, boneless chicken breast because it’s easiest for me to make and everyone will eat it. You can use whatever pieces you want, though – many readers have successfully made it with thighs and drumsticks!
- Buttermilk: It’s not mandatory to use actual buttermilk. If you don’t keep any on hand, feel free to use either just regular milk or regular milk with 1 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar stirred in.
- Breadcrumbs: I use plain breadcrumbs because I always have those on hand, but Panko is also very delicious and yields amazing results.
- Salt and spices: I reduced the salt by half from a previous version because some people felt it was too salty; if you’ve made this before and the saltiness was right for you, feel free to increase. And I know it sounds like a crazy amount of spices… But trust me here, your chicken will turn out bland if you don’t season it enough. If you want to add some heat, try using some cayenne pepper or chili powder.
- Baking powder: This helps the breading to puff up a little and behave more like a batter fried in oil. I know it sounds like a strange ingredient in oven fried chicken, but please don’t skip it!
- Butter: While this is a baked recipe, it still needs fat to crisp up and brown right. If you prefer to stay away from butter for whatever reason, I have also made this with canola oil before and it turned out well.
Recipe tips
- Use a dark pan: A dark pan reflect the heat best, which results in the crispiest chicken. A silver pan is acceptable and yields good results, too.
- Use kitchen tongs plus spoons: Use kitchen tongs to toss the chicken in the flour mix initially, and to pound on the breading. Use one large spoon to stir the chicken in the egg mixture and to remove single pieces to drop back into the dry mix (this is your “wet spoon”). Then use a second, separate spoon to pile breading mix onto the chicken (this is your “dry spoon”). This is the easiest way to keep the mess to a minimum.
- Breading: Do not skip pressing/pounding on the dry flour mix in the final step of breading. This is very important to help the breading stick to the chicken and to keep it from flaking off during baking.
- Flip it VERY carefully: Use a spatula to slide underneath the chicken and very gently release the chicken from the pan before flipping/serving. If you just rip it off with tongs etc, the breading will fall off.
- Let the chicken rest for 2-3 minutes before serving, but don’t let it sit around for longer than this. Otherwise, it will start getting soggy.
Reheating leftovers
If you have leftovers, you can easily reheat them in the oven. The chicken won’t be quite as juicy as freshly baked, but it’s still good. Check out my step by step instructions for reheating fried chicken here!Freezer instructions
Either freeze the breaded, unbaked chicken OR the fully baked and cooled chicken. Flash-freeze in a single layer on a cookie sheet for ~1 hour before transferring to freezer bags (flash freezing is mandatory for the unbaked chicken, but also very much recommended for baked chicken). Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing. Label the bag or container with the contents, and the use-by date (freeze for up to 3 months). Place the flash-frozen chicken in the bag and freeze. Reheat the frozen chicken for 20-30 minutes at 375 in the oven, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. You don’t need to defrost it before reheating.Nutrition
More recipe information
Recipe first published in 2016. Updated with new video, photos, step-by-step photos and better text on 03/21/2021.
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Check out our Oven Fried Chicken Breast Recipes collection for more ideas!
Sheri says
Winner winner chicken dinner! I had to sub soy milk for buttermilk due to allergies. Doubled the recipe. Did half in a dark pan and half in a silver pan (all I had). The dark pan was SO much faster in cooking it. The whole family loved it. He said he’d be happy eating this ANYtime.
Nora says
I’m so glad, Sheri! And thank you for sharing your experience using a dark pan and a silver pan at the same time – such valuable feedback for other cooks!
ErisX says
This recipe works!! My partner has been craving fried chicken but I dislike making it due to the mess oil makes. BUT you don’t get crispy in the oven… right? WRONG. This recipe works!! Did I say that already?
Nora says
I’m so, so glad to hear this!
Tyler says
I have to admit that I’ve never bother to comment on recipes I find online, even if I loved them, but I was so impressed with this recipe that I felt compelled to sing it’s praises.
To put it simply, it was absolutely DEE-LICIOUS! And it was a huge hit with my family. Now, some might think my words might sound a little overly dramatic because they might think “It’s just chicken”, but one reason I’m so impressed is because the end result is a restaurant quality, wouldn’t-have-guessed-it-was-baked-in-the-oven piece of genuine fried chicken—super crispy—with the convenience of just popping something in the oven and none of the mess that comes with deep frying.
The amount of each seasoning and salt was spot on too.
This isn’t one of those “kind of like” fried chicken imitation recipes you see so much now with the popularity of air fryers, whose pseudo crispy texture relies on things like corn flakes and similar ingredients, this is the real deal.
Highly recommended!
Nora says
I’m so, so happy to hear this, Tyler! I’m glad the recipe worked so great for you, it’s definitely one of the most requested dinners in our home so I’m always happy when others love it just as much.
Tina says
I just ran across this and loved it. I used more dry mixture and a bit less milk in the egg since I had only 2%. To add flavor, I ground a combination of Italian croutons and durkees fried onions. Amazing!
Nora says
Sounds delicious, Tina! Thanks for sharing your tips, I’m very intrigued by the Italian crouton/fried onion combination.
Nadene says
Thank you for this great recipe. I’m celiac so I just switched out the flour for gf flour and it was great! I was surprised at the negative comments as I had no trouble immediately getting to the recipe.
Nora says
I’m so glad, Nadene! And I’m glad you were able to find the recipe easily.
Joan says
This recipe was fantastic. The chicken was juicy and the crust crunchy. I used 1 lb of chicken thighs on the bone because we love fried chicken the way we eat it in the south- picking it up with our hands and licking the bones clean. It took about 10 min longer to cook but I added 5 min to the first bake and 5 min after I turned the thighs. I kept all the other amounts the same. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Nora says
I’m so glad, Joan! Thank you so much for sharing how you prepared it with bone-in chicken thighs – this will be so helpful for other readers.