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Looking to put a healthy spin on deep-fried chicken? This oven fried chicken recipe provides the crispiest breading while keeping the meat inside tender and juicy.
Crispy baked chicken thighs is one of my favorite ways to cook this protein, as it never fails me. But I crave a deep-fried breaded chicken every once in a while (hello, KFC).
If you’ve tried air fryer fried chicken before, you’ll love this oven baked version. The skin is crispy, while the meat is moist and juicy. The best part? There is no deep frying, so it has a fraction of the oil of traditional fried chicken.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
For me, frying chicken in the oven is one of the best ways to get crispy chicken without fuss and mess. It’s also a healthier alternative to deep frying. My family ADORES fried chicken, so I love making this as a delicious alternative.
- It’s super crispy. The flour cornstarch coating yields crunchy results even when the chicken is baked and not fried. Cornstarch is key- make sure you don’t skip it.
- It’s a lot healthier. Like air fryer chicken thighs, this recipe makes crispy breaded chicken without added oil. If deep-fried chicken is your jam, fried chicken wings are always a hit.
- It’s mess-free. I hate how deep-frying chicken turns my stove into an oily mess. Oven ‘frying’ omits all of that.
Ingredients (and substitutions)
If you’ve made my spicy chicken sandwich or hot honey chicken sandwich before, you’ll notice the ingredients are quite similar but the major difference is that none of the oil is needed! Here is what you’ll need.
- Chicken pieces. I like to mix bone-in and boneless chicken thighs, drumsticks, and wings. If there is one cut you prefer over another, you can use all of that. If you like white meat, use chicken breasts or chicken tenders instead. These cuts take less time to cook, so adjust the cooking time.
- Buttermilk. Thanks to its acidic properties, buttermilk helps tenderize the chicken. If you don’t have buttermilk, use regular milk and add a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar per cup.
- Salt and pepper. Add to taste.
For the breading:
- Flour. All-purpose flour works well for the breading. Swap it with gluten-free all-purpose flour if you can’t eat gluten. I also tried this with standard bread crumbs and they didn’t add much to it, so stick with flour.
- Cornstarch. The secret ingredient that yields a super crispy golden crust.
- Salt, pepper, smoked paprika. I feel like this crispy baked chicken doesn’t need any more seasoning.
How to make oven fried chicken
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prepare your workstation. Add the buttermilk, salt, and pepper to a large mixing bowl and mix well. Add the chicken pieces and let them sit in the buttermilk for 10 minutes.
Step 2- Bread the chicken. In a shallow bowl, mix your breading ingredients. When it’s time for breading, use a pair of tongs to remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk. Allow the excess liquid to drip off. Dredge the chicken in the breading mixture, ensuring they are coated on all sides.
Step 3- Bake. Grease a baking tray with oil. Parchment paper can prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan. Arrange the breaded chicken on the baking tray, leaving some space around each piece. Bake the chicken for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Tips to make the best recipe
- My #1 tip when cooking any meat, but especially chicken, is to always use a meat thermometer to check the doneness. This saves you from having to check the chicken every few minutes to know when it’s cooked. As per the FDA requirements, chicken is fully cooked at 165F.
- If you have time, you can marinate the chicken thighs in buttermilk for up to 24 hours. The long marinating time will yield juicier and more tender results.
- When baking the chicken, place a wire rack set inside the baking tray. This creates hot air circulation around the chicken pieces, making them crispy on all sides.
- For the crispiest results, start with a very hot oven. Turn on the oven as soon as you start the chicken preparations.
Flavor variations
The texture of this oven fried chicken is what makes it shine. But if you want to pump up its flavor, here are some ways I’ve tested it out to change things up:
- Use more spices and herbs. Chicken is one of the most versatile ingredients when it comes to seasonings. You can add a variety of spices and herbs to the breading to change up the flavor of the fried chicken. Some spices and herbs you can use are onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, mustard powder, and dried herbs like thyme, basil, and oregano.
- Add hot sauce to the buttermilk mixture. Be generous with it if you want some seriously hot chicken, and add only a drop or two if you want some subtle heat.
- Switch the breading. Use panko breadcrumbs instead of flour. Doing this will give the chicken a more texturized crunchy finish (it’s similar to Chicken Milanese or chicken cutlets).
Serving suggestions
Like any good chicken dish, the sides you can pair with it are pretty much unlimited. Here are some ideas:
- All the potatoes! My personal favorite, but our family adores some air fryer French fries or air fryer sweet potato fries. You can keep things simple with a simple air fryer baked potato or air fryer baked sweet potato.
- Salads. Any simple green salad works, or something more elaborate like a green goddess salad or orzo salad.
- Sautéed vegetables. While the chicken is baking, quickly saute some green beans, sauteed broccolini, sauteed Brussels sprouts, sauteed carrots, or sauteed asparagus.
- Starches and grains. Simply steame coconut milk rice is great, as is instant pot sushi rice for something a little different. You can keep the carbs down by trying it with cauliflower fried rice.
How to store leftovers
To store. Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To freeze. For the best results, flash-freeze the crispy chicken first. Then transfer it to an freezer bag, push out the excess air, and freeze for up to 6 months. Allow the chicken to defrost in the fridge before reheating it.
To reheat. Reheat the leftovers in the oven preheated to 350F degrees until heated through. Turn on the broiler for the last few minutes to make the breadcrumb coating extra crispy. Don’t reheat breaded chicken in the microwave, as it will become soggy.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can use this recipe to make deep-fried chicken. Prepare the chicken as instructed and fry it in oil preheated to 350F degrees. Chicken thighs and drumsticks take around 15 minutes to cook and get crispy. Check the internal temperature to make sure they are properly cooked.
Due to its lower starch content, flour doesn’t get as crispy as starch when fried. Instead, it prevents the chicken from drying out. Cornstarch, on the other hand, prevents gluten development and helps create a light and crispy coating. Cornstarch also helps achieve a nice golden color. To get the best of both worlds, use a mixture of flour and cornstarch.
The higher is the protein content in flour the more oil the crust will absorb. Thanks to its moderate protein content, all-purpose flour is the best flour to use for frying.
More delicious chicken recipes to try
Oven Fried Chicken
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken mix of boneless and bone-in pieces
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Breading
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, generously spray it with cooking spray, and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add the chicken, buttermilk, salt, and pepper, and let it sit for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika together.
- Using tongs, pick up marinated chicken pieces and shake off excess buttermilk. Moving quickly, dip the chicken in the breading on both sides.
- Add the breaded chicken on top and spray each one with more cooking spray. Bake for 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Once the chicken is golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of 165F, remove them from the oven and serve immediately.
I like to make fried foods in healthy way like this one.
The best oven fried chicken recipe I’ve ever made. So good.
Obsessed with this oven fried chicken recipe- it tastes better than KFC!
Thank you!! Finally a ‘fried’ chicken
Recipe. It’s great. My family has voted and this is DEFINATELY going to be our go to recipe.
Absolutely love this recipe. The simple ingredients are perfect. I do have to cook the chicken much longer. Up to 90 minutes depending in the size of the bone-in pieces. This will be my 1 and only oven fried chicken recipe that I will ever need. Thank you for posting it.
Can you substitute almond flour?
You can try.
So juicy and so easy to prepare!
This was the best oven fried chicken recipe I’ve ever made.
Can I substitute buttermilk with something? We have dairy allergy.
Make your own with almond milk and lemon juice. 🙂
Ms Tonya I tried mustard. It was bomb.
I love all your dishes and I’m ready to cook it!
I rate all 5 stars bake fried chicken 🍗
What can you use instead of buttermilk? Almond milk, soya milk ok?
Almond milk with lemon juice.