Extra Crispy Oven Fried Chicken without the mess! Juicy, crunchy and busting at the seams with the best flavor ever, my family begs me to make this recipe every week. Simply amazing and perfect every single time.

Crispy Oven Fried Chicken on a white square platter with lemon slices.


Oven Fried Chicken

I am a lover of fried chicken. Like I could eat it every single day and never grow sick of it. It’s the perfect combination of flavors and textures….and it’s the ultimate comfort food around. There’s a picture of me somewhere from when I was a ‘wee one’ eating a bucket of fried chicken in a park on a bright sunny day.

My default weeknight dinner is always this Oven Baked Chicken Breast but it doesn’t satisfy my crunchy fried chicken craving. This Baked Fried Chicken is the only thing that does it….and it couldn’t be easier to make.

The coating gets extra crispy in the oven while the meat stays tender, juicy, and super savory. I tried baking it without the skin…..I tried baking it on a baking sheet…..I tried baking it on a baking rack…..I tried baking it with the skin on a baking rack….it all just was boo.

So, after a few tries I gave up…for a bit. Then I decided to change up my chicken coating AND I threw the baking sheet in the oven with a bit of butter while I was dredging the chicken.

Besides the fact that my healthy fried chicken recipe isn’t really that healthy anymore, I made Truly Crispy Oven Fried Chicken and it was AMAZING!!!!

Oven Fried Chicken drumstick on a blue plate with black eyed peas and broccoli.

How To Make Oven Fried Chicken

To be sure my recipe yielded Truly Crispy Oven Fried Chicken, I had to tinker with the coating quite a bit. It turns out that a combination of corn flakes, Rice Krispies (yeah, the same ones you make Rice Krispie Treats with) panko bread crumbs and flour seasoned with some cayenne, salt and pepper is the key to all your crispy chicken dreams.

  1. Make the crispy coating. Pulse the cereal, bread crumbs and flour together with spices until fine crumbs form.
  2. Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken to a large bowl and add the marinade to it. Allow to sit overnight.
  3. Heat the baking sheet. Preheat the baking sheet to ensure your chicken is crispy all the way around. Melt the butter on the sheet pan.
  4. Fry the chicken. Add the chicken to the baking sheet and roast until crispy and golden.
  5. Rest. Rest the chicken for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

Now, the hard part. You’ll need to let your chicken rest for about 5 super long minutes before serving. It gives the juices time to redistribute through the meat so that first bite is super juicy.

Platter with oven fried chicken with a hand pick a drumstick being lifted with hand.

Tips for the Best Oven Fried Chicken

To make sure you end up with perfectly crispy baked fried chicken, follow these helpful hints:

  • Dark pans work best – A darker, non-stick pan will produce a much crispier crust because they heat to a higher temperature than lighter pans. If you don’t have a dark pan, no worries. Any baking sheet will work in a pinch. Here is the baking sheet I use.
  • Don’t forget the marinade – The buttermilk chicken marinade adds TONS of flavor to your chicken. So, even if you can only marinade for an hour, do it. I like to let my chicken marinade overnight in the fridge.
  • You MUST start with a screaming hot baking sheet or the bottom of the chicken is just going to steam, the coating will not stick and you’ll have a sog-fest going on. Preheat the pan.
  • Take the chill off – Allow your chicken to hang out at room temperature for 30 minutes before dredging and baking. This will ensure your chicken cooks perfectly and evenly. 
  • Don’t skip the butter – I know a lot of you will be tempted to skip the butter but your chicken needs the fat to crisp up the coating. Cooking spray will not work here, at all. We’ll work on the recipe in the future.
  • To reheat – This oven fried chicken is best served immediately but if you want to make it a little in advance, you can place it on a rack over a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. 

You can make this crispy oven fried chicken recipe with bone in chicken thighs, drumsticks, chicken breasts or wings. It also works well as an oven fried chicken breast recipe made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Just decrease the cooking time by 5-10 minutes.

Oven Fried Chicken drumstick on a blue plate.

Serving Suggestions

Truly Crispy Oven Fried Chicken is perfect for any night of the week. Served with the BEST mashed potatoes and a fresh corn salad….this will definitely forget ever buying a bucket of chicken again. SOOOOO AMAZING! Oh….and did I tell you it’s AMAZING!? 🙂

We also love serving it alongside a pile of Potato Salad or homemade Cole Slaw for a southern style dinner. 

And for extra pow….drizzle your chicken with a spoonful of Nashville Hot Sauce!

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Crispy Oven Fried Chicken on a white square platter with lemon slices.

Get the Recipe: The Best Oven Fried Chicken Recipe

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
My favorite mess free way to enjoy Fried Chicken! This Oven Fried Chicken recipe is crispy, crunchy, juicy and tender. So EASY to make!
4.60 from 5 votes
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Ingredients

  • 2-3 pounds chicken parts, I like legs and thighs the best!
  • For the marinade:
  • 2 cups low-fat buttermilk
  • juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce, I use Tabasco in this recipe
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • For the coating:
  • 1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
  • 1 1/2 cups corn flakes
  • 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 8 tablespoons butter

Equipment

  • 1 baking sheet

Instructions 

  • Place the chicken pieces in a large zip top bag and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, lemon juice, lemon zest, hot sauce, salt and pepper.
  • Pour the mixture into the bag with the chicken and seal. Place the bag in a large bowl and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. (Do not marinade longer than 24 hours.)
  • Add the rice cereal, corn flakes and panko to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the ingredients until a fine crumb forms and transfer to a large bowl.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Add the flour, cayenne, paprika, salt and pepper to the cereal crumb mixture. Whisk to combine.
  • Remove the chicken from the marinade and dredge each piece in the flour mixture to coat. Shake off excess coating. Set aside.
  • Place the butter on a sheet pan and transfer to the oven. Remove when the butter is melted.
  • While the pan is still hot, lay the chicken on the pan skin side down and return to the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the crust is a deep golden brown and crisp.
  • Turn the chicken over and continue baking for 20-25 minutes until the bottom is golden brown.
  • Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and serve immediately with lemon wedges or hot sauce.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

Be sure to shake off any excess coating vigorously or you will end up with soggy spots on your crust.
It’s best to select chicken pieces that are approximately the same size so the chicken cooks at the same rate. Otherwise, remove the chicken pieces as they are done cooking so you don’t overcook them.
Serving: 2g, Calories: 432kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 90mg, Sodium: 844mg, Potassium: 296mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1105IU, Vitamin C: 7.5mg, Calcium: 104mg, Iron: 5.2mg
Author: Kellie
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American