Do you want the juicy taste and crispy crust of fried chicken, without standing at the stove forever to fry it? This Oven-Fried Chicken is an easy option.
Oven-Fried Chicken
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I love fried chicken – such great comfort food! (Check out this Classic Fried Chicken recipe!) But it takes a while to cook. And with the nature of fried chicken there is more fat in fried chicken than in other chicken dishes. This Oven-Fried Chicken is a good compromise – all the crunchy crust of fried chicken without the extra fat.
You can make Oven-Fried Chicken with any chicken pieces that you like. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts would work great, and so would boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I used a whole chicken that I cut into pieces, so we have a little bit of everything – legs, thighs, breasts, and even wings!
I did remove the skin from the chicken before I breaded it. You don’t have to. Taking the skin off is an easy way to cut down on the fat content of the chicken. If you like the skin, by all means, leave it! But you don’t need the skin to get the crunchy crust in this chicken recipe.
To make the crust, I started with about 3 cups of cornflakes and crushed them up. Put the cornflakes in a gallon Ziploc bag, press as much air out as possible, and seal it up tight. Then start smashing! (Give this job to your toddler! Just make sure they don’t open the bag on you… Don’t ask…) You’ll end up with somewhere between 1-2 cups of cornflake crumbs. If you need more, you can always smash some more.
Unlike Classic Fried Chicken, which needs a lot of babysitting while it cooks, this Oven-Fried Chicken bakes itself. Make sure the chicken isn’t too crowded in your pan (you don’t want the chicken to be touching). Then pop it in a 375 degree oven for about 50 minutes.
It’s not always easy to tell when chicken is done, so I like to use a probe thermometer with an alarm (like this one). I put the thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken (usually the breast or thigh), set the monitor on the counter next to the stove, and set the alarm for 165 degrees F. When the alarm goes off, the chicken is done!
What’s your favorite “comfort food” way to enjoy chicken?
Enjoy!
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Printable Recipe Card for Oven-Fried Chicken
Oven-Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- 3 cups cornflakes crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons butter melted
- 2.5-3 pounds chicken pieces
Instructions
- In a shallow dish, combine egg and milk.
- In a second shallow dish, combine crushed cornflakes, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix in melted butter.
- Take the skin off the chicken pieces (optional).
- Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip in egg mixture then coat with cornflake mixture.
- Set chicken, bone side down, in a greased 9 x 13 baking pan.
- When all the chicken is coated with the cornflake mixture, sprinkle any leftover cornflake crumbs over chicken in the baking pan. Press cornflake crumbs lightly into chicken.
- Be sure the chicken is spaced out in the pan. If the pan is too crowded (chicken is touching), use two pans.
- Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees, for 45-55 minutes until chicken is done (165 degrees F in center). Do not turn chicken during baking.
This looks delicious! I am pinning this for later!
Oh my this looks luscious. I want some NOW! SO happy you shared with us at Weekend Potluck. Please come again soon.
It was my pleasure! Thanks for stopping by!