Easy Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken
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Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken —superbly seasoned juicy chicken thighs fried to crispy perfection in the oven. Southern fried chicken made easy.
Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken is an easy southern fried chicken recipe made in the oven. This cooking method produced the same crispy results as deep fried chicken with a fraction of the oil. The chicken remains juicy and moist while to skin and breading becomes amazingly crunchy. Both are seasoned perfectly with a blend of spices and a hint of hot sauce.
Ingredients and equipment
Chicken thighs
All-purpose flour
Salt
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Cayenne pepper
Paprika
Mustard powder
Onion powder
Milk
Eggs
Hot sauce
Canola oil
Large baking tray with rack
Thermometer (affil link)
This recipe is not intended to be a “healthy or healthier” version of fried chicken. It’s exactly as it says, oven-fried. While it’s not exactly deep-fried, it still requires a fair amount of cooking oil. I have tried this recipe just cooking spray and it works. It does not render a super crunchy bird but it will have a little crisp and nice flavor from the seasoning.
Crispy oven-fried chicken instructions
You don’t need breadcrumbs or any other coating besides an egg dip and seasoned flour. I’m using high temperature and cooking oil to achieve the same crispness as stovetop fried chicken. To start, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Rinse and pat dry your chicken thighs. Season the meat with salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne.
Prepare your work station with two mix bowls. Beat together, eggs, milk, and hot sauce in one and flour with remaining spices in another.
Dip the thighs into the egg dip followed by the flour.
Place the battered thighs on a sheet pan and coat with the canola oil on all sides.
Bake skin side up for 25-30 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165 degrees.
Options for healthier oven-fried chicken
You can still make incredible healthier chicken without using cooking oil and using leaner meat. The preparation remains the same, only the cooking method changes.
- Use cooking spray instead of cooking oil. Eliminate the cooking oil and spray the chicken pieces with cooking spray.
- Try leaner chicken. Use chicken breast with the skin and excess fat removes.
- Invest in an air fryer. No oil required for crispy chicken when using an air fryer.
Recipes to pair with crispy fried chicken
Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
Sweet Potato Fries
Southern Green Beans and Potatoes
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Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken thighs about 9 pieces
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 c milk
- 3 eggs
- 2 tbsp hot sauce
- 1/2 c canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Rinse and pat dry your chicken thighs. Season the meat with salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Beat together the eggs, milk, and hot sauce in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl mix flour with 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon each paprika, mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- Dip the thighs into the egg dip followed by the flour. Place the battered thighs on a sheet pan and coat with the canola oil on all sides. Baked skin side up for 25-30 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165 degrees.
I LOVE THIS RECIPE!!!
The results are amazing! I made a believer out of my brother-in-law, who said it wouldn’t taste same w/ out a deep fryer!! He was wrong! I also add a pinch of smoked paprika, to the spice mix!
Thank you Ty!
Woohoo! I love hearing this. Thanks for letting me know!
I just found your page and I’m excited. I am gonna try this chicken, do you pour the oil over the chicken after you season and dip?
Welcome! I pour the oil onto the sheet pan I plan to bake with and coat the floured chicken on all sides.
Delicious!!!
Today is my third time using this recipe…my family has been hooked since day one! It is definitely a game changer! Thanks for the share! 🥰
So glad you enjoy it!
I’ve made this twice now! I’ve always used the same seasoning for my chicken but seasoning it before the egg wash is a game changer! This chicken is super flavorful and turns out really crispy. I broil it at the end to get that extra crisp.
Excellent! Yes, layering the seasoning is a game changer. So glad you enjoyed it!
Looks great, is this chicken spicy?
Thanks. Not to me; definitely not hot. You can cut out the hot sauce and cayenne if you can’t handle spicy at all.
It wouldn’t be for myself, my mother in law that’s why I asked but thank you would that change the flavor of the chicken majorly?
It wouldn’t change it too much. I think it adds a nice kick and a little flavor but since it’s very little hot sauce, I don’t think it will make a significant difference.
My apologies I have one more question. Do u put 1 tsp of garlic powder in it twice or once bc u have it in the ingredients list twice?
No worries, glad to clarify. You will used the spices listed directly under the chicken to season the chicken and the other set of spices to season the flour. So 1 tsp of garlic powder for the chicken and the other for the flour. Hope that helps!
So Ty I made this chicken 2day & it was great my family loved it my daughter didn’t even know that I had baked it she was thinking I fried it thanks!
Awesome! So happy it turned it well.
I love crispy chicken and this recipe looks amazing! Love all the flavourful spices you’ve used so I know this is going to be good!
This was just the best chicken we have ever made at home! It was so crispy, packed full of flavor! The whole family just loved it!!! THANK YOU
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.