Best Oven Fried Chicken
This Oven Fried Chicken tastes like KFC but with a fraction of the fat – which means you can eat your very own baked "fried chicken" whenever-you-want!!! The chicken is marinated in spiced buttermilk then breaded with flour, panko, cornmeal and spices then baked in a little butter for the BEST Baked Oven Fried Chicken ever!
Servings 4 -6
Ingredients
Chicken
- 10-12 chicken tenderloins (more or less to fit baking sheet)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup fine cornmeal
Spice Mixture
- 1 tablespoon salt (it won't taste salty)
- 2 tsps EACH chili powder, garlic powder
- 1 tsp EACH pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder
Instructions
- Marinate Chicken: Whisk the Spice Mix ingredients together in a small sealable bag or container. Add 1 TB Spice Mix, 1 cup buttermilk, and chicken to a large freezer bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6–24 hours. Store remaining Spice Mix separately.
- If baking (RECOMMENDED): Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a half-rimmed baking sheet (18×13-inch) with parchment paper (foil will NOT work because the chicken sticks to it). Add the butter and melt it in the oven while it preheats, checking every few minutes. Remove the baking sheet once the butter has melted.
- Meanwhile Mix Breading: Mix the flour, panko, cornmeal, and remaining Spice Mix in a large bowl. Add half of this breading mixture to a freezer bag.
- Bread Chicken: Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and dab off the excess marinade with paper towels (I plop the chicken on paper towels). Add half the chicken to the breadcrumb bag and shake until well coated. Press the breadcrumbs into the chicken as you remove the tenderloins from the bag.
- If baking, line the breaded chicken on the buttered baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken.If air frying, line the breaded chicken on parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- TO BAKE (Recommended): Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken over and bake for 5 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Broil to desired crispiness.
- TO AIR FRY: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Working in batches, add the chicken to the air fryer basket in a single layer and lightly spray with cooking spray. Cook for 5 minutes on each side or until crispy and the chicken's internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- Rest: Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes to rise to an internal temperature of 165°F. Serve with your favorite dipping sauces.
Video
Notes
- *If your breading is white in some places after you flip your chicken, it did not come in contact with the butter. The chicken will still taste great exactly as is, or you can lightly spray it with cooking spray and proceed to broil.
- Storage: Baked breaded chicken should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. For best results, don’t stack your chicken directly on each other, as this will make it soggy. Instead, place a piece of parchment paper between the layers.
How to Reheat
The oven baked fried chicken will soften upon refrigeration so I suggest reheating your chicken in the oven or air fryer to revive the crispy texture. The microwave will warm the chicken but won’t improve the texture. To reheat:- Microwave: The chicken will not be nearly as crispy if reheated in the microwave, but it will still be flavorful. Transfer chicken tenders to a microwave-safe plate in an even layer. Microwave for 90 seconds, then in additional increments of 15 seconds as needed.
- Air fryer: Place chicken in a single layer in the basket without touching. Air fry using the “snack” setting for 4-6 minutes until warmed.
- Oven: Spread chicken on a lightly greased baking rack set in a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-8 minutes or until heated through.