Oven Fried Chicken is one of our all time favorite recipes! It’s so healthy, juicy, flavorful, and CRISPY! You would never guess this chicken is oven baked and not fried. The spice rub tastes just like your favorite KFC. SO MUCH FLAVOR! This baked friend chicken breast is one of our favorites to make year round.
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Oven Fried Chicken
Oven Fried Chicken is the perfect kind of recipe for our family and one of our favorite easy recipes!
I have a running theme on The Cookie Rookie: Simple and delicious. On this journey to learn how to cook, I’ve found that my very favorite meals are those with the simplest ingredients, easiest prep, and best flavors.
I’m always looking for recipes that are made in a flash, and cleaned up even faster! Sometimes the simple meals are simply the best. This baked fried chicken breast is my newest recipe to prove my point. This recipe is so quick, so easy, and so delicious!
This oven fried chicken comes out of the oven SO crispy, you won’t believe it! Just like our Buttermilk Fried Chicken, but baked instead of fried.
Eating this oven fried chicken recipe will have everyone thinking you ran down the street and got KFC Fried Chicken. But you secretly made a healthy baked version instead. WINNING!
Oven Fried Chicken Recipe
I’ve been attempting to cook healthier meals for the past couple months. But healthy doesn’t have to be boring!
For me, healthy is all about making simple substitutes and tweaks to favorite dishes. This crispy baked fried chicken is the perfect example!
Instead of deep frying chicken, we’re baking it in the oven with a flavorful flour coating that turns crispy. Trust me, it’s just as good as the real thing, with less calories, less grease, but all the flavor!
How to Make Oven Fried Chicken
As you can see in the step-by-step recipe photos below, this healthy fried chicken breast is pretty straightforward.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Cut chicken breasts into 4 portions.
- Marinate chicken in milk for 20 minutes.
- Mix together the breading mixture.
- Coat the baking pan with parchment and melted butter.
- Dip chicken in the flour/breading mixture.
- Bake chicken at 400°F for 35-40 minutes.
That’s all there is to it! Watch the video to see the step by step recipe in action. Check below for the printable recipe card with full instructions and ingredient list.
Is Oven Fried Chicken Healthy?
Believe it or not, YES!
Most people think you need to deep fry to get that super crispy coating. Sure, you won’t have the same thick layers of breading, BUT you can get a really nice layer of flavorful, crispy breading on your oven fried chicken.
Check below for some tips on keeping it crispy!
I have loved learning the lighter side of cooking. This is such an easy way to lighten up a true classic (try our Buttermilk Fried Chicken if you want the real deal). All the comforts of home, in a slimmed down version. Another favorite variation of this recipe is our Oven Fried Parmesan Crusted Chicken. OBSESSED.
This oven fried chicken breast is SO EASY, healthy(er), and yummy. The outside is nice and crispy, while the inside stays juicy. What more can you ask for?
Tips!
- Letting the chicken breast marinate in milk for 20 minutes helps break down enzymes so that the meat becomes more tender. It’s common practice to soak chicken in milk when making Southern-fried chicken, although sometimes it’s marinated overnight. 20 minutes is enough for this easy recipe.
- Flour, paprika, all-purpose spice, salt & pepper make a delicious spice rub and acts as the “breaded” coating here. It really crisps up like breading in the oven.
- Pat the chicken dry after marinating it to remove excess milk. You want the surface of the meat to be dry so the coating sticks and doesn’t slide off while baking.
- Leave space between the chicken when placing it in the pan. You want the heat to bake all sides of it in the oven to help it get extra crispy.
Baked Fried Chicken Year Round
This oven fried chicken recipe is so versatile and is a great dish to have on hand. I think it would be a fabulous base for Chicken Piccata, Chicken Marsala, and especially Chicken Parmesan.
I might just have to try all three! Isn’t it wonderful when lightened up recipes turn out as flavorful as the sinful ones? Those are the recipes to hold on to and pass down for generations.
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
72+ Easy Chicken Recipes
See our Chicken Guide for ALL the best chicken recipes plus tips and tricks for juicy chicken every time.
Can you put floured chicken in the oven?
Of course you can! Complete honesty with this baked fried chicken…the skin does come out crispy from the oven but its not as thick as the crispy skin on truly fried chicken.
Even when baking instead of frying, you still want to do the flour coating and all the spices to create a delicious crispy skin on your chicken.
What is the internal temperature of cooked chicken?
Chicken should read 165°F internal temperature when they’re ready to eat.
The Best meat thermometer!
I love using this meat thermometer for making sure the meat is at 165 degrees! Easy for beginners & totally worth the $10 cost!
It’s always good to check with a meat thermometer when you’re about to take them out of the oven! You don’t want to undercook chicken, so it’s always good to keep a meat thermometer on hand.
See our Meat Temperature Guide for more info!
More Chicken Breast Recipes
This Oven Fried Chicken is just one of our favorite Chicken Breast Recipes. Be sure to make all of favorites and let us know how you like them!
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy!
Oven Fried Chicken (Baked Fried Chicken Breast)
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 3 cups buttermilk
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose seasoning click link for example
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 stick butter melted
- 1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley optional
Instructions
- CUT chicken breasts in half, lengthwise, to create 4 even portions.
- PLACE chicken in a large bowl and marinate in milk for about 20 minutes.
- MIX together flour, paprika, all-purpose spice, salt, and pepper in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
- PREHEAT oven to 400ºF.
- Place parchment paper on a 9×13 baking sheet. MELT butter and pour onto the parchment, coating the bottom of the pan/parchment.
- Lightly pat each chicken breast with a paper towel to remove excess milk before dipping. DIP each chicken breast, one at a time, in the flour mixture. COAT both sides liberally. PLACE in pan.
- REPEAT with all four chicken breasts, making sure there is a small amount of room between each breast in the pan. This will allow them to crisp while baking.
- BAKE at 400ºF for 35-40 minutes (or until the breading is golden brown and the juices run clear), flipping each breast after 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with parsley if desired. Enjoy!
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Nutrition Information
Easy and good comfort food. I actually made it on the gas grill.
Sounds delicious, Jean!
1 cup flour + seasonings is enough to bread an entire chicken! Followed the recipe exactly and my chicken breasts were gooey, not crispy at all. At least the meat was moist and juicy, thanks to the buttermilk marinade an baked in half a cup of butter.
I am sorry this didn’t work out for you.
This, um, …definitely choose another chicken recipe from Cookie Rookie. :)
I am sorry to hear this wasn’t a recipe you enjoyed, Quinn. I hope you can find one that you love!
Tried making this recipe tonight. Followed the instructions exactly, and it turned out like a slimy mess. What a waste of chicken
I am sorry this didn’t work out for you, Jordan!
Wonder flavor- but I did not manage to achieve crispness. I pounded the breasts thin, and maybe they cooked too fast to 165 degrees before the coating could finish? Help! I really want this to work.
It looks delicious, Stephen!
This was wonderful! I normally make this dish a very different but was looking for a healthier option and this was such a winner. We followed it exactly as directed with the exception of the milk; we only had 2% and it still turned out really wonderfully. (Used Adobo All Purpose Seasoning from Goya) Moist on the inside; nice and crispy on the outside. My husband said “make sure you don’t loose that recipe!”
I love the seasoning addition!
When I click on the link for All Purpose Seasoning nothing happens – what all purpose seasoning do you you recommend?
I cannot find a link to your recommended all purpose seasoning. Which brand do you recommend for this recipe?
Can you substitute whole milk for the buttermilk?
Yes, you can!
I’ve been making chicken similar to this on my own for couple years–can’t be beat. Don’t know why commenters say breading falls off; mine never does.
Thanks for sharing!