Published
I still vividly remember developing this baked fried chicken recipe. We were newly married and didn’t have a lot of money to eat out, and I wanted crispy, restaurant-worthy chicken, but at home, and somewhat healthier. This seasoned and breaded chicken recipe that’s oven-baked until crispy came to life, and I’ve been making it ever since.
5-Star Review
“I made this last night and it was the moistest chicken we’ve ever had. A bit of crispy and the flavor was wonderful. I didn’t have buttermilk and did add lemon juice to 1% milk. I am making it again today. Thank you for this recipe.” -Dawn
Easy Baked Fried Chicken Breast Recipe
I love that you only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this easy, crispy, flavorful oven-fried chicken. It’s one of my husband’s favorite recipes to this day, but now, it’s also a favorite for our two boys. It’s so easy to make, and it comes out tastier and healthier than fried chicken.
I’ve marinated the chicken in buttermilk to help break down enzymes so that the meat becomes tender and juicy, which is a common practice when making Southern-fried chicken. Though some recipes call for an overnight soak, I think 20 minutes is enough for this quick and simple version!
Baked Fried Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
- 3 cups buttermilk**
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp ground paprika
- 1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning*** such as Lawry's
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted (½ stick)
- ¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley optional
Video
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts in half, lengthwise, to create 4 thinner, even portions.2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
- Place chicken in a large bowl and marinate in the buttermilk for about 20 minutes.3 cups buttermilk**
- Mix together the flour, paprika, all-purpose spice, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp ground paprika, 1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning***, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Place parchment paper on a 9×13-inch baking sheet. Melt butter and pour onto the parchment, coating the bottom of the pan/parchment.4 tbsp unsalted butter
- Blot 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. Place in the 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!¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley
Becky’s Tips
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Oven Fried Chicken Breasts Step by Step
Prepare the chicken: Cut 2 chicken breasts in half, lengthwise, so you get 4 even, thinner portions.
Place chicken in a large bowl and marinate it in 3 cups of buttermilk for about 20 minutes.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp ground paprika, 1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1 tsp ground black pepper. Set the bowl aside.
Get the oven going and prepare a baking sheet: Preheat oven to 400ºF and line a 9×13″ baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt 4 tbsp of butter and pour it onto the parchment so it coats the whole surface of the pan.
Bread the chicken: Blot each chicken breast with a paper towel to remove excess buttermilk, but don’t dry completely, and then dip each chicken breast, one at a time, in the flour mixture, making sure to coat both sides. Place on the baking sheet. Repeat with all four chicken breasts, leaving a small space between each breast on the pan to allow them to crisp while baking.
Bake the chicken for 35-40 minutes or until the breading is golden brown and the juices run clear, flipping each breast after 20 minutes.
Garnish and serve: Remove the chicken from the oven, transfer to a serving dish, and garnish with parsley if desired. Enjoy!
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container or resealable bag, and keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days. I recommend wrapping each piece in foil or layering pieces with paper towels to soak up any moisture that might collect in the fridge. This will help to keep the breading nice and crispy.
To reheat, place pieces in the oven at 350°F until fully cooked through.
To freeze, wrap pieces of chicken in foil, then place them in a freezer-safe, resealable bag. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
This easy chicken breast recipe goes with any and all of your favorite side dishes. When I’m in the mood for a classic fried chicken kind of dinner, I make these potato wedges or some creamy mashed potatoes. I find that corn casserole and creamed green beans make great sides too.
And don’t forget homemade buttermilk biscuits, served with honey butter. It’ll be the whole family’s favorite meal!
more chicken breast recipes we love
Our Oven Fried Chicken Breast recipe was originally published on 4/2/2018. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever on 10/31/25.
This was a disappointment. The only piece of chicken that came out good was the first one that I forgot to dry. I wish I didn’t pay any fry and then they would have been great.
The coating didn’t stick to the chicken breast! It wasn’t flavorful and it’s not good. Feel like I wasted time and money on the ingredients.
Hi Sara, Sorry it didn’t work out for you.
This is absolutely delicious. I make crispy chicken sandwiches using this recipe and they literally taste like pdq chicken. Yum!
The chicken was not Crispy at all. The coating was soft & fell off the chicken breast & I followed the recipe to a tee. I would rate this chicken 7 out of 10. It had some flavor & was tender but was disappointed when it was not crispy. On a good note & love all the recipes & details on how to prep.
This recipe is awful.
Soggy floury chicken. Also the pics of chicken in the recipe are not the same chicken from the video.
Ugh.
Best bake-fried chicken recipe I’ve come across to date!
We used the yogurt/water mix and I seasoned with adobo. Delish!
very disappointed with the breading, it came off half way as well for me. as far as flavor it was tasty. I cooked it on parchment paper as the recipe looks. maybe if I cooked on foil or straight on the pan it wouldn’t have came off,
Unfortunately I followed this recipe to the tee. The chicken was dry, and far from crispy. It was closer to a wet flour sloppiness on the outside with tough chicken in the inside. Had high hopes. Changed nothing and sadly it did not work. Perhaps a higher heat for shorter time? I’ll try variations next time but this one, followed to the tee, did not work.
Hi Mike, we recommend brushing the chicken with melted butter to get extra browning. We would not advise turning the temperature up, as this could cause overcooked, burnt chicken!
This recipe was easy and delicious. I used chicken tenders. Next time Will let pan get a little hotter so the crust browns more.
This looks really good, but I’m afraid the butter will smoke in the oven. Would canola oil work? Maybe cook on a rack and spray the chicken with cooking oil instead of cooking directly on a pan? Anyone?
Hi Sue, you can certainly try it with canola oil, but it won’t have that buttery flavor!