Simplify your dinner with this Oven Fried Chicken that comes out crispy & delicious in about an hour. Less mess & clean up, the best-baked chicken recipe. Ever!
My mom was a baker. She did a great job making sweets. But that is where it really ended for her in the kitchen. She didn’t really cook much that I can remember & so when I got out on my own I lived on things like toast & hamburger helper. Easy stuff.
So when I met the hubs we ate a lot of what he calls bachelor food. But I knew we couldn’t live on that forever.
So I started learning the basics & one of the first things I perfected was fried chicken. I make it in a handful of different ways – all equally as good as the next.
But the one that I make the most – this Oven Fried Chicken.
oven fried chicken recipe
It’s so simple to make. I like to coat my chicken using a zip-top bag. Just toss in there with my favorite flour– close & shake. It keeps the mess to a minimum & it does a great job.
I have been making this recipe for 20 years & I can tell you that each & every time we marvel at not only how easy it is to make but just how tasty it is after a long day.
Oh & did I mention that it takes less than 10 minutes to prep & a little over an hour to cook. That’s it! I told you it was easy!
It really is no wonder this recipe has been pinned millions of times & shared on Facebook over 1 MILLION TIMES. It is CRAZY EASY!
This recipe is the one that even my son makes now that he’s out on his own. He can cook once & live off the leftovers all week, which is so great considering how busy he is with work and classes.
Here are some commonly asked questions
Can this be made with drumsticks?
You can do that. Just cook for about 40-45 minutes, turning them over after about 30 minutes. You’ll know they are done when the meat is no longer pink at the bone and the juices are clear. A meat thermometer inserted near the bone should register 165 degrees.
How do you think this would be using Almond Flour to make this recipe Keto-friendly?
I don’t think it would hurt to give it a try. If you make it, please let me know how it turns out.
What is the best way to store leftover chicken?
After serving, place leftover chicken in a shallow airtight container. Be sure to label with the date before refrigerating. The chicken should keep for up to 2 days. As with most things, it is important to get food into the refrigerator within 1 hour after serving to prevent bacteria growth.
Why use a shallow container to store the leftovers?
Well, when the container is shallow, the contents chill faster than if you were to use a large, deep container. Ideally, you don’t want it to take too long for the leftovers to get to their chilled/stored temperature. As I mentioned, if the food remains above about 35 degrees for more than 1 hour after cooking, the bacteria starts to grow.
So, if the deep container of food takes several hours to finally get to that 35 degrees, the bacteria has been growing in your leftovers for those several hours. Not exactly what you want to happen.
Can you convert this recipe to a convection oven.
Yes – typically with convection you would reduce the temp by 25 degrees OR reduce the time by 25% but I’m not sure about the timing as I have never tried it with convection.
I have a convection chart here but it has been many years since I have updated it and I need to add several more categories.
You might need to use one of the many online free convection converters to get more accurate instruction for this.
How many can this serve?
This will depend greatly on portion sizes & the appetites of your crowd. I typically buy the large pack of chicken thighs that contains 8-10 pieces. So if all 5 of us in our family has 1-2 pieces each, it can feed us for 1 dinner.
oven baked fried chicken
Can I use a baking sheet pan or a cookie sheet pan?
I don’t recommend doing that because you need the taller sides to hold in the juices – that’s what helps to make the skins crispy and crunchy.
Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes, you can double this recipe. But due to constraints on how much the pan can hold, you might have to do 2 baking pans and bake them side-by-side.
Can I make it without paprika?
Yes, of course. You can always add other seasonings if you like. Pick your favorites and swap those in or add them in addition to the seasonings listed here.
HOW DO YOU MAKE OVEN FRIED CHICKEN?
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Spray a 9×13 metal, stoneware or enameled cast iron baking dish with cooking spray & set aside. (please see notes in the post about using Pyrex or clear glass dishes)
- Combine the chicken, flour, paprika, salt and pepper in a large gallon-size zip-top bag-. Seal the bag & shake well until chicken is coated in flour.
- Remove each piece of chicken from the bag & place skin-side down in the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle with additional seasonings to taste if desired.
- Bake 30-35 minutes.
- Remove & turn each piece of chicken over so they are skin side up and then sprinkle with more seasonings.
- Bake an additional 30-35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven & transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Sprinkle with additional salt if desired.
Can this be made with frozen chicken?
I don’t recommend trying to make this recipe with frozen chicken. It would drastically increase the cooking time and result in the skins burning while trying to get the internal temperature to a safe level.
***NOTE: Due to some safety concerns with baking glass cookware at high temperatures, please use a Metal Baking Dish, Corningware or Enameled cast iron dish.
Can you tell me the concern about clear glass bakeware?
There have been countless reports of the glassware exploding – I even had one of my readers tell me that when she was pulling out the dish at the end of baking, the whole thing exploded, sending glass & all the hot juices all over her oven, kitchen & herself.
I don’t recommend using them for baking over 350 degrees. Some say that it is because they set the hot dish on a cool countertop, but many people report that it happened when they were pulling it out before it left the oven, and in some cases, when it wasn’t even being touched with the door closed.
You can see more information here and there are many images on the internet if you search glass bakeware exploding
How to Oven Fry Chicken
To make this recipe you will need…
- chicken thighs with skin
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- pepper
- smoked paprika
Oven Fried Chicken Thighs
If you love this easy fried chicken recipe, you’re going to love these other delicious recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
Crispy Oven Fried Chicken
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Oven Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 8-10 pieces chicken thighs with skin bone-in
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 3 tsp table salt
- 2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Spray a 9×13 metal, stoneware or enameled cast iron baking dish with cooking spray & set aside. (please see notes in the post about using Pyrex or clear glass dishes)
- Combine the chicken, flour, paprika, salt and pepper in a large gallon-size zip-top bag-. Seal the bag & shake well until chicken is coated in flour.
- Remove each piece of chicken from the bag & place skin-side down in the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle with additional seasonings to taste if desired.
- Bake 30-35 minutes.
- Remove & turn each piece of chicken over so they are skin side up and then sprinkle with more seasonings.
- Bake an additional 30-35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven & transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Sprinkle with additional salt if desired.
Nancy robertson says
I just made this recipe and found it to be very easy and quick. They were gone before I could make anything to go with them. Could I put a package of ranch seasoning into the flour mixture?
Nancy robertson says
Can I use chicken wings instead of thighs and how do I adjust cooking time
Gina Kleinworth says
I’m not sure how that would work, Nancy as I have never tried it with the flour seasoning. I’m not sure it if would be effective with the same method as they would need to have most of the flour touching the pan on each side to make them crispy and not leave the flour dry on the exposed parts. I do have a baked & seasoned wings & drummettes recipe here – https://www.kleinworthco.com/garlic-parmesan-wings-drumettes/ it just isn’t a crispy fried chicken texture.
Arlene barry says
Can I make it without paprika ?
Gina Kleinworth says
sure.
Vicki Z. says
Just made this tonight. It turned out absolutely delicious! My husband and son snd I just loved the crispy skin (I know I shouldn’t have the skin but sooo good). This was super easy. I didn’t know what kind of seasonings to add so I added some onion, onion from pampered chef. Very good. This is a keeper!
Melissa Bell says
Can I use a baking sheet pan or ask some call it a cookie sheet pan?
Gina Kleinworth says
I don’t recommend doing that because you need the taller sides to hold in the juices – that’s what helps to make the skins crispy and crunchy.
Annie says
Can you tell me the concern about clear glass bakeware?
Gina Kleinworth says
There have been countless reports of the glassware exploding – I even had one of my readers tell me that when she was pulling out the dish at the end of baking, the whole thing exploded, sending glass & all the hot juices all over her oven, kitchen & herself. I don’t recommend using them for baking over 350 degrees. Some say that it is because they set the hot dish on a cool countertop, but many people report that it happened when they were pulling it out before it left the oven, and in some cases, when it wasn’t even being touched with the door closed.
You can see more information here https://food.thefuntimesguide.com/exploding_pyrex/ and there are many images on the internet if you search glass bakeware exploding
Connie ward says
Can you convert this recipe to a convection oven. I have heard that for convection you reduce temperature and time but I am not sure that is true
Gina Kleinworth says
Yes – typically with convection you would reduce the temp by 25 degrees OR reduce the time by 25% but I’m not sure about the timing as I have never tried it with convection.
I have a convection chart here (https://www.kleinworthco.com/convection-cooking-conversion-printable/) but it has been many years since I have updated it and I need to add several more categories.
You might need to use one of the many online free convection converters to get more accurate instruction for this.
Nancy robertson says
I tried doing this with wingettes and I only had to bake 20-25 minutes after turning and everyone ooo and awed after devouring them they were a big hit, you said to let you know how they did and I was greatly pleased
Nancy robertson says
I was wondering if you could do this recipe with skin on bone in breast? And how would you adjust the cooking time?
Linda says
Absolutely delicious.!!!
Linda says
Absolutely delicious!!!!
Janis Kerns says
Do you just spray the pan. No oil or butter?
Gina Kleinworth says
Nope – just the pan to keep from sticking as best as possible. The chicken will release enough liquid to keep it from drying out as it cooks. This is why it is important to use a casserole dish and not a baking sheet to keep those juices contained
peachy says
This is the way I have always made my oven fried chicken except I substitute Bisquick for the flour. The difference is amazing!
Sheila Vaillancourt says
I’m curious about the difference in using bisquick…does it provide a crispier skin or is it the flavor difference?? Please share 😋
Gina Kleinworth says
I have never tried it with Bisquick – it has shortening in it, so I would imagine it would be flakier.
Jayme Silvestri says
I think the size of chicken breasts has changed dramatically since Julia Child’s day, which could account for some of her shorter cook time.
Beverly Aradoz says
Very tasty and easy to make. Will definitely be making again!
Karen says
This is the best baked chicken I have fixed.
Brie says
I have made a gluten free version of this several times, and I love it!!
Teresa O’Donnell says
I was wondering about how they would turn out that way. I may try it next time. I’m gluten sensitive so I try to use gluten free flour sometimes. Thanks for sharing that.
Ray Taylor says
My bachelor days were before the inventions of home computers / internet, microwave ovens and many of today’s boxed and bagged ingredients and not much competition when it came to close grocery shopping options in my small hometown (without a car). I knew that Chef Boyardee wasn’t gonna do it every day of the week as the only thing I knew how to make carried over from my teen years. On my own I knew that I had to choose between living in restaurants, learning to expand my cooking skill or starving to death. When it came to sink or swim, I swam. I sure wish we had awesome resources like this one. This is a great website. Thank you for what you do.
peachy says
I have been making my oven fried chicken this way for many years. The only difference is I use Bisquick instead of flour. So good!
Gina Kleinworth says
Ohhhh I bet that is delicious. I’ll have to give that a try. Thank you!
Teresa O’Donnell says
Made these tonight and they were delicious. I added just a little bit of onion and garlic powder. Will definitely be making them again and again. Thank you for sharing.