Oven Baked Crispy Fried Chicken

Oven-baked crispy fried chicken gives you the golden, crackly crust of the deep-fried original without the splattering oil and the cleanup. The double-coat of flour and bread crumbs (seasoned with paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder) clings to the egg-dipped chicken and crisps up to genuine crunch in a hot oven.

The two-temperature method does the work: a 400°F (200°C) blast sets the crust and gets the skin going, then a drop to 350°F (175°C) finishes the chicken without burning the breading.

Pro Tips

• Pat the chicken bone-dry before dipping. Wet chicken makes the coating gummy instead of crispy.
• Use a paper or plastic bag for shaking, not a bowl. The bag tosses the pieces evenly with way less mess and better coverage.
• Start skin-side down. The skin renders fat into the pan during the first half-hour and crisps up bottom-side first; flipping browns the top.
• Don’t crowd the baking pan. Pieces touching steam each other and lose the crunch; leave breathing room.
• Rest the chicken 5 minutes before serving. Cuts straight from the pan release juice and the crust softens.

Variations

• Add 1 teaspoon cayenne or hot smoked paprika to the breading for spicy fried chicken kick.
• Marinate the chicken in buttermilk for 4 hours before breading for tenderer, more flavorful meat.
• Use crushed cornflakes in place of half the bread crumbs for extra crunch and golden color.

Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy for the full Sunday dinner.