Recipe Background
Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken: A game-night staple born out of necessity turned into a tradition.
Long before my career as a cooking influencer took off, I found myself in the middle of a culinary desert, aka my first apartment post-college. We called it the Chicken Coop, not because of any poultry prowess but due to my singular culinary trick: the humble chicken breast. My friend, Lisa, tired of endless chicken stir-fry, dared me to create something truly unforgettable for game night. Challenge accepted! What started as a whim spiraled into an experiment with my tiny pantry stash. I always kept a sack of flour and a dozen eggs handy, but that day, the buttermilk caught my eye—bold move, since I’d only used it for pancakes previously.
While Lisa dug through my spice rack, I wondered if her penchant for paprika and garlic powder might just save the day. There was a near mishap involving paprika fingers and eyes, but luckily we avoided any actual injury. The oven was already preheated, a tactic I swear by for that immediate sizzle when you drop chicken onto the butter-laden pan. I realized a little space between the chicken strips made them crispier, since steam was kept at bay. By the time the buzzer sang, what emerged was not the usual pale chicken but golden, crunchy strips that left our game-night crew demanding encores. We devoured the lot watching bad movies and doing dramatic reenactments of chicken battles. It was the night my humble offerings graduated to the elite party platter status, and my oven-fried chicken lore began. Turns out, buttermilk's tangy influence was the twist that transformed our evenings.
Game nights have never been the same, and this crispy creation became the house specialty. Just a sprinkle of confidence and a hot oven was all it took to realize chicken doesn't have to be mundane.
Ingredients
For the egg mix:
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
For the breading:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
For the chicken:
- 2 pounds chicken breast skinless and boneless, cut into 2-3 strips per breast
For the pan:
- 1/4 cup butter plus more as needed
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 410 degrees F.
- Place a dark-colored roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet in the oven to heat up.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and the buttermilk
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, the breadcrumbs, the baking powder, the salt, the paprika, the garlic powder, the onion powder, and the pepper.
- Toss the chicken in the flour mixture, coating it evenly and shaking off any excess.
- Toss the chicken in the egg mixture.
- Dip the chicken pieces back into the flour mixture, coating them very well and pressing the breading onto the chicken.
- Take the roasting pan or baking sheet out of the oven.
- Melt the butter in the hot pan.
- Place the chicken on the butter-coated pan, making sure to give a little space between the pieces. You may need to do two batches. If you do, make sure you add butter as needed for the second batch.
- Bake the chicken for 10-12 minutes.
- Carefully flip the chicken and bake until cooked through at 165 degrees F, about 5-10 minutes.
- Turn on the broiler and broil until the chicken is brown and crispy, about 3 minutes.
- Serve hot.
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