The Best Oven Fried Chicken

The Best Oven Fried Chicken

In only about an hour you can enjoy all the flavor and crispy deliciousness of moist, juicy fried chicken without frying or a lot of added fat. A really terrific alternative to take-out, especially served with my Unfried Crispy Wedge Fries.

My Oven Fried Chicken recipe is really just my standard fried chicken recipe in a simplified, fuss-free and lighter version. I make the seasoning mixture in large batches and keep it in the freezer or in airtight containers to reuse for later. Very little of it goes to waste at our house because we use it for chicken nuggets for the kids, fried chicken fillet sandwiches and of course good old fried chicken.

The dredge mix below should make enough for about 2 whole chickens, so divide it in half and store the second half in an airtight container for next before you start coating the chicken if you don't need that much.

Combine:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp powered thyme
• 1 tbsp powdered sage
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried marjoram
• 1 tbsp dry mustard powder
• 1 tbsp powdered ginger
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper

Cut one whole chicken into parts or use 3 lbs chicken parts of your choice. Dip the chicken pieces in egg wash of 2 eggs beaten together with 2 tbsp water, then dredge thoroughly in the flour and spice mixture to coat the pieces evenly.

Coat the bottom of a cookie sheet or large baking pan with approximately

• 3 tbsp canola oil  (light olive oil or peanut oil are also good)

Place the coated chicken pieces in the pan and lightly spray the tops with olive oil from a spray bottle. Bake at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes depending on the size of the chicken pieces. I use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the largest pieces reaches 165 degrees F.

Originally published on April 13, 2008.

The Best Oven Fried Chicken