How To Make Crispy Oven Fried Chicken Without Using Breadcrumbs

Love fried chicken but not the grease splatters that wind up everywhere when you make it? Then you will love oven-fried chicken. First, you don't have to take apart your stovetop and clean it after you make this dish. Secondly, you don't need breadcrumbs, crushed cornflakes, or even crushed pretzels for a coating or to achieve the crispy, crunchy exterior that makes fried chicken so succulent and mouthwatering.  All you need is an egg dip or some buttermilk and some seasoned flour and you're in business.

A flour dredge is a common coating if you are making fried chicken and it works just as well in the oven forming a golden crust that you want to sink your teeth into. How do you make this oven-fried chicken? Simply make your egg dip or soak your chicken in buttermilk and then dredge it in flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper at the very least, but feel free to use whatever herbs and spices pair well with what you are serving it with. Grease up your sheet pan with a thin layer of cooking oil. Make certain to use one that has a high smoke point like peanut or canola oil. Bake the dredged chicken, skin side up, in an oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Why does this work for oven-fried chicken? Dredging your chicken in flour is going to help keep it moist and brown as it cooks, but a flour dredge alone will not give you that craggy crust you know and love. It's actually the addition of moisture that's going to get it to crisp up. This happens after dipping the chicken in liquids like milk, buttermilk, or an egg dip. This liquid is going to cause gluten to form which will give it that structure as well as its crunchy texture as it fries in the oil.

If you find that your chicken is browning too quickly as it fries in the oven, you can mix some cornstarch with your flour. Additionally, because cornstarch is not made from wheat, it will help limit the amount of gluten that is formed so your crust doesn't become tough. Once you get your dredge right, what you will love about making oven baked fried chicken is how simple it is. You may never deep or shallow fry chicken in oil again. You can also use this oven-frying method the next time you want to make pan-fried fish with citrus sauce.