Monday, November 3, 2014

Fantastic (Oven) Fried Chicken



Recently Maid Elizabeth came across a recipe for oven-fried chicken, thought it looked fabulous and asked me to work it into our dinner menu rotation.  She, along with Master Hand Grenade, had been craving fried chicken for awhile but knew that it was like pulling teeth to get me to make it for dinner.  Although I like fried chicken (minus the grease) I don't like making it - so fried chicken is a once a year (at the most) rarity at our house.  Elizabeth's oven-fried recipe looked remarkably good, and easy, so I put it on the menu and eagerly anticipated giving it a try.

Since our first oven-fried chicken experiment, we have had it every other week - without fail!  It is that good!  We love it piping hot, fresh out of the oven, and we love it cold the next day (or later, after dinner has been digested) for lunch.  It is crunchy and tasty and not the least bit greasy (which I really like).  Best of all?  It's relatively quick and very easy.

Generally I just cut up chicken breast to make this dish, however that is pretty decadent.  I think that a cut-up fryer would work equally well - I would just bake it a bit longer.

We love this chicken with mounds of fluffy mashed potatoes and chicken gravy, but it would be just as wonderful with potato salad or whatever suits your fancy.

Fantastic Oven-Fried Chicken

4 or 5 Chicken breasts (I cut each breast into about 3 pieces)
10 T butter

Breading mixture
2 C flour
1 tsp. salt
2 T seasoning salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 T + 1 tsp. paprika 

3 eggs + a splash of milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Place the butter (cut into chunks) on two large baking sheets and put into the oven to melt.

In a bowl combine the flour, salt, seasoning salt, pepper and paprika.  Mix well.  Measure 1/2 of the mixture into a plastic bag, leaving the other 1/2 in the bowl.  (You can forgo the plain salt if desired).

In a separate bowl whisk eggs and milk.

Put the strips of chicken into the plastic bag with the flour mixture and shake until well coated. 

One at a time, roll a coated piece of chicken in the egg mixture, roll in the flour mixture in the bowl (this will coat the chicken twice) and place on a cookie sheet.  Continue with all of the chicken pieces.

Take your baking sheets out of the oven once the butter has melted and transfer the coated chicken to the baking sheets, leaving space between each piece.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes.  Gently flip each piece and bake for another 10 to 12 minutes. 

Check to make sure the chicken is cooked through (this can vary depending on the thickness of the chicken pieces) and bake another 5 to 10 minutes, if needed (don't over bake - the chicken will dry out). 

Removed to a plate lined with newspaper or a paper towel to soak up any excess grease.  Serve immediately.

Butter on the baking sheet

Chicken cut into large chunks

Two bowls, one with egg and the other with breading

A bag of breading to coat chicken the first time

Place coated chicken on hot baking sheet with melted butter


Turn chicken

(oven) Fried chicken! 

12 comments:

  1. That is how I cook my chicken. Although I have used olive oil in the past, I will have to give the butter a try. We love our "baked-fried chicken".

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  2. Looks really good and makes me HUNGRY! I make oven fried chicken also at my house. I also make oven fried fish. I make it with our favorite "Fish Fry" (because I haven't found a homemade mix that I like as well as the Fish Fry that I get at the store) but the same process will work for fish. We love it and love even more not having to deal with all of that grease!

    Mmmmm - I can see some oven fried chicken in our future this week! Thanks for sharing!

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  3. Enola - can you please provide your recipe for chicken gravy when you have the time? thank you!

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    1. THE RECIPE IS ON PAGE 114 IN "THE PREPARED FAMILY COOKBOOK" , AWESOME COOKBOOK. OUR FAMILY HAS ENJOYED MANY RECIPES FROM ENOLA'S BOOK.

      GOD BLESS

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    2. thank you so much anonymous! i have Enola's cookbook but must have missed her chicken gravy recipe. and God Bless to you, too!

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  4. Love this-it's what I always bring to funeral dinners. I need a good gravy recipe a well! Blessings.

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  5. We make this , the name is " perfect fried chicken "
    Awesome blog :)

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  6. Thank you for the recipe, Enola, I'll have to try it.

    Fern

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  7. Made this last night... No leftovers! Thanks for the recipe

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  8. a friend used to make it by dipping chicken in mayo and then crushed corn flake crumbs but i don't have the exact recipe. maybe enola can come up with aversion if it seems attractive to her.
    deb h.

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  9. I made this tonight for dinner and at the end of the baking, turned on the broiler to crisp it a little bit. Very tasty!! Would definitely make again!!

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  10. Tried your oven fried chicken last night! Adding this to my list of favourites!

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