Oven Baked "Fried" Chicken



Who doesn't love fried chicken?

I don't own a deep fryer and don't usually fry foods. The fried mozzarella cubes (Spiedini alla Romana) were an exception.



My blogging friend Julie from Peanut Butter & Julie (featured on Food Network's Ultimate Recipe Showdown! for her carrot apple muffins.....GO JULIE!) made a delicious looking BAKED fried chicken.

You make it the same way you would the real thing, though instead of frying in oil, you bake the chicken in a hot oven on racks. Buttermilk is the main ingredient, and marinating the chicken parts the day before is key.

Julie's Oven Baked "Fried" Chicken:

2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

12 chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, and drumsticks) with skin and bones

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne

In a large casserole dish, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, curry, mustard, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper to blend well. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or up to 1 day, turning occasionally.

Place racks on 2 large rimmed baking sheets and spray the racks with nonstick spray. In a large baking dish, whisk the Panko, cheese, flour, thyme, paprika, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt. Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Add the chicken to the breadcrumb mixture and turn to coat completely. Arrange the chicken, skin side up, on the racks on the baking sheets. Let stand 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425F degrees and place oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Bake the chicken until crisp, golden, and cooked through, about 50 minutes, switching positions of the trays halfway through. Serve warm or at room temperature.




This was delicious. A little bit of heat and a nice crunch. It was great for Super Bowl dinner eaten with our hands, with Wet Naps of course!

Comments

I love fried food, but hate the mess it makes when you cook it at home. The smell stays for days!! Nice solution!
kat said…
Other than some of the seasoning this is how we do our baked fried chicken. I love doing it this way. Yours looks so nice & crispy
Maria said…
I don't like fried foods, but we have a deep fryer...it was a Christmas gift and my husband loves it!! Maybe I can get him to try your version instead!
Bob said…
That looks great! I've had a recipe for oven fried chicken that uses corn flakes that I've been meaning to try...
LaDue & Crew said…
Oh that looks so good- even for breakfast!
Pam said…
I love fried chicken but I never make it because, well, it's bad for me. This baked chicken recipe is great - can't wait to try it.
Giff said…
mmm now that is some good superbowl food
This chicken is awesome! I have made it several times and love the spices.
Lori Lynn said…
Hi Stace! It sounds great. I don't mind sautéing in a little oil, but frying in deep oil does not interest me much so this recipe really looks good. Sounds perfect for Superbowl too!
LL
StaceyEsq said…
This might just be THE recipe that convinces my kids that chicken comes in other forms besides nuggets. Can't wait to try it!
Karen said…
I've never fried chicken either. My Mom always used to say that she invented Shake & Bake because she was coating chicken in spices in a plain old brown paper bag long before Shake & Bake came out!
Karen said…
I've never fried chicken either. My Mom always used to say that she invented Shake & Bake because she was coating chicken in spices in a plain old brown paper bag long before Shake & Bake came out!
Sara said…
This looks great, I'm always afraid of deep frying - so messy and unhealthy!
Ciao Chow Linda said…
Stacey - I loved fried chicken but not the calories, so this is perfect. Love the idea of curry in the mix too. can't wait to try.
Anonymous said…
Oh geez that looks awesome! In that gravy, oh wow!
Mila said…
mmmmmm FRIED CHICKEN! Baked Fried Chicken is definitley on my menu for this winter as well! At least you can feel a liiiiiittle good about eating it :)
Anonymous said…
Sounds great! I made some oven baked ginger lime buffalo wings on Sunday, but they weren't quite as crisp as I would have liked, so I'm going for attempt #2 before I post.
Melissa said…
I've now seen this made both by you and Lisa at Jersey Girl Cooks. I trust that it's very good. :)
Anonymous said…
Hi Stacey!

I'm so glad that you liked the chicken. Thanks for giving me the "shout out" too. Mmmmm.... I need to make that again.....
Nice crispy chicky! Mmmmm!!
Randi Lynne said…
I made this for the second time. It is such a hit (especially with chicken quarters). Even though I live in the south, I don't deep fry. This is a perfect compromise. As I side dish I made Pioneer Woman's Potato Bundles (http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/07/potato-bundles/). Great meal!!
Anonymous said…
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Anne said…
Holy Moley this chicken was AMAZING. Thanks for sharing!!!