I used to think there was only one way to get chicken crispy and that was by frying it.

My friend Suzy invited us over for dinner one night and made the most delicious chicken cutlets. She used panko breadcrumbs. I really liked the texture it gave her chicken. She fried in first in a pan and then finished cooking it in the oven. See?

As delicious as my friend Suzy’s chicken was, I didn’t feel like frying it since it is now summer (and she made it in the winter). I wanted a crispy type of texture, but didn’t want the heaviness fried foods can give. I’ve tried baking foods before that are more popularly fried and they haven’t come out the best. That’s mainly because I wasn’t using any oil, I was just throwing it in the oven.

The secret?

If you want your ‘baked’ foods to come out with more of a fried taste, texture or flavor, the secret is to incorporate oil INTO the breadcrumbs.

I set up a dredging station starting with the flour, then the egg and then the breadcrumbs.

I baked them on a baking sheet, lined with a Silpat in an oven at 375 for 20 minutes. I used boneless chicken breasts, but feel free to use bone in, just adjust the cooking time.

Oven Fried Chicken

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Ingredients

Scale

3–4 boneless chicken breasts (you can use bone in or thighs also)
1 cup unbromated unbleached flour (King Arthur makes one)
½ teaspoon kosher sea salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, preferably organic and cage free
¼ cup whole milk, preferably organic
1 Tablespoon hot sauce (or less)
1 ½ cups Panko breadcrumbs (Ian’s makes one)
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

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Instructions

For the Flour:

Combine the flour, salt and pepper together in a shallow bowl (I’ve used a pie plate/rimmed baking sheet or baking pan before)

For the Egg mixture:

Combine the egg, milk, hot sauce and a little salt and pepper in another shallow bowl

For the Breadcrumbs:

Combine the breadcrumbs, seasonings and oil together in another shallow bowl
Dredge the chicken one at a time into the flour, egg and then breadcrumbs ~ press firmly
Place the chicken onto a baking sheet lined with a Silpat and bake in a preheated oven at 375 for approx. 20 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink inside
Serve as is or on a bun with your favorite toppings