Truly Crispy Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken

Ingredients
For the marinade:
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 lemon juice only
2 pounds chicken breast cut into strips (or use tenders)
For the dry coating:
1 1/4 cups white flour
4 tablespoon plain bread crumbs panko or regular both work
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon salt or less to taste
2-3 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the wet coating:
2 large eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk
For the pan:
1/3 cup butter

Instructions

Prep the chicken:

Marinate: Whisk together all ingredients for the marinade (except for the chicken) in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces, making sure they’re all well coated. Cover and place in the fridge for one hour up to overnight. (If your’e short on time, simply place all the ingredients in a zip-loc bag and massage the chicken for a few minutes. Let it sit in the fridge for 10 minutes before using.)

Preheat oven and pan:

Prep the pan and oven:Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C). While the oven is preheating, place a dark, rimmed roasting or baking pan in the oven to heat up (more info in the post).

Bread the chicken:

Mix the dry coating:Place all ingredients for the dry coating in a large bowl. Mix well.
Mix the wet coating:To a separate bowl, add the eggs and ⅔ cup buttermilk. Whisk very well.
Coat the chicken pieces: Shake off any excess marinade. Dredge the chicken through the flour mix, shaking off any excess. Dip in the egg mix, making sure the chicken is evenly covered. Dredge through the flour mix once more, making sure the chicken is evenly covered, shaking off any excess.
Bake the chicken:
Place butter and chicken on pan: Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven, using oven gloves. Melt the butter on it, then place the chicken pieces on top without overcrowding the pan.
Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, carefully flip and bake for another 5-10 minutes (depending on how thick your chicken pieces are). Finish by broiling for a few minutes, until golden and crispy.
Serve: The chicken will feel soft right as it comes out of the oven. Let it sit for 2 minutes before serving, it will crisp up. Don’t let it sit for a long period of time before you eat it, or it will start turning soggy.

Notes

Total time includes 1 hour marinating time. If you’re marinating the chicken for longer, your total time will increase.This also works with other chicken pieces – many readers have reported great success using wings, drumsticks or even bone-in thighs.See the post for detailed tips and tricks to make sure this recipes comes out perfectly!

Nutrition