Everyone has a favorite food. I love breaded chicken with flour, and I always order it when we eat out. It’s not the healthiest meal, but it’s delicious. Another thing that makes me happy is creating my own recipes. One day, I was craving breaded chicken, but didn’t want to get takeout. So I created a homemade version of breaded chicken with flour, and I thought you might like this recipe too..

Breaded Fried Chicken

• Level: Easy

• Total: 50 min
• Active: 50 min
• Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

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Vegetable oil, for frying (about 5 cups)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon ground dried thyme

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

4 large eggs

1/4 cup milk

3 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken parts (breasts halved crosswise)Add to Shopping List

Directions

1. Fill a large cast-iron skillet with 1 inch of vegetable oil. Heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, cornmeal, cornstarch, thyme, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs and milk in another large bowl. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Dredge each piece in the flour mixture, then dip in the egg mixture, letting any excess drip off. Return the chicken to the flour mixture and turn until well coated. Transfer to a large plate or baking sheet.
3. Carefully add about half the chicken to the hot oil (do not crowd the skillet). The oil temperature will drop; adjust the heat as needed to maintain a temperature of 350 degrees F. Fry the chicken, without turning, until the crust starts browning, about 2 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue cooking, turning occasionally, until browned and crisp all over and a thermometer inserted into the breasts registers 160 degrees F and the thighs 170 degrees F, 13 to 16 minutes. Remove with tongs and transfer to a rack set on a baking sheet; sprinkle with salt. Let the oil temperature return to 350 degrees F before frying the remaining chicken.

Easy Breaded Fried Chicken Cutlets Recipe

Frying chicken doesn’t have to be an endless ordeal. These fried chicken cutlets come together surprisingly quickly, without sacrificing any flavor or texture.

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How to Make Breaded and Fried Chicken Cutlets

How to Make Breaded and Fried Chicken Cutlets

WHY IT WORKS

• Clarified butter (an optional ingredient) adds tons of rich, nutty flavor to the cutlets.
• A small amount of Parmesan cheese in the breading adds even more flavor.

Fried chicken cutlets are a surprisingly fast and easy weeknight dinner. The secret to the richest, deepest flavor: Add clarified butter to the skillet instead of frying oil (though frying oil works fine, too).

3.7

(3)

Prep:20 mins

Cook:20 mins

Active:20 mins

-TOTAL:0 mins

Total:40 mins

Serves:2 servings

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Ingredients

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• 1 cup all-purpose flour (5 ounces; 140g)
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs (2 ounces; 60g), roughly crushed by hand if very large
• 1 ounce (30g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (5 to 7 ounces each), cut into 4 cutlets and pounded to about 1/4 inch thick each
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Clarified butter or vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups; see note)
• 5-Minute Radicchio and Watercress Salad (optional)
• Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Set 3 wide, shallow bowls on a work surface. Add flour to the first one, beaten eggs to the second, and panko and Parmesan cheese to the third. Mix panko and Parmesan thoroughly.
2. Season chicken cutlets all over with salt and pepper. Working with one at a time, dredge a cutlet in flour with your left hand, shaking off excess. Transfer to egg dish, then turn cutlet with your right hand to coat both sides. Lift and allow excess egg to drain off, then transfer to bread crumb mixture. With your left hand, scoop bread crumbs on top of chicken, then gently press, turning chicken to ensure a good layer of crumbs on both sides. Transfer cutlet to a clean plate and repeat with remaining cutlets.
3. Fill a large cast iron skillet with 1/4 inch clarified butter or frying oil. (To speed things up even more, use 2 skillets simultaneously.) Heat cooking fat over high heat until shimmering and just shy of smoking, about 375°F on an instant-read thermometer.
4. Using tongs or your fingers, gently lower cutlets into the hot fat, laying them down away from you to prevent hot fat from splashing toward you. (Work in batches if necessary.) Fry, gently swirling pan and rotating cutlets for even browning, and adjusting heat as necessary for a steady, vigorous bubble, until bottom side is browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Flip cutlets and fry until other side is browned and crisp, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt right away. Repeat with remaining cutlets. Serve immediately with 5-Minute Radicchio and Watercress Salad and lemon wedges on the side, if desired.

Special equipment

Large cast iron skillet, instant-read thermometer

Notes

Clarified butter will give the chicken the best possible flavor, but it requires more work and tends to be more expensive; oil is absolutely fine as a time- and cost-saving ingredient.

Oven Fried Chicken Breast

1 hour 5 minutes

Oven Fried Chicken is one of our all time favorite recipes! It’s so healthy, juicy, flavorful, and CRISPY! You would never guess this chicken is oven baked and not fried. The spice rub tastes just like your favorite KFC. SO MUCH FLAVOR! This baked fried chicken breast recipe is one of our favorites to make year round.

Oven Fried Chicken

Oven Fried Chicken is the perfect kind of recipe for our family, and one of our favorite easy dinner recipes!

I have a running theme here on The Cookie Rookie. Everything should be easy AND delicious. I’ve found that my favorite meals are those with the simplest ingredients, easiest prep, and best flavors.

I’m always looking for recipes that are made in a flash, and cleaned up even faster! Sometimes the simple meals are simply the best. This baked fried chicken breast is my newest recipe to prove my point. This recipe is so quick, so easy, and so delicious!

This oven fried chicken comes out of the oven SO crispy, you won’t believe it! Just like our Buttermilk Fried Chicken, but baked instead of fried.

Why You’ll Love this Baked Breaded Chicken Recipe:

• QUICK AND EASY: Making healthy fried chicken at home is so much quicker and easier than you might think. Easy enough to make any night of the week!
• BAKED NOT FRIED: This crispy breaded chicken is baked instead of fried, for a healthier and lighter version of a classic.
• FAMILY FAVORITE: The whole family will love this recipe. Even the kids will love it! It’ll be their favorite dinner of the week, something you all will look forward to seeing on the table again and again.

Making this oven fried chicken along with the best side dishes (mashed potatoes, biscuits, yum!) will have everyone thinking you ran down the street and picked up a KFC Fried Chicken dinner. But you secretly made a healthy baked version instead!

Oven Fried Chicken Recipe

This baked fried chicken has quickly become a reader favorite around here. I’m not surprised, because it’s truly delicious.

This dish is my kind of healthy! For me, healthy is all about making simple substitutes and tweaks to favorite dishes. This crispy baked fried chicken is the perfect example!

Instead of deep frying chicken, we’re baking it in the oven with a flavorful flour coating that turns crispy. Trust me, it’s just as good as the real thing, with less calories, less grease, but all the flavor!

Ingredients

• Chicken: We use skinless, boneless chicken breast for this fried chicken recipe.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk will be used as a marinade for the chicken.
• Flour: Use all-purpose flour to coat the chicken.
• Seasoning: We use a mix of paprika, all-purpose seasoning, and salt and pepper.
• Butter: Butter is melted and spread on the bottom of the baking pan.

How to Make Oven Fried Chicken

As you can see in the step-by-step recipe photos below, this healthy fried chicken breast is pretty straightforward.

Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

1. Cut chicken breasts into 4 portions.
2. Marinate chicken in milk for 20 minutes.
3. Mix together the breading mixture.
4. Coat the baking pan with parchment and melted butter.
5. Dip chicken in the flour/breading mixture.
6. Bake chicken at 400°F for 35-40 minutes.

That’s all there is to it! Watch the video to see the step by step recipe in action. Check below for the printable recipe card with full instructions and ingredient list. 

Is Oven Fried Chicken Healthy?

Believe it or not, YES! With this baked chicken breast recipe, you get the flavor and texture of fried chicken, with significantly less calories.

Baking is healthier than frying because you avoid all that excess oil, which adds a lot of fat and calories. Deep frying tends to leave you with a lot of grease, and you can definitely feel it after dinner is done.

So using chicken breast, some breading, and then baking, makes a lighter version that still tastes delicious!

I have loved learning the lighter side of cooking. This is such an easy way to lighten up a true classic (try our Buttermilk Fried Chicken if you want the real deal). All the comforts of home, in a slimmed down version. Another favorite variation of this recipe is our Oven Fried Parmesan Crusted Chicken.

This oven fried chicken breast is SO EASY, healthy(er), and yummy. The outside is nice and crispy, while the inside stays juicy. What more can you ask for? 

TIPS!

• Use a large bowl or dish to marinate. You want to make sure the chicken is fully submerged.
• You only need 20 minutes to marinate, but you can let it soak longer if it’s more convenient for you. Keep it in the fridge if needed.
• Make sure your oven is fully pre-heated before putting the chicken in.
• Place a layer of parchment paper on a 9×13 baking sheet, and then spread the melted butter on top of the paper.
• Be sure to flip the chicken over halfway through baking for best results.
• This baked fried chicken is best served right from the oven. But if you want to save leftovers, place them in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven (it won’t be quite as crispy though).
• If you want to make a larger amount of chicken, just be sure you don’t overcrowd the baking pan. You might want to use two pans, and rotate them during the baking time.

Most people think you need to deep fry to get that super crispy coating. Sure, you won’t have the same thick layers when baking, but you can get a really nice layer of flavorful, crispy breading on your oven fried chicken.

Check below for some tips on keeping your chicken crispy!

Serving Suggestions

Fried chicken should always be served up with all the fixins! Make a healthier fried chicken dinner at home for the family, with all these favorites sides. It’s comfort food, but better!