Oven Fried Chicken

This chicken is the best fried chicken recipe I’ve tried, period. The outside is crusty, the inside moist. When I first made this I was doubtful that the crust would come out crispy. Was I wrong! It was fantastic! I found this recipe years ago in my Cooking from Quilt Country cookbook. Sometimes I make from boneless chicken breasts with the skin on. I get them from a local market, and personally like better than on the bone, but either way it is delicious.

Oven Fried Chicken

1/3 c. vegetable or canola oil
1/3 c. (2/3 stick) butter
1 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
8 or so chicken pieces (legs, thighs, breasts) [see note above]

Preheat oven to 375° F. Place the oil and butter in a jelly roll pan, and place in the preheated oven to melt.  Set aside.

In a large paper bag or Ziploc bag, combine the flour and seasonings.

Roll the chicken pieces, 3 at a time, in the melted oil-butter mixture, then drop them in the flour-seasoning mixture, and shake to cover well. Place on dish, and continue with the rest of the chicken (if you are making all chicken breast as I do, make sure all chicken pieces are equal in size; cut them if you need to, so they cook evenly).

Place the chicken back onto the jelly roll pan (with the rest of the butter in it), skin side down.

Bake for 45 minutes. With tongs, turn over and bake 5-10 minutes longer , or until the top crust begins to bubble.

Can be served hot or cold, but texture of crust is much better if not refrigerated.

Note: You can make a wonderful pan gravy by draining off the fat an adding a can of chicken broth to the pan. Heat and deglaze scraping up all the browned bits. Strain and add a little milk and thicken in your usual way (I use cornstarch mixed with a little water).