Oven Fried Chicken starts in a skillet and finishes in a hot oven.
Before you read more, please be advised that it is not only O.K. to lick your fingers while eating this mouthwatering chicken; it is encouraged.
Remember, we never judge.
What is this?
I don't know of many people who don't have a favorite food. By the same token, I don't know of many people who have multiple favorite foods.
For good or bad, sometimes I think it's a mixed blessing; yours truly falls into the latter category.
I get great satisfaction in savoring anything that's done well but there are a few foods that hold court at the very top of my culinary love layer and chicken is unquestionably among them.
It sounds crazy, but when it comes to food, I'm all about good-tasting chicken.
Thinking back, way back, chicken is probably my earliest memory of food.
Growing up on our farm in northern New York state, we raised our hens and roosters, and to the best of my knowledge, just about all of them eventually ended up in my mom's cast-iron skillet.
The Difference Between White Meat and Dark Meat Chicken
White Meat Chicken (Breast and Wings)
- Milder in flavor
- Leaner
- Will dry out more quickly, so best to cook in a moist environment
Dark Meat Chicken (Thighs and Drumsticks)
- A bit stronger in flavor compared to white meat chicken
- Higher fat content
- Juicier and less likely to dry out when cooking
Most Sundays after church found her standing over her kitchen stove, dredging pieces of plump fresh chicken in flour and salt and pepper, frying them up to serve the family and any guests that may have blessed us by their company.
I still remember my favorite restaurant as a young boy, in Sarasota, where my folks wintered. Bemints was located on the South Tamiami Trail in Sarasota.
I never called it by its proper name but instead referred to it as "The Chicken House."
I recall bins of mouthwatering, perfectly fried chicken there, along with a huge rotating rooster outside which stood some 20 feet in the air.
The sign came to symbolize The Chicken House for me, and along with it, succulent chicken that to a small boy was prepared to the highest order.
Southern Buttermilk Chicken
What does buttermilk do to chicken?
Buttermilk adds a sweet flavor to this oven-fried chicken, but more importantly, its acids and enzymes break down the fibers of the chicken, which makes it more tender and flavorful.
As with many recipes for chicken, this one is marinated in buttermilk, which helps to tenderize the meat fibers due to its mild acidity.
With endless formulas for chicken marinade, plain old buttermilk is perhaps the simplest and arguably the standard for frying chicken.
This chicken starts in hot oil and ends up in a hot oven where the excess fat drips into a pan while the dry heat of the oven evenly finishes each piece into a crispy but moist little bite of poultry heaven.
I wish you could sit down with us so I could make this meal for you. I think you would love it.
In case you don't have any buttermilk in your fridge, don't sweat it.
This link shows you How to Make Buttermilk!
Similar recipes
- The Best Fried Chicken Sandwich Recipe
- Cornell Chicken Barbecue
- 3-Ingredient Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
- Garlic and Bourbon Chicken
- French Fried Onion Ring Baked Chicken
- Rosemary Chicken with Lemon
See All of Our Chicken Recipes Here
Wondering What to do with leftover chicken?
Our Leftover Chicken Recipe for Crispy Shells Casserole is the answer you've been waiting for!
If you’ve tried this Buttermilk Chicken or any other recipe on Platter Talk, please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, we love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW US on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see what we have cooking!
Oven Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 chicken cut in 8 serving pieces
- 1 quart buttermilk
- 1 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup panko style breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons white pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 quart vegetable oil
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash and rinse chicken pieces, then place in a large bowl and pour the buttermilk over them. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine the flour, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, and white pepper in a large bowl.
- Take the chicken out of the buttermilk and coat each piece thoroughly with the flour mixture. Use hands to firmly pack coating to each piece.
- Pour the oil into a large heavy-bottomed pan to a depth of 1-inch and heat to 360 degrees F.
- Working in batches, place several pieces of chicken in the oil and fry for about 3 minutes on each side until the coating is a light golden brown (it will continue to brown in the oven).
- Don't crowd the pieces.
- Remove the chicken from the oil and place each piece on a metal baking rack set on a sheet pan. Allow the oil to return to 360 degrees F before frying the next batch.
- When all the chicken is fried, bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Serve hot.
Video
Nutrition
Updated from the Original Post of December 16, 2014
ChefDlD
Looking forward to trying this recipe very soon. Thank you!
Dan from Platter Talk
Be sure and let us know how you liked it! (It's one of my favs!)
Narda C Page
Dan,
Like you as a small child BeMints is where I learned to eat BROASTED chicken. We looked forward to it every summer on vacation. Years later I moved to Sarasota and so disappointed that they had closed. After a few years back in town, imagine my joy when the announcement was made. Be Mints was coming back into business!! The chicken tasted just as I remembered! They only lasted for a few years and I stay on the hunt for good BROASTED chicken. NONE compares to Be Mints.....
Thanks for the memory Dan
Dan from Platter Talk
Narda, Thanks for the awesome comments. A few months ago, a picture of BeMints showed up on Facebook; talk about a flashback! One of my favorite memories as a kid, ever. Thanks again for chiming in, how fun to hear about this from you!
Ashley Nelson
Oh. My. Word!!!! My husband is eating this chicken, mumbling sweet nothings to it!!!!!! I wish I could send a pic in of what mine looked like! This is incredible
Dan from Platter Talk
Love this, Ashley! Forget the pictures because I want a drumstick. Thanks for the great comments!
Carol brewster
Ive tried a number of different recipes for fried chicken and this is the best so far. Chicken was juicy and tasty. Coating was crisp. I added garlic powder . I think next time i will add a tiny bit of chilli powder to try to make it just a little bit spicier.
Most of the coating stayed on. Any good suggestions on how to make all the coating stay on? Overall it was double yummy and i will make it again.
Dan from Platter Talk
We are happy that you tried this recipe for oven-fried chicken and enjoyed it! I love your idea for adding a touch of chili powder too. Regarding the coating, one thing I have done in the past and I think that it helps, is to "double-dredge" the chicken. Essentially that means to dredge it twice. Also, I have learned to "pack" the flour on with one hand to help make sure that it adheres better to each piece. Keep in mind that you should still tap-tap-tap the excess flour off, before and after dipping it in the liquid portion of the coating. I hope this helps and I wish I had a piece of this chicken in front of me right now!
Dreama Miller
Can you leave the panko style breadcrumbs out and still get the same results?
Dan from Platter Talk
Dreama, you can use finer breadcrumbs in place of the panko style, the resulting finish will be finer and not as course in texture. Thanks for the great question!
Jamielyn
Such a delicious comfort meal!
Katerina @ diethood .com
This looks fantastic!! SO crispy and delicious!!
Chrissie Baker
That sounds so flavorful! One of my favs. I can't WAIT to try this! Thank you for this great recipe! So YUMMY!
Abeer
I love how crispy these look! One of my all time favorite dinners!