Oven fried chicken breast (or baked fried chicken) is here to save your dinner woes! If you love fried chicken, but not all the fat, then I’ve got good news for you! This recipe for baked fried chicken has a crispy exterior, a tender and juicy interior, and is leaps and bounds healthier for you than the fried classic.
Now, I’m not here to replace fried chicken. There is definitely a time and place for indulgent fried chicken. I’m simply here to offer a version that’s easier to make, is weeknight friendly, and can fit into a regular meal plan.
First off, let’s talk about what baked fried chicken is.
Well, since this baked fried chicken breast is cooked in the oven, it’s not in fact “fried” like the title says. However, in an effort to adequately describe the intent of this recipe, I chose to use the word “fried.” You can think of it as “healthy fried chicken” if that makes things easier.
How to make oven fried chicken breast
Step 1: cut chicken horizontally into two equal pieces
Step 2: dredge chicken in flour of choice (I opted for sorghum flour because it’s whole-grain and packed with fiber, it’s also gluten-free).
Step 3: dredge chicken in egg
Step 4: coat chicken in Panko bread crumbs (gluten-free if needed)
Step 5: arrange chicken on a wire rack set inside a baking sheet
Step 6: bake at 400-degrees until internal temperature reached 165-degrees
What temperature should baked fried chicken be cooked to?
No matter what recipe or method, chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165-degrees. I would never survive in my kitchen without my ThermoWorks Thermapen. I can’t recommend it enough!
To measure the internal temperature of meat, insert the thermometer probe into the center of the meat, making sure it does not poke through to the other side (or touch bone for recipes that call for bone-in meat).
Is baked fried chicken healthy?
Yes! Oh my gosh, this oven fried chicken recipes is leaps and bounds healthier than classic fried chicken. This baked fried chicken uses whole grain flour and contains far less fat than the classic fried chicken recipes.
How is it healthier? Well to start, instead of using dark meat like drumsticks or thighs, this recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. And instead of frying in a bunch of oil, this recipe calls for coating the breaded chicken with some cooking spray and baking on a wire rack. The rack is essential for getting hot air circulated around the chicken to crisp it up.
Gluten-free oven fried chicken
This recipe can easily be modified to be gluten free. Here’s how to modify:
- Be sure to use gluten-free flour (I like sorghum flour but rice and chickpea are also great options).
- Swap regular Panko bread crumbs for gluten-free Panko bread crumbs (you can find them at health food stores).
A note about sorghum flour:
I love cooking with sorghum flour because it’s high in fiber and protein! NuLife Market makes a fabulous sorghum flour (among many other sorghum products) and I always have it on hand for cooking and baking! You can find all of their products on their website.
Looking for more sorghum recipes? I’ve got you!
How to serve this oven fried chicken breast:
I love to serve this crispy baked fried chicken with a few dipping sauces. My go-to is a homemade honey mustard sauce, but I also love to dip it in blue cheese dressing or green goddess dressing.
Make it a sandwich! Serve this crispy baked fried chicken on a tender brioche roll with quick pickled onions, avocado green goddess dressing or this creamy creme fraiche horseradish dressing.
To keep things fresh and healthy, I also serve this crispy oven fried chicken with a classic blue cheese wedge salad. I opted to keep this wedge salad pretty simple by topping it with just a few fresh veggies and a creamy homemade dressing.
Make sure to tag me @ZESTFULKITCHEN ON INSTAGRAM or comment below if you make this crispy Oven Fried Chicken Breast recipe!
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Crispy Oven Fried Chicken
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
Oven fried chicken that’s crispy on the outside and moist on the inside! Say goodbye to unhealthy fried chicken and say hello to this healthy BAKED fried chicken!
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts), halved horizontally into 4 equal pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- ½ cup sorghum flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup Panko
- Cooking spray
Instructions
Heat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with a wire rack; coat with nonstick spray.
Season chicken with ¼ teaspoon salt.
In a shallow dish whisk together flour, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt. In a separate dish add egg whites and lightly beat. Pour panko into a third separate dish.
Dredge chicken in flour mixture, then dip in egg whites to coat. Dip chicken in panko, flipping and lightly pressing to coat. Place breaded chicken on rack-lined baking sheet. Generously coat all sides of breaded chicken with cooking spray.
Bake chicken until golden brown and crispy and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165 degrees, 20–30 minutes. Let chicken rest on rack 5 minutes before serving.
Serve with honey mustard or preferred dipping sauce.
Notes
My go-to homemade honey mustard: equal parts yellow mustard, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard and honey; season with salt and pepper.
This recipe can easily be doubled!
Make this recipe gluten free: be sure to use gluten-free flour (such as sorghum or rice flour) and seek out gluten-free Panko.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece chicken
- Calories: 178
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 703mg
- Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 29g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
Keywords: Oven fried chicken, baked fried chicken, crispy chicken, healthy crispy chicken, healthy fried chicken
This post was sponsored by NuLife Market, as always the thoughts, opinions, recipe, photos, and content are all my own.
This post contains affiliate links, thanks for supporting all things ZK!
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