Oven Baked Fried Chicken, Yes You Read That Right!

I love fried chicken, but fried chicken definitely does not love me! Watching football, maybe on a lazy Friday or Sunday night, you always get that craving for that unhealthy, oh so good fried chicken from KFC or Popeyes, you name it! The grease, the crunch and the calories, need I say more?

I love fried chicken, don't you?

Today, I am sharing with you my recipe for Oven Baked "Fried" Chicken. Yes, you read that right! (Emphasis on oven baked and not fried). As a bonus, I will also include how to make those pretty little baked potatoes shown in the image as well. I know this probably isn't the healthiest fried chicken ever, but what beats homemade fried chicken that's tasty, crispy and juicy all at once? This is a homemade meal from the heart, so I hope you enjoy! If you do decide to use this recipe, please let me know how yours came out too!

Note: I used 8 legs, drumsticks only for my batch, but please feel free to alter the ingredients to your liking and taste. Let this serve as  a guideline to your recipe as we all know that even though a recipe may be used as shown, the taste may not always be the same. Keep in mind the difference in our measurement techniques, the ovens used and meats/parts used as well. Please keep in mind that I am not a professional cook and this recipe was tried and tested in my own kitchen at home. Dare to experiment and try at your own risk, Good luck!

Oven Baked "Fried" Chicken
Ingredients: 

8 chicken legs, skin on, drumsticks only
2 eggs
1 c. flour
2 T. onion powder
2 T. garlic powder
2 T. paprika
2 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
splash of milk

1. Wash and thoroughly dry your chicken. This step is important as you will need to have your chicken as dry as possible to ensure that the skin on your chicken is crunchy.
2. Salt and pepper your chicken to taste, then set aside for 30-40 minutes.
3. In the meantime, set your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. For easier cleaning, prep your baking sheet by lining it with some aluminum foil.
5. Be sure to place a rack (like a cooling rack that you use for cookies) onto the same baking sheet mentioned above to hold the chicken away from the oils that will come out as it cooks. This will ensure that we have crispy skinned chicken.
6. Brush the rack with the olive oil so that the chicken will not stick while it bakes.
7. In a bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and set aside.
8. Next, in a separate bowl, crack the two eggs and add a splash of milk, then mix until it is evenly combined.
9. Now here comes the messy part. Take your chicken and dunk it into the egg mixture. Shake off any excess egg and then place it into the bowl with the dried ingredients. Roll it around until it is well coated.
10. This step is optional, it just creates a thicker breaded skin on the chicken. If you do not want that, then please skip to step 11. For all who do want a thicker breaded skin like me, repeat step 9. Yes, it gets a little messy, but it is so worth it.
11. Place your chicken on to the rack that we have already greased with olive oil.
12. Repeat steps 9 and 10 until all of your chicken is ready. Be sure to place your chicken at least a half inch to an inch apart so that they can cook evenly. If you need to use more than one tray, please do so.
13. At this point, you will need to melt the butter in a cup (around 30 seconds in the microwave).
14. Brush each piece of chicken with the melted butter and then place the tray into the oven. Please note that you may or may not need to adjust the racks in  your oven so that the tray will fit, be mindful of this.
15. Bake for 40-50 minutes depending on the size and thickness of the chicken. Be sure to check that it is cooked through as you do not want to serve raw chicken. You may also want to keep the oven light on during the last 10 minutes of baking as you will want to monitor the darkness of the skin. 
16. Once completed, let it cool for 5 minutes, then plate it up for serving.

I hope you will enjoy this dish as much as my fiance did! For a spicy twist, feel free to add some red pepper flakes to your dry ingredients as well! If you are interested in learning how to make an easy and fancy baked potato as a side dish, please keep reading below.

Fancy Baked Potato
Ingredients: 

2 large potatoes, any kind works, I used russet because that's what I had
Olive oil, salt & pepper to taste
Any additional toppings that you so desire

1. Set your oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Wash and dry your potatoes thoroughly. If your potatoes are still wet when they bake in the oven, you will not get that crispy edge that develops on each slice of the potato while it bakes.
3. Cut your potatoes into slices. Be sure not to cut it all the way through so that the potato slices will fan out slightly as it cooks. Make sure that you slice the potato as evenly and thinly as possible. This will increase the chances of it cooking more evenly.
4. Place your potatoes onto a baking sheet. You may want to line your baking sheet with aluminum foil for easier cleaning later. Also, slightly grease the sheet so that the potatoes do not stick.
5. Drizzle some olive oil onto each of the potatoes, then salt and pepper it to taste.
6. Place your tray into the oven and allow it to bake for 40-50 minutes. If you would like to add any additional toppings to your potatoes, I would suggest adding them 10 minutes before they are done.
7. Once completed, let it cool for 5 minutes and then plate it up and serve.

I hope these recipes served as a great guideline for your homemade meal at home. If you liked this recipe or want more chicken recipes, please leave any comments below and like this post. Stay tuned for recipes in the near future.

Happy eating & warm wishes from our kitchen to yours!