Paula Deen Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken

Paula Deen Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken takes about 1 hour and a buttermilk, chive and Dijon soak to make a golden, crunchy bone-in chicken breast dinner. It's an easy oven-fried chicken recipe for weeknight dinner, Sunday dinner or game day, and it's a lighter Southern comfort food.

Soak the chicken in the buttermilk mixture for at least 30 minutes, because that tang is what seasons the meat and keeps it juicy. Skip it and the breasts come out bland and dry under the crumbs.

Paula strips the skin and leans on a spray of cooking spray plus a 425°F oven to get the crust crisp without a pot of hot oil. Stirring fresh chives into the marinade also gives the meat a mild onion flavor that bottled seasoning can't match.

Paula Deen Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DinnerCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

290

kcal

Bone-in chicken breasts soak in a tangy buttermilk and chive mix, then get coated in dried bread crumbs and baked on a sheet pan. The spray of oil turns the crumbs deep golden while the meat stays tender inside.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup 1% buttermilk
  

• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
  

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  

• 1/4 teaspoon Hot sauce
  

• 4 bone-in chicken breasts about 12 ounces each
  

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  

• 1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
  

• 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
  

Directions

• Mix the marinade: Whisk 1/3 cup buttermilk, 1/4 cup chopped chives, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce in a medium bowl. Then pull the skin off 4 bone-in chicken breasts, add them to the bowl and let them soak for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
• Heat the oven: Preheat the oven to 425°F while the chicken soaks. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray so the crumbs don't stick.
• Season the chicken: Lift the chicken out of the marinade and season it with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Let any extra buttermilk drip off so the crumbs cling in a thin, even layer.
• Coat in crumbs: Pour 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs into a wide, shallow bowl. Dip each breast in the crumbs and toss well until it is coated all over.
• Bake until crisp: Set the chicken on the prepared baking sheet and spray it generously with cooking spray. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until it is just cooked through and the crust turns golden.

Tools for this recipe

• Nordic Ware half sheet pan, ThermoPro instant-read thermometer, Pyrex 3-piece glass mixing bowl set. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use skinless boneless chicken breasts instead of bone-in?

Boneless breasts work, but they cook faster, so start checking them after about 18 minutes. Bone-in breasts stay juicier in the oven, which is why the recipe uses them.

What can I use if I don't have buttermilk?

Stir 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 1/3 cup of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. That gives you a similar tang for the soak, though real buttermilk is a little thicker.

Can I marinate the chicken overnight?

Yes, the recipe says the chicken can soak overnight, so keep it covered in the fridge. That makes it an easy make-ahead dinner, since you only have to coat and bake it the next day.

How do I reheat leftover oven-fried chicken without losing the crunch?

Warm it on a baking sheet in a 375°F oven until heated through, since the microwave turns the crust soft. Leftovers keep best in the fridge in an airtight container for a few days.

How can I make the crust a little cheesier?

Paula likes to stir about 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan or pecorino into the bread crumbs. It adds a nice cheesy flavor to the crust without adding many calories.