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Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, this oven fried chicken breast tastes like a decadent restaurant meal! Best of all, the easy dinner recipe is ready for the table in just 30 minutes. Serve the flavorful baked chicken cutlets with buttermilk biscuits, mashed potatoes, Southern-style green beans, or a crisp wedge salad.
Table of Contents
- How to Make Oven Baked Fried Chicken | 1-Minute Video
- Ingredients for Oven Baked Fried Chicken Breast
- How to Fry Chicken Breast in the Oven
- What to Serve with Oven Fried Boneless Chicken Breast
- Nutrition
- Preparation and Storage Tips
- Recipe Variations
- Tips for the Best Oven-Fried Chicken Recipe
- Oven Fried Chicken Breast Recipe
How to Make Oven Baked Fried Chicken | 1-Minute Video
There are endless ways to prepare boneless chicken breast — from a skillet with gravy to the grill or oven — but sometimes you just might crave the crispy, rich decadence of a classic fried chicken recipe.
Today I’m sharing a version that you can feel good about! These boneless chicken cutlets are coated in seasoned crumbs and then baked in the oven until golden brown on the outside and tender on the inside — no skillet frying necessary! It’s quick, easy, and incredibly family-friendly oven fried chicken breast!
Ingredients for Oven Baked Fried Chicken Breast
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for the best oven fried chicken breast. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Chicken breast: use boneless skinless chicken breasts that you cut in half length-wise and pound flat into ½-inch thick cutlets; or take a shortcut from the grocery store and purchase thinly-sliced chicken breasts. They’re lean and tender, and they cook quickly!
- Salt: to season the chicken.
- Cornstarch: helps the breading adhere to the chicken and creates an extra-crispy crust.
- Breadcrumbs: just plain dry breadcrumbs. The fine breadcrumbs coat the meat nicely.
- Corn Flake crumbs: add great crunch and texture to the meat, while also giving the dish extra flavor. These are a key ingredient for crispy oven fried chicken breast — don’t omit them!
- Sugar: just a hint of sweetness in the breading is a nice balance for the savory ingredients.
- Paprika and onion powder: for even more flavor.
- Oil: use a neutral oil with a high smoke point (such as canola oil or vegetable oil) to mix into the breading, so that the outside of the chicken becomes crispy and golden brown in the oven.
- Egg: helps the breading adhere to the meat.
The Best Chicken for Breading
Chicken cutlets are really just thin pieces of boneless chicken that have been cut from a thick breast or pounded flat. I typically purchase thinly-sliced chicken breasts or “chicken cutlets” at the grocery store to save some time on the prep work, but you can also do this step on your own at home.
While any size and type of chicken will work for breading, I find that the cutlets cook through in just the right amount of time. The breading has a chance to turn crisp and golden brown, but it doesn’t burn before the chicken is done. Chicken cutlets are a quick-cooking protein, making them incredibly convenient for easy weeknight meals.
If you prefer to use boneless skinless chicken thighs, you’ll just need to increase the total baking time (tent the chicken loosely with foil if the breading starts to get too brown before the meat is cooked through). Looking for a recipe using bone in chicken pieces (like chicken drumsticks)? This is one of our favorites!
How to Fry Chicken Breast in the Oven
You only need about 10-15 minutes to prepare the breaded chicken breast and about 15 minutes to bake it in the oven, so let’s get started!
- Pat the chicken dry and season with salt to taste.
- Rub the cornstarch on both sides of the chicken. The cornstarch helps the breading adhere to the meat and creates an extra-crispy crust!
- Dredge the chicken cutlets in the egg mixture in a shallow dish and press them into the breading mixture in a shallow bowl, patting evenly to coat on both sides.
- Place the breaded chicken in a single layer on a baking sheet or cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper or foil (for easy cleanup).
- Bake the chicken in a 400°F oven for about 15 minutes, or just until they’re no longer pink in the center and an instant read thermometer registers 165°F.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley (or other herbs) and fresh lemons.
What to Serve with Oven Fried Boneless Chicken Breast
Dip the crispy breaded chicken in honey mustard, ketchup, barbecue sauce, or Ranch dressing. Oven-fried chicken breast goes well with just about any of your favorite sides, too. Here are a few easy ideas:
- Hush Puppies
- Coleslaw or Vinegar Coleslaw
- Hoe Cakes
- Baked Potato Wedges
- Skillet Cornbread, Bakery-Style Corn Muffins, Honey Cornbread, Old-Fashioned Corn Sticks, Sweet Cornbread Muffins, or Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn
- Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese, Crock Pot Mac and Cheese, Stovetop Shells and Cheese, or No-Boil Easy Mac and Cheese
- Southern Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Easy Drop Biscuits
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
- Honey Beer Bread
- Wedge Salad, Classic Caesar Salad, House Salad with Candied Pecans, or a Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Easy Potato Salad
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon or Southern-Style Green Beans
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Fried Apples or Baked Apple Slices
- Southern Succotash
- Southern Collard Greens
- Fried Okra
- Broccoli and Cheese
- Easy Pasta Salad
- Homemade Baked Beans with Bacon
- Charleston Red Rice
- Okra and Tomatoes
- Southern Squash Casserole
- Cheese Grits
- Fried Cabbage with Apples and Onion, Braised Red Cabbage, or Roasted Cabbage
Nutrition
The baked breaded chicken cutlets are a healthier alternative to more traditional deep frying. Each oven “fried” chicken breast has about 383 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 42 grams of protein. This is not a Keto-friendly, low-carb or gluten-free dish, as each serving includes 38 grams of carbohydrates.
These nutritional stats assume that you use all of the breading in the recipe. The exact nutrition information for your meal will vary depending on the ingredients, the size of your chicken, and the amount of breading used.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Prepare the breading mixture in advance, but do not bread the chicken until just before baking.
- Leftover oven fried chicken breast will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
- To reheat the chicken: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place breaded cutlets on a baking sheet and warm just until heated through. Be aware that reheating the cooked chicken may dry out the meat, so it’s best when served fresh.
Recipe Variations
- I love the combination of the bread crumbs and Corn Flake crumbs, because the Corn Flakes add extra crunch and flavor that you can’t get from the breadcrumbs alone. I prefer the finer texture of regular breadcrumbs here, but you can substitute with Panko breadcrumbs if that’s all that you have.
- Instead of the breadcrumbs, add extra flavor to the breading mixture by using finely crushed Ritz crackers or Saltines with the Corn Flakes!
- For a special touch, add a couple of tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese to the breading mixture.
- Cooking just for two? Cut all of the ingredients in half and just bake two chicken cutlets. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same.
- Drizzle honey and/or hot sauce over the cooked chicken for a nice sweet and spicy flavor boost!
Tips for the Best Oven-Fried Chicken Recipe
- Use a large rimmed baking sheet rather than a baking dish. The baking sheet allows heat to circulate around the meat a bit more, yielding crispy (not soggy) chicken.
- The oil in the breading helps the chicken turn crispy and golden brown in the oven — no frying necessary! Don’t skip the oil, or the end result won’t be nearly as good.
- Boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets work best with this recipe, because they cook in just the right amount of time. The breading gets crispy and golden brown, but doesn’t burn before the meat is cooked through.
- The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your chicken. Use a meat thermometer to know exactly when your meat is perfectly cooked. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Season the meat with your favorite herbs and spices before breading. Other good options include cayenne pepper, garlic powder, a BBQ rub, all-purpose house seasoning, or rosemary, thyme, parsley, oregano, and chives.
More Chicken Breast Recipes to Try
- Skillet Chicken with Apples and Onions
- Potato Chip Chicken Strips
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Pecan Crusted Chicken
Oven Fried Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thinly-sliced chicken cutlets)
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ cup dry breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Corn Flake crumbs (about 1 ½ cups of whole cereal measured before crushing)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra for seasoning the meat
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup, if desired.
- Lightly pound the chicken breasts to uniform thickness (about ½-inch). You can skip this step if you’re starting with chicken cutlets (thinly-sliced chicken breast).
- Pat the chicken dry; season liberally with salt on both sides. Sprinkle the cornstarch over both sides of the chicken and pat to coat evenly.
- In a large, shallow dish, combine breadcrumbs, Corn Flake crumbs, sugar, paprika, onion powder, and salt. Drizzle with oil and mash with a fork until the oil is thoroughly incorporated.
- Lightly beat the egg with a fork in another shallow dish.
- Dip the chicken into the egg, then press into the breading mixture until evenly coated on both sides. (Discard leftover mixture.)
- Place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the chicken is golden brown and the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 15 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Use a large rimmed baking sheet rather than a baking dish. The baking sheet allows heat to circulate around the meat a bit more, yielding crispy (not soggy) chicken.
- The oil in the breading helps the chicken turn crispy and golden brown in the oven — no frying necessary! Don’t skip the oil, or the end result won’t be nearly as good.
- Boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets work best with this recipe, because they cook in just the right amount of time. The breading gets crispy and golden brown, but doesn’t burn before the meat is cooked through.
- The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your chicken. Use a meat thermometer to know exactly when your meat is perfectly cooked. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Season the meat with your favorite herbs and spices before breading. Other good options include cayenne pepper, garlic powder, a BBQ rub, all-purpose house seasoning, or rosemary, thyme, parsley, oregano, and chives.
- I love the combination of the bread crumbs and Corn Flake crumbs, because the Corn Flakes add extra crunch and flavor that you can’t get from the breadcrumbs alone. I prefer the finer texture of regular breadcrumbs here, but you can substitute with Panko breadcrumbs if that’s all that you have.
- Instead of the breadcrumbs, add extra flavor to the breading mixture by using finely crushed Ritz crackers or Saltines with the Corn Flakes!
- For a special touch, add a couple of tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese to the breading mixture.
- Cooking just for two? Cut all of the ingredients in half and just bake two chicken cutlets. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same.
- Drizzle honey and/or hot sauce over the cooked chicken for a nice sweet and spicy flavor boost!
