A family favorite, real comfort food, and an easy dinner recipe, easy Southern Oven-Fried Chicken has a crispy, fried-to-perfection crust, juicy, flavorful meat, fewer calories, and less mess to clean up than classic fried chicken.
I couldn’t imagine a more delicious food than Southern Fried Chicken; that is, I couldn’t until I made this simple Southern Oven-Fried Chicken recipe.
Of course, these days, love it or not, fried chicken isn’t something I eat or cook regularly, and you know all of the reasons for this, so there is no point in covering them here. But guess what? This recipe for Southern Oven-Fried Chicken is so close to the real thing, I don’t miss traditional fried chicken at all, and you won’t either.
I really could go on and on about how good it is, but I’m just going to keep this short and sweet and ask you to try it yourself! Please be sure to let me know if you agree that this recipe is an excellent substitute for classic fried chicken.
Here’s what you will need:
- Chicken thighs – bone-in, skin-on, are the stars of this show. Moist and tender, and loaded with flavor, dark meat is much more forgiving if overcooked and contains more nutrients than white meat.
- Kosher salt – is an essential ingredient in the brine which flavors the meat.
- Butter – cooks the poultry and provides a deep rich taste.
- Flour – coats the thighs and helps seal in moisture.
- Ground black pepper – along with salt, enhances the flavor of this dish.
Here’s how to make Southern Oven Fried Chicken:
- First, mix two cups of water and two tablespoons of kosher salt in a large bowl to brine the chicken. Next, add the thighs and make sure they are completely submerged. Cover, and refrigerate for at least four hours, up to 24 hours.
- When you are ready to bake the thighs, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Remove the meat from the refrigerator, drain, and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Place the butter in a 9×13 metal roasting pan.
- Place the pan in the oven to allow it to heat up and the butter to melt. Watch it carefully, and don’t let the butter burn. You just want it hot enough so that the thighs start cooking as soon as it hits the pan.
- While the pan is heating, place the flour, remaining salt, and pepper in a large plastic storage bag. Add the poultry, a piece at a time, and shake well until each piece is thoroughly coated. Shake off any excess flour and repeat with the rest of the pieces.
- Remove the pan from the oven and place the pieces in it, skin side down.
- Oven-fry for 30-40 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown and crispy.
- Remove the pan from the oven, use a spatula and turn the thighs over—Cook for an additional 20 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the oven, and place it on paper towels to drain.
- Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and serve immediately.
Frequently asked questions:
While I wouldn’t call this healthy food, it’s certainly healthier than traditional fried chicken, and one might even go so far as to say it’s “healthy-ish.”
Brine is a solution made by mixing salt and water and sometimes herbs or other seasonings. When a piece of meat is soaked in a brine solution, the solution is drawn into the meat, and it adds flavor and helps to keep it tender and juicy.
These oven-fried thighs can be served with almost any side dish. My favorite pairing is Southern Potato Salad and Southern Peas, such as Purple Hull or Field Peas.
Of course, Southern Baked Mac and Cheese, Corn Salad, Sweet and Sour Green Beans, or Fried Cabbage with Bacon would also go nicely with it too.
This dish is best made and eaten on the same day. You should, however, brine it ahead and can do so up to 24 hours ahead.
According to the USDA, cooked poultry should be kept covered in the fridge and eaten within three to four days.
Leftovers can be reheated in a 350 °F oven for ten to fifteen minutes.
Sharon’s Tips:
- For maximum flavor, be sure to plan ahead and start brining your thighs the morning before or even the night before cooking it.
- Instead of a bowl, you can use a large plastic storage bag to brine and store the poultry.
- You can substitute bone-in skin-on breasts for thighs. However, If they are large, cut them into equal thirds so they will cook evenly.
More chicken thigh recipes:
If you like dark meat as I do, I know you will also love these easy dishes. A bonus: most recipes are also one-pan skillet meals.
Some more recipes you also might enjoy include Skillet Mediterranean Chicken Bake, Broiled Chili Rubbed Chicken Thighs, Healthy Chicken Cauliflower Skillet, and Easy Baked Pecan Crusted Chicken
If you want even more recipes, check out all of my chicken recipes here.
★ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!
Southern Oven-Fried Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2½ tablespoons kosher salt divided
- 6 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- First, mix two cups of water and two tablespoons of kosher salt in a large bowl to brine the chicken. Next, add the thighs and make sure they are completely submerged. Cover, and refrigerate for at least four hours, up to 24 hours.
- When you are ready to bake the thighs, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Remove the poultry from the refrigerator, drain, and pat dry with paper towels.
- Place the butter in a 9×13 metal roasting pan.
- Place the pan in the oven to allow it to heat up and the butter to melt. Watch it carefully, and don't let the butter burn; you want the thighs to start cooking as soon as they hit the pan.
- While the pan is heating, place the flour, remaining salt, and pepper in a large plastic storage bag. Add the thighs, a piece at a time, and shake well until it's thoroughly coated. Shake off any excess flour and repeat with the rest of the chicken.
- Remove the pan from the oven and place the thighsn in it, skin side down.
- Oven-fry the chicken for 30-40 minutes, or until the bottom is golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from the oven and use a spatula and turn the chicken over. Cook for an additional 20 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the oven, and drain on paper towels.
- If desired, season with additional salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
**This recipe was originally published on October 12, 2018. It was republished on October 10, 2021, with new photos, and the addition of a FAQ section. There was no change to the original recipe.
Trying this for the first time tonight. I was encouraged by all the positive reviews! So excited!
I hope you like it! It’s one of our favorite recipes. In fact, we had it tonight!
Sharon
Tried this last night. So good. Careful not to use too much butter. I had 8 breasts and split in two pans and the one with excess butter had to cook longer to get crisp. I also added spices (provencal). Crispy, tender and delicious, and so easy!
I have made this recipe probably about 10 times now–it has almost become a staple for us! It is always superb and is really very easy to do. Just get it in the oven and then relax with a glass of wine until it’s done! No mess! Thanks, Sharon, for another great recipe!
Now all my family love chicken any way it is fixed but we are going to try this fried chicken.
Oh my goodness Sharon. This chicken is to die for! Just looking at your photos made me hungry. I went years without brining and I cannot believe how much of a difference it makes in chicken now that I do it. I love chicken thighs and this is perfect. Thanks for posting.
Hi Kristy,
I love fried chicken prepared anyway, anytime! And, I can eat this without all of the guilt…
Take care,
Sharon