With a great tasting, super crispy, and super crunchy batter, Oven Fried Chicken is baked to perfection, while maintaining a moist and juicy inside. Enjoy it as is with your favourite fried chicken sides, or slather it up with the most delicious spicy honey drizzle.
OVEN FRIED CHICKEN
I’ve wanted to try an oven baked fried chicken for quite some time. It’s been on my list of recipes to work on and I finally got around to doing it and I’m so glad I did!
I love fried chicken, but in most cases, I let someone else do the work for me. Which basically means that I will order fried chicken at a restaurant or pick some up and bring it home. Since McKenna has given up on her vegetarian diet, there’s even more opportunity for me to have fried chicken now, because she loves it too.
When I made this recipe, I was at our apartment in Toronto by myself. McKenna was spending the weekend with her Aunt. And, John.e was at our house outside the city. So, I got to enjoy all of this gorgeous, crispy, crunchy, honey-basted chicken all by myself. I didn’t eat all of it though – even though I wanted to! I shared it with a neighbour.

OVEN BAKING IS SO MUCH EASIER THAN FRYING
Back in the day when my stomach could tolerate KFC, I would often eat it with honey drizzled on top. I don’t think it’s a common thing to put honey on fried chicken with the exception of in the south. I think that’s where the idea stems from. Probably because of the popular chicken and waffles combination.
But, I did it anyway. My mom used to purchase fried chicken with all of the fixings every Sunday night for dinner. I remember how my mom and I would always go for the extra crispy version of the KFC chicken. As I got older though, I found that I can no longer eat KFC, because it upsets my stomach. I hate aging.
So, making it myself was a solution, but getting around to doing it was another issue completely. We live in a small apartment in Toronto with an extremely small kitchen. Our kitchen did not come equipped with an over-the-stove exhaust. So, making deep fried foods results in a very strong oil smell for days afterwards, no matter how many scented candles I burn.
That’s the reason I turned to making fried chicken in the oven. It’s so much easier to do. It still has that delicious fried texture and taste. The fact that vegetable oil is brushed onto the crumb-coated chicken before baking makes sure of that. And, when you bake chicken in the oven, it’s easy to get it perfectly cooked and crispy too. And, there’s no splattered oil to clean up either!!

PANKO VS BREADCRUMBS
There are a few things to you can do to this Oven Fried Chicken with Spicy Honey Drizzle that you can do to personalize it. For example, I used panko because I love using panko for anything I’m breading. I find that panko is crunchier and lighter when cooked; more than breadcrumbs.
If you want, you can used corn flakes – yes, corn flakes. If you have a box in your pantry, crush them and put them to use. Otherwise, you can find corn flake crumbs in the same section of your grocery store where you find the panko and regular or Italian breadcrumbs.

HONEY ON CHICKEN
The spicy honey mixture is completely optional. I love it with this chicken, because it adds spice and heat. It also helps to offset the savouriness of the crumb coating. And trust me, Dear Reader, you’re not going to know what hit your taste buds when you get mouthful of that tender, moist chicken, that crispy, crunchy skin, and that spicy, sweet honey drizzle. It’s completely addictive!
Baking chicken in the oven with a crispy, crunching skin can be a little scary. Unless you are a well versed cook, I would highly encourage you to get a meat thermometer. Unless you know what you’re doing, it might be difficult to judge whether or not the chicken is cooked all the way through. The internal temperature should be between 165 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
In addition, if your chicken is not yet cooked all the way though, yet the skin is browning too much or too quickly. Loosely cover the chicken with aluminum foil to keep the chicken skin from browning too much, or worse yet, burning.
I would highly recommend serving this chicken with my Mom’s Classic Macaroni Salad and my Homestyle Creamy Coleslaw. It’s a perfect summertime meal. If you’re looking for a more substantial southern option, serve the chicken with my Ultimate Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese – so good!



Oven Fried Chicken with Spicy Honey Drizzle
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces
- 3 cups buttermilk
- 3 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
For the Spicy Honey Drizzle:
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Place the chicken pieces in a large Ziploc bag and pour over the buttermilk. Seal the bag and massage the chicken gently so that it's completely submersed in the buttermilk. Place the bag into a large bowl and keep refrigerated until ready to cook. (Marinate for a minimum of 1 hour, but overnight is best. I marinate this chicken for 12 hours.)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the panko breadcrumbs, all purpose flour, paprika, dried parsley, salt, dried thyme, onion powder, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder.
- Remove each piece of chicken from the Ziploc bag one at a time and allow the excess buttermilk to drip off.
- Coat each piece of chicken very thoroughly with the panko mixture. Place coated chicken onto the baking sheet. Do not place the pieces so close that the touch.
- Using a pastry brush, very gently brush the vegetable oil onto the chicken.
- Place in the oven and bake for 55 minutes or until the coating is a deep golden brown.
- In the meantime, whisk together the honey, cayenne pepper, and dried parsley.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 3-5 minutes. Drizzle the spicy honey sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition


Tammy says
Wow wow wow!! Your chicken looks sensation, Byron! That spicy honey drizzle is the perfect finishing touch. I’m so hungry now and seriously craving this 😀
GUNJAN C Dudani says
This chicken looks crispy and perfectly cooked. I would love to try it immediately. I have saved this recipe and will make it over the weekend when my brother will be visiting me.
Danielle says
I can literally feel the crunchiness of this chicken just from looking at these images. Perfect recipe to entertain a group of hungry friends – it just can’t fail! 🙂
Diane P. says
This chicken was so moist and crispy at the same time. The honey drizzle gave it that extra wow. Thanks Byron, and a very Happy New year.
April says
One of THE best fried chicken recipe that I have seen to date. You absolutely nailed it. Can’t wait to make it myself now!
Mahy says
My favorite way to make chicken – overn fried. It keeps the chicken so juicy yet crispy on the outside. Love the tip on the aluminum foil – so easy! 🙂
Cheese Curd In Paradise says
That spicy honey drizzle is everything! I love fried chicken, but especially love it with honey. Adding the spice is mouthwatering! I know my family will adore this recipe.
Jo says
Absolutely love the look of this chicken. It’s droolicious. What a fantastic party appetizer which is not only delicious but healthy too!
Joanne says
I can’t stop making this chicken! It is crunchy, delicious out of this world!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Joanne. 🙂
Shirley Adams says
Love, love this recipe. Third time to make it. A little time consuming as I make it all from scratch but well worth it. Smells so good while cooking.
Katie B says
Wow is right! I just made this meal and cannot find the words to describe how delicious it was. The honey drizzle absolutely brought everything together. I liked how it was crunchy, but not super oily. This is going to be my go-to anytime I want super crunchy, healthier fried chicken! Thank you for sharing!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Katie. 🙂
Teisha says
This recipe came out awesome! I tried it because we get tired of boring breaded chicken and the honey drizzle really made the recipe perfect! Will definitely be a family favorite that I will be making! Thanks for sharing!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Teisha, I’m just reading this comment and now I’m craving this chicken again! 🙂
Deborah says
OMG!!!looks toooo good,I will eventually try it with chicken,but today I will be using turkey drumsticks.
Tandra says
Can you do this with boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Boneless breast or thigh meat will cook faster, so cut back on the time and it should work quite well!