“We all eat, and it would be a sad waste of opportunity to eat badly.” — Anna Thomas
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I love a batch of crispy, homemade fried chicken. KFC comes close, but it’s not the same as homemade (as in I don’t want to leave home to go get it.)
Unfortunately, I have never been able to master the art of frying chicken. I’ve been assured time and again that it isn’t difficult, but I beg to differ. When I fry chicken it turns out one of two ways:
- Either done near the bone and burnt to a crisp on the outside, or
- A nice golden brown on the outside and raw pink meat on the inside.
So KFC gets my business. However, the closest Kentucky Fried Chicken is 30 minutes away when you live in the boonies. This is not always feasible for dinner especially when it’s cold by the time you get it home.
BUT . . .
I have found an alternative to frying chicken that I can perform reasonably well and that is “Oven Fried Chicken.” Much like the Shake-n-Bake concept from when I was a kid, this involves mixing the seasonings and flour in a bag and then shaking the chicken pieces in it and baking them.
Oven Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 2.5 – 3 lb. bone-in, skin-on chicken (thighs, drummies, wings, breasts, your choice)
- 1/2 c. white or wheat flour
- 1/4 t. ground black pepper
- 1 t. paprika
- 1 t. garlic powder
- 1 t. salt
- 1/4 c. butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 425. Place butter in 13 x 9 pan and place in oven to melt while preparing chicken. Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry. Combine all dry ingredients in a gallon-size zippered bag, shaking to combine. Place 2-3 pieces of chicken in the bag, seal and shake until chicken is coated with mixture. Arrange in 13 x 9 pan filled with melted butter. Repeat until all chicken pieces are coated and placed in pan. Bake for 30 minutes, remove from oven and turn each piece. Bake an additional 30 minutes and remove from oven. Let cool 5 minutes and then place chicken on paper towels to drain.
As is the norm, these days with the warmer weather . . .
There we all were, gathered on the porch with our plates in our laps. Feasting on chicken, asparagus with hollandaise sauce and riced cauliflower. Easy summer days with it’s easy summer ways.
The Road Back Home 