Oven Fried Chicken brings all the comfort of fried chicken without standing over a pan of hot oil. Boneless chicken thighs are coated with a savory blend of paprika, garlic, onion, oregano, and a little chili, then baked until golden and crisp on the outside.
The two-temperature baking method keeps the chicken juicy while giving the seasoned flour coating a beautifully browned finish. It’s an easy option for weeknight dinners, yet satisfying enough when a classic comfort-food craving hits. Even better, there’s no deep fryer and no pot of oil to deal with afterward.
Serve these oven-fried chicken thighs with mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, coleslaw, or a simple salad. It’s an old-fashioned favorite made a little easier for the everyday kitchen.
Recipe Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
8 chicken thighs (approx. 2 lbs.), boneless and skinless, organic
2 cups all-purpose flour, organic
4 tbsp. sunflower oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. chili powder
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven:
Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Prepare the chicken:
Pat the chicken thighs thoroughly dry with paper towels and set aside.
3. Mix the seasonings:
In a small bowl, combine the sea salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, oregano, paprika, and chili powder.
4. Season the oil:
Add half of the seasoning mixture to the sunflower oil and stir until combined.
5. Season the flour:
In a separate shallow bowl, combine the remaining seasoning mixture with the flour.
6. Coat the chicken:
Brush each chicken thigh thoroughly with the seasoned oil. Then dredge in the seasoned flour, pressing lightly so the coating adheres well.
7. Arrange for baking:
Place the coated chicken thighs in a single layer on a large nonstick baking tray, leaving a little space between each piece.
8. Bake until golden:
Bake for 30–35 minutes at 300°F. Then increase the oven temperature to 475°F and bake for another 15 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through, until golden and crisp. The thickest part of each thigh should reach at least 165°F on a meat thermometer.
NOTE: This recipe was created specifically for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Bone-in chicken requires a different cooking time and may not produce the same result.
HELPFUL TIPS TO PERFECT THIS RECIPE
- Pat the chicken very dry: Excess surface moisture makes it harder for the seasoned oil and flour coating to cling evenly and crisp in the oven.
- Give the chicken some space: Arrange the thighs without touching so hot air can circulate around them. Crowding the baking tray can make the coating softer.
- Press the flour coating gently: After dredging, lightly press the seasoned flour onto the chicken instead of simply shaking it through the bowl. This helps create a more substantial oven-fried coating.
- Check temperature in the thickest part: Boneless thighs can vary in size, so use a meat thermometer rather than relying only on color. Chicken is safely cooked at 165°F.
Oven Fried Chicken Recipe Video Tutorial
We’d Love to Hear From You 🤍
Questions, tips, and how your recipe turned out are always welcome.
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This is in the oven as I type. Excited to see how it comes out. Smells amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Danielle. We hope you’re enjoying it! 🙂
Really delicious. I cooked them on a baking sheet, lined with a non-stick aluminum foil. This turned out to be a nice alternative to fried chicken.
So happy to hear that. Thank you for your review, Nicole!
I make meals for our work crew, so when I saw all the wonderful reviews I decided to try it. I’m very sorry I did, wasted a ton of chicken. For starters I added a bit more spices but other than that followed the recipe exactly. It had no flavour, and the chicken did not get crispy, I ended pan frying it at the end to try and make it less soggy looking. Needless to say it tasted like flour on seasonless chicken. Will not make again.
Thank you for the review, Michelle. Sorry, it did not go well for you. I’m not sure what went wrong, especially with the flavor if you doubled the spices. Did you have more than 8 pieces of chicken? If so, adjusting cooking time and temperature will help. But I recommend to follow the exact recipe and make one batch first. Personally, I make this chicken every other week, and it’s one of my favorite recipes.
Michelle, mine also tasted as you described. I followed the recipe to a tee. Flour tasting with no seasoning. 🙁
I’m sorry it didn’t work for you, Laura. This recipe is so versatile you can always add more spices to your taste. 🙂
I had the same issue. It was very floury. I wonder what went wrong?
Haley, you may need to adjust the oven temperature/cooking time. It should not taste floury. Cook it until golden and crispy and a minimum internal temperature of 165 F or greater as measured by a meat thermometer.
I don’t follow recipes to the T, what to do is season the chicken first with the seasoning and season salt and put the in fridge for a day or a couple hours, then follow the recipe don’t [put the seasoning in the oil only in the flour. Put in the chicken in the oven on low heat ( not high ) for 2 hours because it has bones when you start to smell the chicken aroma , you now know you have to put up the heat in the oven for about hour keep on eye on it until you are happy with it .
Made this last night for dinner and it was a hit with the husband and kids. We love spicy food so I used a lot of paprika and cayenne powder. After reading the reviews of people complaining about it being too floury and bland I used a cup of flour only at most and I made sure there was enough salt in the oil marinade. If you think you’ve added enough salt add more, trust me. I used a wisk to mix the oil marinade and gave it a little taste before adding the chicken. Once I was happy with the flavor I just added the chicken, I didn’t have time to let it marinade so into the flour it went an popped it the oven. I didn’t measure any of the spices out I just eyed it and tasted, it came out delicious! You’ll be successful if you use less flour, the recipe calls for too much and too little spices. Don’t be afraid to taste the oil, just a little dip with a spoon is enough, you don’t have to take a spoonful. The cooking time and temps are spot on though, if you want it crispier just leave it a little longer. I don’t think you’ll get a true fried crisp, after all it’s supposed to be healthier as it’s baked but this is going into our dinner “rotation” as requested by the kids.
Tried this recipe and it was great.. i tried to double dip and flour and it didn’t so well. Just one layer as directions say and it was really quite tasty.
Thank you for your review, Alyssa. We’re glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Hi! Can we use any oil or is the sunflower oil imperative?
Hi Jaymie, any oil for frying will work.
This looks great. Will I need to change the cooking time or temp if it is bone in?
Thank you, Teresa. Each oven has a variance in cooking temperature. Please, keep the temperature and cooking time as per recipe but you can increase it if needed. Your chicken will be fully cooked at the minimum internal temperature of 165 F or greater as measured by a meat thermometer.
I’m making this for the second time tonight and even my picky boys love it!
Beth, we are so happy that you and your family have enjoyed this recipe!!! 🙂
Will this work with bone-in/skin-on thighs?
It’s MUCH cheaper to buy that way.
And… I know that the skin adds some fat, but I LOVE it!
It’s a great question, John. We do love bone-in chicken too! Yes, it will work. You can give it a try.
The best oven fried chicken ever. The chicken comes out so juicy and moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Better than take out fried chicken. Thanks for the recipe.
I gotta try this one! Looks like it taste so good.