Not your kids’ menu chicken fingers: these Oven-Fried Chicken Strips will appeal to kids and adults alike, with their juicy flavor & crisp coating.
Whenever I’m asked where I’m from, being from the state of Kentucky almost always elicits a response about fried chicken — especially that fried chicken made by a Colonel and served up in a red and white striped bucket! And a method the venerable Colonel always used when making his chicken is one that is used in this Oven-Fried Chicken Strips too: marinating the chicken in buttermilk. Marinating first is a crucial step. Chicken breast is especially prone to drying out, and the buttermilk tenderizes the meat and helps the breading stick to protect all that juicy flavor.
While chicken strips may have gotten a bad rap from the greasy, flavorless ones often found on kids’ menus and school cafeterias, it is possible to make delicious, non-greasy fried chicken white meat! Deep frying chicken is the traditional method of cooking it, whether it’s bone-in or boneless. However, this method means lots of extra cholesterol, calories, and grease. Oven frying is a great alternative [read: healthier] without sacrificing flavor. Plus, the cleanup is much simpler than the mess after deep frying.
The contrast of a crispy outside and juicy, flavorful inside means these Oven-Fried Chicken Strips won’t last long on your table. Whether you’re feeding a family or hosting a party to watch the big game, they are a crowd-pleasing main dish and offer lots of possibilities once you include dipping sauces (but honestly, they are so yummy on their own too!)
Top Tips For a Perfect Oven-Fried Chicken Recipe
- Slice the chicken breast into strips of even thickness as much as possible. If your strips are dramatically different in thickness, they won’t cook evenly.
- Multitask! While the chicken is soaking in the buttermilk, get your pan ready and start setting out the three plates with the flour, egg, and panko breadcrumbs. You really need to have all three set up once you’re ready to dip the buttermilk-soaked chicken.
- While baking, check the chicken at about 12 minutes and turn over if needed. You want to get an even browning all over for the best crunch on the outside. If the chicken browns too quickly, you can loosely tent with foil, but don’t do this until close to the end of baking.
- Feeding a crowd? This recipe is super easy to double or even triple. Just make sure you have enough pans and bake the chicken in batches.
I don’t have any buttermilk! What can I substitute?
Just use 1/2 cup of regular milk and mix in 1/2 tablespoon of either lemon juice or vinegar. Voila! Instant buttermilk.
Serving Suggestions
Any chicken strips this good deserve good dipping sauces. For a quick array of dipping sauces, look in your fridge or pantry. BBQ sauce, Buffalo Wing Sauce, or make your own honey mustard sauce by mixing equal parts of yellow mustard and honey to taste. Or you can head over to some of the sauces I’ve made here on BB, like Chipotle Sauce, Garlic Butter Sauce, or even my Yogurt Herb Dipping Sauce! French fries made in your air fryer always go well with chicken strips, or if you want something green, roasted broccoli is an easy side.
How to Store
This Oven Fried Chicken is best eaten right out of the oven. If you need to make it ahead, just reheat in a slightly cooler oven, at 375 degrees until warm. Tent with foil if it starts to brown. For leftovers, either place cooled pieces in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days, or you can place cooled piece on a clean baking sheet and set in the freezer for 30 minutes. Immediately wrap them in plastic wrap followed by foil, individually, for easy thawing and reheating. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Oven-Fried Chicken Recipe
Ingredients Â
- 1 lb chicken breast cut into strips
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
- Pinch of sea salt and black pepper
- Lemon wedges and fresh parsley for garnish
InstructionsÂ
- Cut the chicken breast into thick strips, then soak in the buttermilk for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the milk and pat dry on paper towels.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and prepare a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Brush the melted butter over the parchment paper until completely coated.
- Pour the flour into a small shallow dish and whisk the egg in a second shallow dish.
- In a third dish, combine the panko breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika.
- Season both sides of the chicken strips with salt and pepper then dip them in flour on each side. Gently shake off excess flour and transfer to the eggs.
- Coat the chicken strips on both sides with the egg, then transfer to the panko mixture. Press the chicken strips into the panko mixture to coat all sides evenly.
- Transfer the coated chicken strips to the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each piece.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and browned.
- Transfer the oven-fried chicken to a plate, garnish with lemon wedges, and fresh parsley, and serve with a dipping sauce of your choice!
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