Make Ahead
Grandma Virginia's Oven-Fried Chicken
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82 Reviews
Jenny A.
April 30, 2018
Made it. Was delicious. However, turned out more like roasted chicken for me than fried. Not sure what I did wrong. I think I need a roasting pan with a rack and not just a baking sheet with foil. the juices from the chicken were making the bottom side gummy instead of really crispy.
luvcookbooks
April 30, 2018
Looking at comments, a rack is helpful. I think the initial browning in butter and the flour coating give it A “fried” feel, but it isn’t really fried. If you don’t have a rack, you can also turn it and roast both sides. All this makes the recipe a bit more complicated. As it started, was a quick, easy meal for a very busy housewife!
Jenny A.
April 30, 2018
Totally agree. I actually tried to pre-fry it in oil instead of butter and it still just blistered like a roasted piece of chicken. Might be because i didn't let the chicken warm up enough. I sat it on the counter and patted it dry for like 10 min but it was still a little cold. It's definitely delicious regardless. I'm on the hunt for a great, oven-fried chicken recipe. I'm going to have to keep looking i think
luvcookbooks
April 30, 2018
I would try Amanda Hesser’s mom’s chicken recipe. It’s on this site and it’s great.
Shirley C.
January 28, 2017
Can I use coconut flour instead of regular flour?
Michelle D.
January 29, 2017
I've tried almond flour for similar recipes with good success. Haven't tried coconut but I bet it would work. Both will probably be less crisp than with regular flour, but still good.
Sahra
May 5, 2016
I've made this a few times now,and it's been welcomed with great enthusiasm. I add some spices and smashed garlic to my brine for added flavour.
Thanks for the idea to brine. Makes it terrific.
Thanks for the idea to brine. Makes it terrific.
Kate
August 17, 2015
Made this tonight, was good, though didn't brine the chicken due to time. Will definitely brine next time, as the chicken was dry, but still good. No celery seed, used Goya adobo, garlic powder, and black pepper.
Michelle D.
April 20, 2015
Great recipe. I cut up a whole chicken and replaced the celery salt with other spices that I had on hand. I found the chicken plenty crispy baked in the same skillet I browned it in, and found--as always--that dredging in a shallow dish worked as well as a disposable plastic bag.
luvcookbooks
April 21, 2015
Will have to try the skillet to oven method. My mom shook her chicken in a paper bag. Cheaper than plastic. I find shaking it quicker and the chicken is more thoroughly coated than when I use a plate, although I admire the sustainabity of the plate method. For me, shaking is also a little neater. I get flour all over the kitchen with the plate. Thanks for trying the recipe!
NotTooSweet
February 7, 2015
Just made this and the chicken was finger licking good! Followed the recipe exactly except for cooking on racks over a foil lined baking sheet. The thighs (bone-in) were done in 30 minutes and were so juicy and delicious. Will definitely make again!
Suparna B.
January 16, 2015
The salt brine was genius and made this recipe. Used chicken thighs and gluten free panko. Mixed in cayenne, onion powder and some grated Parmesan in the coating. And it tasted better the next day. It's a keeper
kitchenkittn
November 6, 2014
Does this work okay with oil instead of butter? Chicken is ready to go and I realized I have no butter! :(
luvcookbooks
November 9, 2014
Hey, I'm sorry I didn't catch this earlier. How did this turn out? I am from Wisconsin the dairy state and rarely without butter. If you have an emergency question, you can put it up on Hotline and mark it urgent. I have gotten answers within seconds to minutes from Hotline.
Cody A.
November 4, 2014
Hi all,
I was confused whether this recipe calls for dredging with an egg to make the breading stick or recommends to just coat the chicken dry?
I was confused whether this recipe calls for dredging with an egg to make the breading stick or recommends to just coat the chicken dry?
luvcookbooks
November 3, 2014
My mom made it with breasts as well as dark meat- they all cooked together for the same amount of time.
chinamommy1
November 3, 2014
Can you use chicken breasts instead? and how long to cook in oven then?
Boomdog02
October 15, 2014
By the way...this works great for wings too!!! Just adjust your cooking time down.
Boomdog02
October 15, 2014
Gotta say after years of experimenting with many methods of oven frying chicken...I finally tried this one. After 5 times I am sold...this comes about as close as you can to deep frying, without much of the mess and oil. I add some smoked paprika, onion and garlic powder to my dredge, and the flavor is great, moist bird, crispy skin. Brining is key!
Lancealink
September 18, 2014
Made this tonight as a last minute dinner, so I skipped the brine, used bone-in thighs-subbed paprika for the celery salt since i had none on hand. Was delicious. I'm a fried chicken fanatic, never cared too much for oven-fried iterations but this really stacked up. Can't wait to try it with the brine.
luvcookbooks
September 11, 2014
Medium to medium high, adjust if it's browning too fast (burning) or too slowly, about 4 minutes per side.
michael W.
September 9, 2014
simple question from a novice here. When you say brown the chicken, what's the temperature on the skillet and for how long approximately? Medium for 4 minutes?
Louise
July 15, 2014
I cooked mine about 4 minutes on each side - you want the skin to be a lovely golden brown.
Smorgie138
June 12, 2014
I need a bit of clarification as I have never brined before, #1 in the directions calls to Dissolve the kosher salt in several cups of water and pour over the chicken in a plastic container. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (We used 3 1/4 cups of water.) Exactly how much kosher salt am I to use? The 1 tablespoon that is listed in the recipe? Please excuse my ignorance in this matter. Just does not seem that 1 Tablespoon is enough for the amount of water.
luvcookbooks
June 12, 2014
Yes, try the 1 T that is listed in the recipe. I left the amount of water a little up to you depending on the size of the container and the chicken pieces. It's a light brine to add flavor to the chicken and keep it moist. You can always adjust as you wish ...
procrastibaker
May 20, 2014
Decided to make this for Sunday dinner, so I only brined the chicken for six hours. Didn't have any celery salt, so I threw in some garlic powder and cayenne. Delicious! I got lazy and didn't brown the first couple pieces enough, so they didn't turn out quite as crispy as the others, but all of it was incredible. This will definitely be going in my weeknight rotation. Juicy, crispy, fantastic. Cooked it on a rack over a foil-lined baking sheet and definitely needed to rotate halfway through (my chicken wept, and wound up being soggy on the bottoms), but even with only the top half being crispy, my boyfriend and I raved over it.
luvcookbooks
April 6, 2014
Have wondered about celery salt. What is chicken spice? I just read a recipe for oven fried chicken in "Make the Bread, Buy the Butter" and she browns the chicken in an oven proof skillet, then saves a pan by putting the skillet in the oven. She turns the chicken once so that all of the skin crisps. So glad you liked it, thanks!
Louise
April 6, 2014
Thanks so much for this recipe! I made it tonight and it was delicious! I only brined the chicken for 5 hours but it was still moist and juicy. I struggled to find celery seeds so I used celery salt and I added a pinch of smoked paprika and some chicken spice. I cooked the chicken (after browning it) on top of a rack on a foil lined tray. It was done after half an hour in my oven. I will definitely make this again. It was better than KFC.
Baker1961
April 2, 2014
Brined chicken thighs over night and made this today. WOW! Absolutely wonderful! Thanks for sharing this recipe, it's a keeper!
luvcookbooks
April 3, 2014
So fun to hear that people are trying this recipe. My mom made a batch in the afterlife and served it with dry martinis beforehand, white dinner rolls and fresh green peas with lettuce hearts and pearl onions.
Gaia G.
March 31, 2014
Definitely giving this a try. I soak my chicken in buttermilk usually. But this brining method seems like it will do the same thing as far as tenderizing the meat only adding more flavor. I can't wait to try this with my homemade banana mango ketchup too!
luvcookbooks
April 2, 2014
Buttermilk soak and banana mango ketchup both sound like fun things to try to change up the recipe! Thanks for your comment.
Carol H.
March 31, 2014
Isn't soaking the chicken overnight in salted water going to make it taste really salty?
Miles
March 30, 2014
Can't wait to try this recipe. Love fried foods, but hate the actual frying - the smell lasts in the house forever. This seems really simple and from all the comments turns out great. Will try this week. Thank you!
luvcookbooks
March 31, 2014
Definitely does not linger in the curtains the way a deep fry does, hope you enjoy!
Frances
March 30, 2014
Made this last night and it went down well. Nice saltiness and indeed very succulent for something cooked in the oven. One thing I would say is that the chicken should be cooked on a rack over a dish in the oven as I found there was a lot of liquid that the chicken ended up sitting in meaning the crispy coating was only on the top.
luvcookbooks
March 30, 2014
If you dried the chicken as per step two, it may be the kind of chicken you are using. Some weep, I'm not sure why, and then the rack makes sense. I use Bell and Evans or farmers market, find its ok without the rack and one less dish to wash. Thanks for trying the recipe.
Frances
March 31, 2014
I did dry the chicken - it was just juicy I suppose, although I thought maybe the brining could have made this happen. Anyway, not complaining as it was lovely and the juices were tasty too!
luvcookbooks
March 31, 2014
I think the recipe is different in each cook's hand. Every comment helps figure out how the recipe works, so I'm happy to get them. Wondering if turning the chicken might help, too. Starting skin down (that's the part that MUST be crisp) and turning part way through... thanks!!
Steve
July 1, 2014
Most grocery store chickens are 'pumped" with saline water to make them appear plump. This could be why your chicken is "weepng". Next time try and organic chicken that has not been altered. Good luck.
cheesypennies
March 30, 2014
Congratulations on the win...sure seems like this recipe would deserve it. What a lovely way to remember your mom. My kids will go crazy for this, I'm sure.
RinaEugene
March 30, 2014
Should I change anything to use white meat pieces? This sounds like a dream come true.
luvcookbooks
March 30, 2014
My mom made it with white pieces as well. No one in our family is a white meat person, so I just used dark.
Luvtocook
March 30, 2014
Haven't tried this recipe (YET!) but this comment is in support of brining chicken. Haven't made chicken or turkey without brining since I learned how...makes the poultry so much moister that it really makes a wonderful difference IMHO...
Annie S.
March 28, 2014
A great recipe and timely. I had a bunch of chicken ready to go , was hankering for fried, but couldn't face the mess. THANK YOU !!! I played around with the seasoning to suit my taste but the metod is your's and your Mom's. So we alter it a bit but still honor the original recipe. Your special treat connects us in the cooking family. Cheers...
walkie74
March 28, 2014
Made it tonight! It definitely cut back on the mess. I thought it was a touch bland, but I think I messed up on the spices. Hubby didn't care, he thought it was awesome. Thanks so much for sharing!
luvcookbooks
March 28, 2014
Make sure the celery seed is fresh, it's not a high turnover spice... also, my younger brother (may he rest in peace) used to add cayenne to the flour. Since the mustard contest, I am thinking about mustard constantly, some dry mustard with the flour? Not sure how all this would mix with the celery seed, tho ... anyway, every recipe should be made your own!! Have fun trying another rendition and post your outcomes. Thanks for the comment.
marymary
September 10, 2014
I highly recommend adding dry mustard, cayenne, smoked paprika, black pepper and celery seed to the flour, depending on your taste buds and what's in your pantry. We don't use much salt, so I often leave out extra salt after brining overnight. I look forward to trying your browning / bake method this weekend. Thanks for sharing!
luvcookbooks
March 27, 2014
Oh, and thank you for the lovely photograph. Mine has never looked that good!
luvcookbooks
March 27, 2014
Thanks you for the comments. My mom died a year ago February, so I'm quite happy for the Wildcard pick that was her recipe and one of our childhood favorites.
ChefJune
March 27, 2014
Great idea to minimize the mess (which is why I haven't fried chicken in years). Congrats on the WC Win!
walkie74
March 27, 2014
This will take about the same amount of time as pan frying...but it'll definitely be less messy. :) I'm a believer!
marymary
March 26, 2014
I love a simple recipe for classic comfort foods. This will be on the menu next week. Thanks for sharing!
cookinginvictoria
March 26, 2014
This looks and sounds amazingly delicious. Saved -- we will definitely be trying this very soon . . . amd just in time for picnic season. Warm congrats on the WC, luvcookbooks!
Elizabeth W.
March 26, 2014
Would this work without the brining?
luvcookbooks
March 27, 2014
You will still have oven fried chicken if you don't brine. In fact, my mom's original recipe doesn't use the brine. I read about it in Amanda Hesser's recipe for HER mom's oven fried chicken in Cooking for Mr. Latte and added it. I think it's a more succulent, salty taste but see what you think.
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