How to Make Oven Fried Chicken - No Fry Version

Unlike the Oven Fried - Flash Fried version of this recipe, there is no frying involved at all. Let your oven do the "frying" for you. This is actually acceptable to the Food Police and was published in Woman's World Magazine in their healthy recipes spot - yet it is sooooooooooooo good.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A baking pan with a rack insert to hold the chicken off the bottom
• 4 to 5 pound chicken, cut up in serving sizes
• Biscuit mix
• Flour
• Mar's Chicken Spice Mix - Listed in Step 2
• Oven pre-heated to 425 degrees

1. As in the Oven Fried Chicken - Flash Fried Version, cut up a whole chicken the way you like the pieces cut. Save the white meat for great sandwiches! See how to make those in one of my other recipe articles - How To Make A Great Chicken Sandwich! Or buy leg quarters, leaving them whole or cutting the leg from the thigh. Wash well and be sure to get the goop out of the thigh cavity to avoid that bitter bite!

2. Here is a nice spice combo that you can mix up in a bowl and then spoon into a spice jar. You will need about 3 1/2 tablespoons of the mix per chicken.
   
   Marlaine's Chicken Spice Mix
   * 4 T. dark brown sugar or white sugar
   * 3 T. paprika
   * 2 T. onion powder
   * 2 T. poultry seasoning
   * 1 t. garlic powder
   * 1 t. sage
   * 1 t. ground oregano
   * 1 t. sweet basil
   * 1/2 t. chili powder
   * 2 t. salt
   * 1 t. black pepper
   * 1/2 t. lemon pepper
   
   You can also use a much simpler mix that follows - put all ingredients into a bowl big enough to allow the pieces of chicken to be moved around to be coated and mix together well:
   * 1 1/2 cups flour
   * 1/2 cup biscuit mix
   * 2 t. salt and 1 t. pepper
   * 2 t. paprika
   * 1 t. onion powder
   * 1 t. poultry seasoning
   * 2 t. sugar

3. Use about 3 1/2 tablespoons of the spice mix to 1 1/2 cups flour and 1/2 biscuit mix. Mix it all up in a bowl about twice as big as your biggest piece of chicken and add about 1 more teaspoon of salt per cup of flour if desired. The ratio of mix to flour is about 1 tablespoon to 1/2 cup of flour. Add more or less spice mix if you want to or use the simpler second mix. Dredge moistened chicken pieces in the flour mixture after dipping the chicken in water to moisten if needed.

4. Arrange all the coated chicken pieces skin side down in a baking pan with a wire rack in it that will keep the chicken off the bottom of the pan. Have the oven preheated to 425 degrees and place the pan of chicken in the center of the oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Turn all the chicken skin side up. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Add water to the bottom of the pan. Bake for an additional 45 minutes.

Tips & Warnings

• If you buy leg quarters, cut the leg from the thigh and save the legs for giant buffalo wings if you like!
• Cut the bones from the thigh, except for the main bone, to have a meatier, easier to manage piece of chicken. Have you seen how expensive that very style of thigh is when you buy it already done like that?
• Save the extra bones from the thighs for chicken stock. Use a good freezer bag so you can add other chicken bones over time.
• Sprinkle the spice mix on a whole or cut up chicken when roasting at 350 degrees for an hour.
• To keep your hands clump free while coating chicken - use one hand to handle the wet chicken and the other hand to handle the chicken in the flour. Use the flour hand to cover chicken with flour mixture first before turning or touching the piece of chicken.
• With a nod to my girl buddy for making me aware that some may not know this - t. means teaspoon and T. means tablespoon.

Resources

• Marlaine Marie's Recipes

[russlhenley]

on 4/5/2009 I'm definitely trying this. I love fried chicken but can't eat any fats... 5*

[AuntieAndrea]

on 4/5/2009 We always fry our chicken or do beer can chicen so will have to give this a try!

[soanyway]

on 4/5/2009 Sounds really good, of course I will remove the skin.... cause I can eat more pieces if the skin is off! It's kinda like the 1/2 fat ice cream, I can have twice as much! LOL Thanks for recipe! I have recomn'd you and congrat's on being eHower of the day!

[Ladybugblue]

on 8/22/2008 Sounds great!

[MidniteWriter]

on 7/11/2008 Sounds amazing, thank you!