Oven-Fried Chicken

You won’t believe it’s not deep fried.

And you’re not gonna miss it. Same crispiness, juiciness, and irresistible greasiness just achieved using less oil.

This is a recipe I have attempted about a dozen times. I first had this style of chicken in a small mom & pop restaurant in Jeju, South Korea.

And I was amazed. The skin was crispy and crunchy. Kept me going in for another piece until the whole chicken was gone. Oven fried chicken is pretty popular there! And it’s just as good as regular fried chicken (if not better).

Ever since, I’ve been trying to recreate it at home. And I think I finally nailed it.

Here’s how you can make some juicy Oven Fried Chicken at home.

Note: Yes, I said oven, BUT I always use my air-fryer. It’s just convenient! You can set your oven to convection mode for the same results.

Recipe:

• 2lb whole chicken, cut into bite sized pieces

• 1.5 tbsp baking powder

• 1 tbsp chicken bouillon

• 2-3 tsp garlic powder

• 1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika

• pinch black pepper

• 2 tbsp potato starch

• oil spray

To Prep:

Clean and pat your chicken dry. Using scissors, cut the chicken down the breast bone. Flip and cut to remove the spine. I like to cook it too! I think it’s the best part, but you can discard.

Divide the chicken into: 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, 2 wings and 1 spine. Cut all of these parts into smaller pieces.

Note: For the breast, I divide into three pieces. These pieces will be bigger, this will prevent them from becoming dry when cooked for the same length of time with the dark meat.

In a large bowl place your chicken pieces. Add your baking powder, chicken bouillon, sweet paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper. If you desire any other flavours or seasonings go right ahead! Mix to coat the chicken.

Place on a wire rack with tray underneath. Place in your fridge uncovered to dry for 6 hours or overnight. This will help to get the skin crispy.

To Cook:

Preheat your oven or air-fryer to 350 degrees.

Transfer chicken to a bowl and add your potato starch, toss to coat and shake off any excess.

Place back on your wire rack with the skin side facing up. Lightly spray chicken with non-stick spray or any spray-able oil, and place in the oven.

Cook for about 25 minutes total at 350 degrees. After the first 10 minutes, and flip the pieces. After another 10 flip the pieces again. The skin side should be facing up. Cooking at a lower temperature first helps the fat render from the skin and coat the chicken in its own grease— basically frying itself!

For the last 8-10 minutes of cooking, crank the heat up to 425 degrees. Continue to cook the chicken until golden and crispy. You can flip them around to make sure they are evenly browned.

Transfer to a plate to be served! These go well with ranch, garlic aioli or any dips/sauces your heart desires. Enjoy!