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The Best Oven-Fried Chicken Recipes You'll Ever Make

When you love fried chicken but just aren't feeling the mess (or the worry of splattering hot oil), try one of these delicious alternatives.
By Lynn Andriani
The Easiest
Philia Kelnhofer
This irresistible, unfussy recipe from Philia Kelnhofer's new Fast & Easy Five-Ingredient Recipes has you soak chicken tenders in whole milk for 20 minutes, then coat them in a mixture of crushed cornflakes, paprika, salt and pepper. You drizzle melted butter over the coated chicken, then bake for 20 minutes. Golden, tender chicken on a busy weeknight? Sign us up.

Get the recipe: "Unfried" Cornflake Chicken
The Crispiest
Home Made Simple
If you haven't tried breading foods in rice flour, prepare to be amazed. The gluten-free ingredient has a lighter texture than wheat flour, and dredging chicken drumsticks, thighs and breasts in it results in a supercrispy crust. This recipe also incorporates an additional coating of corn-cereal flakes and cracker crumbs, so the crunch factor is off the charts.

Get the recipe: Healthy Oven-Fried Chicken
The Juiciest
Brian MacdonaldiStock
Brining (aka soaking meat in cold, salted water prior to cooking) is a technique you can use before roasting, grilling or other methods -- but it's especially helpful when oven-frying chicken breasts, which can dry out easily. After the brine, you dip the chicken in buttermilk and seasoned bread crumbs, then cook it on a sheet you've preheated, so it sizzles when it makes contact. The result: deeply flavored meat that's also superjuicy.

Get the recipe: Oven (Tastes Like Southern) Fried Chicken

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Before You Go

6 Ridiculously Delicious One-Pot Chicken Dinners To Try
The I-Haven't-Gone-Food-Shopping-In-A-Week Dinner(01 of06)
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Keep a package of chicken thighs in your freezer, a lemon in your fridge and some basics in the pantry, and this practically effortless supper will always be an option. Each of the ingredients in this dish (there are also olives and capers), along with the citrus juice, helps make the chicken tender and mingles with the meat's juices to create a delicious sauce.

Get the recipe: Chicken with Olives and Capers (credit:© Alexandra Grablewski)
A Winning French Dish With A Twist(02 of06)
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The ingredients in a rustic cassoulet vary, but chicken isn't all that common. Yet it's surprisingly perfect: The mild flavor doesn't overpower the sausage, white beans and herbs, but instead adds body and extra oomph without a ton of additional prep work (or cost!).

Get the recipe: Chicken, Sausage and Bean Cassoulet (credit:ACP Magazines Limited)
An Asian Dish Where Every Bite Is Fabulous(03 of06)
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Chicken legs and thighs are terrific in stir-fries, since the dark meat tends to soak up the delicious sauce (here, it's chili-soy-garlic) so well. This recipe also has a fantastic contrast of textures, from tender chicken to crunchy peanuts to celery, which seems to fall somewhere in the perfect middle.

Get the recipe: Chicken Stir-Fry with Celery and Peanuts (credit:John Kernick)
A Way To Play Tetris While Making Dinner(04 of06)
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An 8x8 brownie pan is surprisingly ideal for cooking chicken drumsticks, since their elongated shape allows you to arrange them in a zigzag pattern that can accommodate plenty, while still leaving room for the skin to brown and crisp. Underneath the meat lie chopped carrots, turnips and red potatoes; the vegetables absorb the meat's flavor, as well as the honey-balsamic dressing that gives this dish a deliciously sweet undertone.

Get the recipe: Honey-Glazed Chicken with Root Vegetables (credit:Kathy Strahs)
The Roast With A Bit Of Spice(05 of06)
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Don't be scared off by the list of ingredients in this dish -- the only things that require chopping are scallions. Once you've done that, just put everything -- including chicken pieces and pork chorizo or chicken sausage -- in a roasting pan and slide it into the oven. An hour or so later, you'll have succulent chicken and sausage, tender vegetables and a pan sauce that gets a little kick from the sausage's spices and is terrific with crusty bread.

Get the recipe: Roast Chicken with Green Beans and Artichokes (credit:Gentl & Hyers)
A Throw-It-All-In-One-Pan Favorite(06 of06)
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Even if you've got a go-to roast chicken, this recipe is a great reminder that the addition of one new ingredient can bring a brand new flavor to a familiar dish. In this case, you toss a few basics—carrots, potatoes, onion, lemon—with olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme; roast until golden, then nestle chicken-breast halves in the pan. When they're cooked, you boil the pan drippings and -- here's the twist -- stir in a bit of paprika. The resulting sauce is smoky, with a touch of pleasant sweetness.

Get the recipe: Pan-Roasted Paprika Chicken (credit:Alison Gootee/Studio D)
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