The Simple Joy of this Crispy Butter-Baked Fried Chicken
While most fried chicken recipes leave you standing over a hot, splattering pan of oil, this butter-baked version lets the oven do all the heavy lifting.
I love how simple this approach is. No deep-frying drama, no grease burns on my forearms. Just melt butter, coat chicken in seasoned flour, then let everything bubble away in the oven.
The beauty lies in its straightforward nature: basic pantry ingredients creating something truly satisfying.
Why complicate dinner when you don’t have to? This recipe proves that sometimes the easiest path delivers the crispiest, most golden results you’re craving.
Ingredients
This butter-baked fried chicken keeps things invigoratingly simple with just six basic ingredients. You probably have most of these sitting in your pantry right now, which is exactly why I’m drawn to recipes like this one.
No hunting down exotic spices or making special grocery store trips – just honest, straightforward ingredients that work together beautifully.
- 5 lbs chicken pieces
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
When it comes to the chicken, any mix of pieces works perfectly fine. Thighs, drumsticks, breasts, wings – whatever your family prefers or whatever’s on sale at the store.
The flour creates that golden coating we’re all after, while the butter does double duty as both the cooking fat and flavor enhancer. That paprika isn’t just for looks either; it adds a subtle smokiness and helps achieve that gorgeous golden color that makes everyone think you spent hours slaving over hot oil.
The salt and pepper might seem minimal, but they’re doing important work here, enhancing the natural chicken flavors without overwhelming the simplicity of the dish.
How to Make this Crispy Butter-Baked Fried Chicken
Making this crispy butter-baked fried chicken is invigoratingly straightforward, though I’ll admit the first time I read “baked fried chicken” I did a double-take.
Start by preheating your oven to 425°F – yes, that’s hot, but trust the process here. Melt that entire 1 cup of butter and pour it right into the bottom of your roasting pan, creating what’s fundamentally a butter bath for your chicken.
While the oven heats up, mix together your 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon paprika in a shallow dish or plate. This becomes your coating mixture, and honestly, it looks pretty humble sitting there, but don’t let appearances fool you.
Now comes the fun part – dip each piece of your 5 lbs chicken into that seasoned flour mixture, making sure to coat all sides evenly. No need to get fancy with double-dipping or elaborate techniques here, just a good thorough coating will do.
Place the floured chicken pieces directly into that melted butter in your roasting pan, and slide the whole thing into your hot oven. For even better results, consider using a cast iron skillet which retains heat beautifully and creates an incredibly crispy crust.
Here’s where patience becomes your friend: bake for a full hour, but flip those pieces every 30 minutes. That means one flip halfway through, which gives you gorgeous golden browning on both sides while keeping the inside juicy.
The butter does all the work of creating that crispy exterior we’re after, without any of the mess or temperature monitoring that comes with traditional frying.
Substitutions and Variations
Although this recipe works beautifully as written, I’d be lying if I said there weren’t plenty of ways to make it your own.
Want more heat? Add cayenne pepper to that flour mixture. I’m talking just a pinch, unless you’re feeling brave. You can swap paprika for garlic powder or onion powder too.
Different herbs work wonders here. Rosemary, thyme, even a little sage.
The butter situation? Totally flexible. Half butter, half oil works great if you’re watching portions. Or try ghee for something nutty and rich.
Your chicken, your rules.
Additional Things to Serve With Crispy Butter-Baked Fried Chicken
Now that you’ve got your perfectly crispy, butter-kissed chicken ready to go, what’s going to share the plate with this golden beauty?
I’m thinking creamy mashed potatoes, because honestly, what doesn’t pair with buttery spuds?
Coleslaw adds that perfect crunch and tangy contrast.
Green beans or corn on the cob bring some color to the party.
Biscuits? Always a yes.
Mac and cheese feels like doubling down on comfort, but sometimes that’s exactly what we need.
Fresh salad lightens things up if you’re feeling virtuous.
Whatever you choose, make sure there’s plenty of napkins nearby.
Final Thoughts
When you strip away all the fancy techniques and complicated breading methods, this butter-baked fried chicken proves that simple really can be spectacular.
I mean, who needs eleven herbs and spices when you’ve got butter doing all the heavy lifting?
This recipe reminds me why I fell in love with cooking in the first place. No stress, no mess of oil splatter decorating my kitchen walls.
Just tender chicken with a golden crust that’ll make your family think you’re some kind of culinary genius.
Sometimes the best things really are the simplest.
