Here’s a simple and crispy Oven Fried Chicken Legs recipe—juicy inside, crunchy outside, but without deep frying.
🍗 Oven Fried Chicken Legs
🧂 Ingredients
- 6–8 chicken drumsticks (legs)
- 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp chili powder (optional)
🍞 Coating
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup breadcrumbs (for extra crispiness)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp baking powder (helps crisp up in oven)
🧈 For baking
- 3–4 tbsp oil or melted butter
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Marinate chicken
- Mix buttermilk with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder
- Add chicken legs and coat well
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (best: overnight)
2. Prepare coating
- In a bowl, mix flour, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, paprika, and baking powder
3. Coat chicken
- Remove chicken from marinade
- Let excess drip off
- Dredge each piece in flour mixture until fully coated
4. Preheat oven
- Set oven to 200°C (400°F)
- Line baking tray with foil and lightly grease it
5. Bake
- Place chicken on tray
- Drizzle or brush oil/butter over pieces
- Bake for 35–45 minutes, turning halfway
👉 Chicken is done when golden brown and internal temp is 75°C (165°F)
6. Crisp it up (optional)
- Broil/grill for 2–3 minutes at the end for extra crunch
🍽️ Serving ideas
- With fries 🍟
- Coleslaw 🥗
- Garlic mayo or spicy dip 🌶️
- Rice or mashed potatoes
🧠 Tips for best results
- Don’t skip marination—it keeps chicken juicy
- Baking powder in coating = crispier crust
- Use a wire rack if possible for even crisping
If you want, I can also give you:
- 🔥 Spicy KFC-style version
- 🍯 Honey garlic oven chicken
- 🥗 Healthy low-oil version for dieting
