This Buttermilk Ranch Oven Fried Chicken is bound to become a new family favorite! This recipe is perfect for a quick and easy dinner any night of the week! The chicken comes out so juicy and moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside – just the way we like it! Make it a meal with these dinner rolls, broccoli salad with Key Lime Pie for dessert!Â
 Oven Fried Chicken
Happy Halloween! I thought we’d celebrate with….wait for it…..fried chicken! I always struggle with getting a GOOD meal into my family before we had out to trick or treat and eat allthecandy.
I’ve lost interest in creating spooky food for Halloween night because, well, I ain’t got time for that. Those fun foods are great for Halloween parties, but dinner, no. I can barely get the costumes on, fill the candy bowl, put lights in the pumpkins, find flashlights…and then find batteries, I mean, who has any time leftover to create the perfect Halloween dinner?
This little chicken recipe is one I keep in my back pocket for busy nights. It’s relatively painless as far as prep goes and my boys GOBBLE the chicken up. Get it?
The BEST Oven Fried Chicken
Super easy to make, this chicken recipe is on repeat at our house. The kids love it, the adults love, it’s a win-win.
It’s a super simple recipe that is done in three easy steps:
- marinating
- breading
- oven “frying”
What You’ll Need
You’ll see a lot of the ingredients you might expect of a typical fried chicken recipe here and some that might surprise you:
- 3 – 4 pounds cut-up fryer – you can also cut up your own chicken or use just the parts you prefer
- ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix – adds loads of flavor
- buttermilk – for the marinade, keeps the chicken super moist
- corn muffin mix – this is used in place of flour because it adds both texture and flavor to the chicken
- salt
- pepper
- paprika
- cayenne
Marinating the Chicken
The chicken is marinated in buttermilk and ranch seasoning all day (or at least an hour!). That’s the hard part. It’s done in the morning so you can maybe get in a shower before the kids start freaking out that it’s finally Halloween!
Breading the Chicken
The breading is all sorts of easy. It’s a package of corn muffin mix and a few seasonings. That’s it. It’s awesome.
The corn muffin mix not only adds great texture to this oven fried chicken, it adds flavor as well. It’s a trick I use for pork chops as well.
This chicken has a unique flavor that is appealing to all ages – a hint of sweetness from the corn muffin mix, a bit of tang from the buttermilk, and then all that ranch flavor – it’s delicious!
Just a few tips…
- Make sure that when you remove the chicken from the buttermilk you really shake off all the excess buttermilk. If you don’t, the coating might fall off while the chicken bakes. (I just had a vision of one of you shaking the chicken and buttermilk flying all over your kitchen. DON’T.)
- The longer this chicken marinates in the buttermilk, the better!
- This chicken recipe can be made with skinless chicken pieces or skin-on, it’s your choice. I typically leave the skin on the drumsticks but remove it from the thighs and breasts – that skin is thicker and easier to remove.
Serve with your favorite side dish and you’re golden! This is one recipe you’ll be making over and over again!
More Favorite Dinners
- Easy Lazy Day Lasagna
- The Ultimate Crockpot Chili Recipe
- Easy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
- The BEST Tater Tot Casserole
- The Best Tuna Casserole with Noodles
How To Make Oven Fried Chicken
Buttermilk Ranch Oven-Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 lbs chicken drumsticks skin on or off
- 1 oz envelope ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 8.5 oz corn muffin mix
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
Instructions
- Combine chicken, ranch seasoning, and buttermilk in a large ziploc bag.
- Turn the bag over several times to ensure the chicken is coated with the ranch and buttermilk and place in the refrigerator. Refrigerate for the entire day or at least one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Spay a large baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
- Combine corn muffin mix and seasonings in a shallow bowl.
- Remove the chicken pieces one at a time and shake off the excess buttermilk.
- Dip the chicken in the breading, turning to evenly coat. Shake off excess and place chicken, bone side down, on the prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat for remaining chicken pieces.
- Lightly spray the top of each piece of chicken with cooking spray.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Check the chicken at about 30 minutes and if the coating is turning too brown, just place a piece of foil lightly over the top of the chicken to prevent further browning.
Nutrition
Looking for more delicious, easy dinner recipes? Check out my new book 100 Creative Ways to Use Rotisserie Chicken in Everyday Meals. I love using rotisserie chicken to create meals that my family will love. You’ll find casseroles, bakes, comfort food, soups, sandwiches and more!
I have an entire chapter devoted to meals you can can create in 20 minutes or less and another devoted to recipes with 5 ingredients or less. This cookbook is filled with simple and fast recipes that your whole family will love. Check it out!
More easy chicken dinner recipes (’cause we ALL need them!):
Easy Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole
Sriracha Almond Crusted Chicken Strips
Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole
20 Minute Skillet Chicken and Spinach Parmesan
Chicken Cordon Bleu Crescent Rolls
For all chicken recipes, go HERE.
For all dinner recipes, go HERE.
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Marilyn says
I used this recipe with pork chop center Cut. Oh my gosh, every one love it. I cooked the pork chops breaded in a 385 degree oven. Uncovered. The entire family really enjoyed the recipe.