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Oven-Fried Chicken with Honey Garlic Sauce is an easy sheet pan meal. You get chicken that tastes deep-fried when biting into it, using a simple technique to make crispy oven-fried chicken with no need for deep frying.
I wish a plate of this was in front of me again. It was gone too soon…
Oven-Fried Chicken with Broccoli and Honey Garlic Sauce! This is the perfect meal for a fussy eater and even just for a regular family dinner when you want a healthy alternative to fried chicken. And it’s SO GOOD paired with potato salad.
Why This Recipe Works
Searching the internet for the best oven-baked chicken, I constantly ran into recipes that pour oil into the baking tray to deep fry the pieces right in the oven, but I found every piece would turn out so oily.
Mixing the oil directly into the breadcrumbs is the secret to an earth-shattering crunch. But do not just use any breadcrumb. To get that crispy baked chicken texture, use Panko, which is a Japanese-style breadcrumb easily found in the Asian section of any supermarket.
The honey garlic sauce to go with it is crazy delicious!
This recipe is the result of my children begging me for KFC. I love my kids, but I love their health even more. It took me a few months to nail this fakeaway fried chicken and get the crunchy coating exactly right. No need for a deep fryer. Just your oven or an air fryer!
Oven Fried Chicken
When I first started making this recipe, my main goal was to find a healthy alternative to deep frying. Traditional fried chicken tastes great, but it requires cups of heavy oil, which adds unnecessary fats and calories (and, to be honest, it’s also a mess).
In this recipe, we bake the chicken on a sheet pan instead; you only need a couple of tablespoons of oil mixed right into the breadcrumbs.
This small change turns a heavy takeout-style dish into a healthy baked chicken dinner that leaves you feeling good after it’s gone. You get the same crunch and flavor without all the grease. It is a fantastic way to make low-oil fried chicken at home, making it much easier to feed my kids their favorite food on a regular day without any guilt.
Ingredients
- Chicken: I use bone-in, skinless chicken thighs here because they stay incredibly juicy while baking. I tried before with skin-on chicken, but the skin never gets that true fried crunch under the breading. You can use chicken breasts in this recipe; just keep an eye on them since boneless cuts cook faster.
- Breadcrumbs: I recommend sticking with Japanese-style Panko rather than regular fine breadcrumbs, which tend to soak up moisture and become mushy in the oven. Panko makes all the difference when making oven fried chicken thighs. You can use regular panko.
- Soy Sauce and Vinegar: Rice wine vinegar adds the right amount of tang to cut through the sweetness. If you do not have rice wine vinegar on hand, apple cider vinegar works as a great substitute.
- Honey and Fresh Garlic: This SAUCE. It’s an amazing glaze that makes the meal so addictive. Use freshly minced garlic cloves rather than garlic powder for a stronger flavor.
Note: Please see the recipe card for list of full ingredients and measurements
How To Make Oven Fried Chicken
To keep my workspace clean and make the process fast, I set up a simple dipping station right next to my baking sheet. I line up three shallow bowls:
- One for flour
- One for the egg wash
- One for the Panko and oil mixture.
Working one piece at a time, I coat the chicken in the flour, dip it into the eggs, and press it firmly into the breadcrumbs so the coating really sticks.
Once all the chicken is on the tray, give the pieces a light spray of cooking oil. This helps the breadcrumbs toast up in the oven and gives you that authentic baked fried chicken crunch. Halfway through the baking time, I add the prepared broccoli florets right onto the same pan. Doing this turns everything into a quick sheet pan chicken and broccoli dinner with barely any dishes to wash.
If you do not have bone-in thighs, you can swap them out for chicken drumsticks, tenders, or breasts. Just remember to adjust your cooking time since boneless cuts cook much faster.
When the tray comes out of the oven hot and crunchy, drizzle the sticky honey garlic sauce all over the chicken and vegetables. You get an easy homemade crispy chicken dinner finished in about 45 minutes of cooking time.
How To Make Air Fryer Fried Chicken
If you want to use your air fryer instead of the oven, I cook the chicken and the broccoli separately for the best results. It is a fast way to make air fryer fried chicken without heating up your whole kitchen.
Prepare the chicken pieces the same way through the flour, egg, and Panko dipping stations. Don’t forget to season with black pepper and salt!
Place the chicken in the basket in a single layer. Give the breading a light spray of cooking oil and air fry at 392°F (200°C) for 25 minutes. Make sure to turn the pieces halfway through cooking so they get an even crunch.
While the chicken rests, you can quickly cook the broccoli. Toss the florets into the air fryer basket and cook them at 356°F (180°C) for 7 minutes. Toss everything in the sauce, and you get a complete, easy air fryer meal with the exact same texture as the oven method.
Tips For Oven-Fried Chicken
- Keep the crunch: If you want to maintain that crispy oven-fried chicken texture for as long as possible, serve the honey garlic sauce on the side for dipping or drizzle it over the chicken right at the dinner table. Letting it sit in the sauce on the pan for too long will soften the breading.
- Mixing the breadcrumbs: When adding oil to the Panko, I like to rub the mixture between my fingers. This breaks up any clumps and coats the breadcrumbs evenly so every bite of your baked fried chicken has an even crunch.
- Broil at the end: If the chicken is cooked through but you want a darker color, switch your oven to broil for the final two minutes. Keep a close eye on your sheet pan chicken recipe so the coating does not burn.
- Mince the garlic fine: Since the sauce thickens up fast, make sure you mince your garlic finely. Large chunks will not cook down quickly enough and can overpower the sauce.
- Let the chicken rest for just a couple of minutes before eating.
What To Serve With Oven-Fried Chicken
If you are figuring out what the best pair is for this chicken recipe, I got you.
Keep things simple since this sheet pan meal comes with its own roasted vegetables. I can say that basically everything goes well when it comes to chicken and broccoli.
- Steamed rice is my top choice so the grains can soak up all that extra sticky glaze.
- Mixing the chopped chicken and vegetables into some quick vegetable fried rice makes the dinner feel a lot like takeout.
- Plating the chicken next to a big serving of garlic butter noodles is guaranteed to keep the kids happy.
- Potatoes, no matter how you prepare them, you can make some chips, a classic puree, wedges… The choice is yours.
- Chicken and waffles are a classic, so feel free to try it with this oven fried chicken!
Try it with mashed cauliflower or coleslaw if you want to keep it low carb.
FAQs
The best way to get that crispy oven-fried chicken texture is by rubbing a little oil directly into Panko breadcrumbs. You also want to pat the chicken completely dry with a paper towel before coating it so the breading actually sticks. If you have one, bake the pieces on a wire rack so the hot air circulates underneath.
If your leftover chicken dried out, a simple trick is to spray the pieces lightly with chicken broth, not too much. You can tent the baking pan loosely with foil for just a few minutes while it warms up in the oven. This traps the steam and pushes moisture back into the meat, reviving those juices.
Keep any leftovers sealed tightly in the fridge. When you want to warm them up, avoid the microwave. I prefer throwing the pieces right back into a hot oven or air fryer for a few minutes. I share more specific storage and reheating steps right below!
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Oven Fried Chicken
Ingredients
For The Broccoli:
- 2 broccoli heads washed and dried, cut into florets
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
For The Chicken:
- 6 bone in skinless chicken thighs
- 1 pinch salt to season
- 1 pinch pepper to season
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg large
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika sweet or smoky
- 1 3/4 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped to serve
For The Honey Garlic Sauce:
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or white or apple cider – optional
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Add the broccoli to a bowl with the oil, garlic, salt and pepper, mix to combine. Set aside.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper. Set up a work station with 3 shallow bowls. To one bowl, add the flour and set aside. In the second bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, garlic powder, the 3/4 teaspoon of salt and paprika. In the third bowl, mix the Panko with the vegetable oil.
- Working one by one, evenly coat the chicken in the flour, then dip into the egg mixture, then dredge in the Panko mixture, pressing to coat. Place onto prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining chicken thighs.
- Lightly spray each chicken thigh over the top with cooking oil spray (this is optional, but I have found it to crisp the chicken even more).
- Place back into the oven to cook for a further 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through; the crust is crispy and golden brown, and the broccoli is tender-crisp
Honey Garlic Sauce:
- In a small saucepan, combine honey, soy sauce, vinegar (if using), and garlic. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and quickly reduce heat to low.
- Pour the prepared cornstarch mixture into the saucepan and stir until the sauce thickens (about 2 minutes). Set aside and allow to cool.
- Garnish chicken with parsley and serve immediately with the honey garlic sauce.
Air Fryer Fried Chicken Method
- Place the chicken in the basket in a single layer. Give the breading a light spray of cooking oil and air fry at 392°F (200°C) for 25 minutes.
- Toss the florets into the air fryer basket and cook them at 356°F (180°C) for 7 minutes. Toss everything in the sauce
Notes
Storage and Make Ahead
If you want to get a head start on dinner, you can mix the honey garlic sauce a day in advance and keep it in the fridge. You can also rub the Panko and oil together early and store the mixture in a container on the counter until you are ready to cook. For leftovers, let the chicken and broccoli cool completely before placing them in airtight containers. They will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you need longer storage, place the cooled chicken pieces in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. I recommend storing the chicken without the sauce if you plan to freeze it so the breading stays intact.Reheating Leftovers
To get that hard crunch back, you have to skip the microwave. Here are my favorite ways for reheating baked fried chicken:- Oven: Heat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the chicken on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and heat for about 10 minutes until warmed all the way through.
- Air Fryer: Pop the chicken pieces into the air fryer basket at 350°F (175°C) for 4 to 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just wondering how long for boneless thigh?
Hi Nat, the cooking time for boneless thighs would be quite similar, with just a slight difference—about 5 minutes less.
Thank-you! It was so yummy!
Great recipe. I had no panko so used Italian bread crumbs. My son raved about it for good reason. Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m delighted you loved it Sandra! Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing your feedback.