Crispy Dinner Chicken (Printable)
Golden-brown chicken with a crispy crust and juicy, tender meat for a comforting meal.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 oz each)
→ Marinade
02 - ½ cup buttermilk
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
05 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 1 teaspoon paprika
→ Coating
07 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
08 - ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
09 - 1 teaspoon paprika
10 - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - ½ teaspoon salt
13 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
→ For Frying
14 - ¼ cup vegetable oil (canola or sunflower)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Whisk buttermilk, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika in a large bowl. Add chicken breasts, turn to coat, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes up to 4 hours.
02 - Mix flour, panko breadcrumbs, paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano, salt, and black pepper in a shallow dish.
03 - Remove chicken from marinade letting excess drip off. Coat thoroughly in flour mixture, pressing gently to adhere.
04 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
05 - Fry chicken breasts for 5–6 minutes per side until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Adjust heat to prevent burning.
06 - Transfer chicken to paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
# Helpful Tips:
01 -
- The buttermilk marinade keeps the chicken so juicy that even if you accidentally cook it a minute too long, nobody will know.
- That panko-and-flour coating gets genuinely crispy on the edges while staying tender underneath, no soggy spots.
- It's ready faster than takeout and tastes like you spent way more time than you actually did.
02 -
- Don't skip the resting step after cooking; it's those 5 minutes that separate crispy-and-juicy from crispy-and-dry.
- If your coating burns before the chicken is done, your heat is too high—lower it and give the next batch more time to cook through gently.
03 -
- If panko is hard to find, regular breadcrumbs work but won't give you quite the same crunch; panko really does make a difference here.
- Make the marinade the night before and you've basically done the hard part already—cooking becomes this relaxing moment instead of scrambling.