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Home Most Popular

KFC Baked Oven Fried Chicken Tenders

By:Nagi
Published:16 Sep '15Updated:13 Dec '18
202 Comments
Recipe v

These KFC Oven Fried Chicken Tenders are my KFC copycat recipe!! Made in the oven, tastes like KFC, nice and crunchy but with just a fraction of the calories! These are Baked Fried Chicken Tenders are a total crowd pleaser!

Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com

Confession: I love KFC. I have it maybe three times a year. I don’t crave it regularly (thankfully) but I’d say every few months, I have the urge to splurge. And my bottom hates me for it.

I do the drive through because I’m too ashamed to risk being seen inside KFC. And though I savour every bite while I’m consuming it, I always regret it afterwards. Always. It’s heavy and excessively greasy and I don’t feel great.

And yet, there’s a repeat performance every few months.

I contemplated about the ridiculousness of craving something that makes me feel not-so-crash-hot afterwards. Then I realised – well, it’s like champers. SO much fun, so enjoyable while it’s being consumed. But the next morning? Ugh. Not so fun! (Unless you’re drinking real French champagne, in which case, you’ll be headache free! Did you know that? It’s true!!)

KFC Copycat Oven "Fried" Chicken Tenders | Made this for dinner the other night, this really does taste like KFC!!!!

Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com

I’ve been on a mission to make the “best” oven baked KFC since early this year. I’ve had around 10 goes, using recipes I’ve found online and trying my own variations.

Here’s the thing that I’ve come to accept. You will never, ever be able to make “fried chicken” in the oven that tastes as good as chicken that’s been deep fried. You can make truly crispy oven baked wings, but it only works really well with wings using a very unique technique discovered by America’s Test Kitchen. (Have you tried my Truly Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings and Truly Crispy Baked Wings with Honey Garlic Sauce?)

But to make chicken with the proper thick, craggy crust that you get with KFC and Southern Fried Chicken, you need to…well, fry it. In oil. Lots of it. There needs to be enough oil so the chicken floats in it, not just a thin layer in a skillet.

So I have conceded defeat.

BUT! There’s a silver lining to every cloud! Just because an exact KFC copycat can’t be made in the oven, it doesn’t mean that you can’t make something similar!

Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com

And that’s what I have here for you today. This chicken really does taste like KFC! It’s a mash up of two genius recipes I discovered by 2 very talented bloggers.

1. The “11 Secret Herbs & Spices” from the Homemade KFC recipe by Jo from Every Nook and Cranny. I tried a whole bunch of spice mixes and I think hers is the closest!

2. The coating mixture from Carlsbad Cravings‘ Best Baked “Fried” Chicken. I think Jen’s nailed the coating ratios of flour, panko and cornmeal (polenta / yellow corn). It’s the crunchiest I have tried!

So I made a mash up of these 2 recipes with a few tweaks of my own. You know me. I have “my way” of doing things.:-)

I hope you love it! I am seriously obsessed with this and was VERY happy making it over and over and over again to get it “right” before I shared it with you! – Nagi x

PS I served these with my “go to” Honey Mustard dipping sauce. Recipe also below!

Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com

PPS One more look at how crunchy they are? YES!

Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com

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Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com

KFC Oven Baked "Fried" Chicken Tenders

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 40 mins
Dinner
4.94 from 43 votes
Servings4
Tap or hover to scale
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Crunchy and perfectly seasoned, it really does taste like KFC! It is a mash up of my own recipe, the "11 Secret Herbs and Spices" from the Homemade KFC recipe by Every Nook & Cranny, and the coating recipe from this Best Baked "Fried" Chicken by Carlsbad Cravings.. Marinating makes the chicken extra juicy but if you don't have time to marinate, this is still worth making! (See Note 3) PS I know it looks like a lot of salt but it's not overly salty, it's KFC level salty. Reduce salt and/or celery salt if desired.

Ingredients

KFC Spice Mix

  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp celery salt (Note 1)
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp mustard powder
  • 2 tbsp paprika (not smoked, use sweet or plain)
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper or ground pure chili (optional - for KFC "Zinger" flavour!)

Chicken

  • 1.2 - 1.4 lb / 600 - 700 g chicken tenderloin (10 - 12 pieces) (Note 2)
  • 1 cup buttermilk OR 1/3 cup plain yoghurt + 2/3 cup milk (Note 3)
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal (Note 4)
  • 2 tbsp butter (unsalted)
  • 1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
  • Oil spray

Instructions

  • Combine the Spice Mix in a bowl.
  • Place 1 tbsp of Spice Mix in a ziplock bag with the chicken and buttermilk. Set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably 3 but ideally overnight.

To Cook

  • Preheat oven to 400F/200C.
  • Place the butter and oil on a large rimmed baking tray. Place in the oven for a few minutes until the butter is just melted. Remove and tip the tray to spread the oil and butter all over.
  • Combine the remaining Spice Mix, flour, panko and cornmeal in a bowl and mix. Place half in a large ziplock bag.
  • Drain the chicken of excess marinade using a colander.
  • Transfer half the chicken into the ziplock bag, seal in air so it is puffed like a balloon, then shake to coat the chicken in the seasoning. Press through the bag so the coating is firmly stuck onto the chicken. Place the chicken onto the baking tray.
  • Place the remaining coating into the ziplock bag and repeat with remaining chicken.
  • Spray the top with oil and place in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes, then turn, spray and bake for a further 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Don't bake more than 25 minutes, otherwise the chicken will dry out!
  • Serve with your favourite dipping sauce. I used Honey Mustard Sauce (Note 7).

Recipe Notes:

1. Celery salt is common in America but not so well known in Australia. But you can find it in the herb section of Coles and Woolworths! It is also easy to make your own - just bake celery leaves until just dried (not burnt), crumble and combine equal amounts of the celery leaf dust and salt in a jar.
If you can't find celery salt, just substitute with 3/4 tbsp ordinary salt.
2. You can substitute with chicken breast cut into chicken tenderloin size strips. It will also work with small boneless thigh fillets - around 100g/3.5 oz each - or any other cut of chicken that will cook in 20 to 25 minutes.
3. If you don't have time to marinate, use 1 to 2 eggs instead (just enough to coat all the chicken). Add 1 tbsp of the Spice Mix, dredge the chicken in the egg mixture, then drain and follow the recipe directions.
4. Cornmeal are small, fine yellow grains and is also known as yellow corn. It's also sold as "polenta" at supermarkets though that is not technically correct because polenta is actually a dish that cornmeal is used to make! The cornmeal adds extra crunch to the coating but if you can't find it, then it's ok to skip it, it's still quite crunchy.
5. I find that using a bit of oil (instead of all butter) stops the butter from browning and burning which can sometimes happen, depending on the strength of your oven.
6. This does not have the wrinkly, thick, craggy coating like deep fried KFC and southern fried chicken. To achieve that, you need to deep fry or bake in loads of oil! But the crust of this is pretty close! It's crunchy and really does taste just like KFC!
7. Honey Mustard Dipping sauce - whisk together equal amounts of Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and honey, plus salt and pepper to taste.
KFC Oven Baked Chicken Tenderloins Nutrition

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 229gCalories: 465cal (23%)Carbohydrates: 25.4g (8%)Protein: 53.4g (107%)Fat: 16.5g (25%)Saturated Fat: 4.2g (26%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 12.3gCholesterol: 145mg (48%)Sodium: 563mg (24%)Fiber: 2.7g (11%)Sugar: 2.7g (3%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

 

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202 Comments

  1. Sue says

    March 28, 2021 at 9:27 am

    5 stars
    Getting ready to try this. It looks incredible. It’s a great alternative to frying. Thanks

    Reply
  2. Terry says

    March 19, 2021 at 8:24 am

    Haven’t tried this yet, just wondering how it can be similar to KFC with panko breadcrumbs? And they look a lil burnt in the photos (due to the panko ,no doubt. )
    Hopefully the flavor is there.
    😉

    Reply
  3. Sarah says

    March 7, 2021 at 5:34 pm

    5 stars
    This was amazing. I’m addicted to homemade fried chicken but never feel great afterwards. This recipe will be my new go-to for when the craving hits. I used halved chicken breasts served in buns with lettuce and light mayo with chips, salad and the honey dipping sauce on the side. Excited for tonight’s leftovers. Thanks so much for another wonderful recipe!

    Reply
  4. Lesley says

    February 9, 2021 at 11:25 am

    5 stars
    Made this on top of elevated rack over baking sheet and sprayed both sides of chicken with olive oil spray. Forgot to add cornmeal but still worked out well. Also made the honey mustard dip which took this to a whole new level of tastiness.

    Reply
  5. Lesley says

    February 7, 2021 at 3:27 am

    I’m wondering if instead of cooking them directly on top of the butter and oil I could spray both sides of chicken with oil and then bake them without turning on an elevated rack placed on top of a baking sheet.

    Reply
  6. Sonja Truesdale says

    January 24, 2021 at 1:59 pm

    G’day Nagi and Dozer, how are you both?

    Hey Nagi, I’d like to make the KFC Baked Oven Fried Chicken tender recipe.

    I note one of the ingredients is cornmeal, which in ‘Note 4 describes what cornmeal is and polenta is an alternative.

    I purchased Masa, am I able to use it in place of cornmeal?

    I’d love to hear from you.

    Sonja

    Reply
  7. Sandra says

    January 15, 2021 at 7:16 am

    Have made these twice now and a hit with all the family and healthier too! Great with homemade potato wedges and coleslaw

    Reply
  8. Abi says

    January 13, 2021 at 5:55 am

    Just had these for dinner. We are a long way from a KFC but I’m sure your version is much nicer anyway. I used gluten free flour and breadcrumbs which turned out fine. They turned over ok but stuck a bit at the end which pulled off some of the coating.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 13, 2021 at 10:04 am

      I’m so happy to hear they worked gluten free! That’s great Abi! N x

      Reply
  9. Janell says

    January 2, 2021 at 4:03 am

    I don’t have buttermilk and can’t get out due to an ice storm! Would this work with making buttermilk out of whole milk and vinegar instead (1T vinegar + milk to reach 1 cup)?

    Reply
  10. Ammi Broady says

    December 20, 2020 at 5:25 am

    Hello Nagi! I haven’t made this yet but what do you think about making this with bone in thighs and if so how would you recommend adjusting the temp and time? Thanks!

    Reply
  11. Sara says

    October 16, 2020 at 10:57 pm

    Hi Nagi,
    I’ve tried your KFC Fried Chicken recipe and it was delish! Saw the recommended link to this post and am keen to try baked (healthier! Lol) but was just wondering why this “KFC” spice mix is different to your Fried Chicken spice recipe? Does it taste diff when fried vs baked?

    Reply
  12. Lizzie G says

    September 30, 2020 at 11:44 am

    5 stars
    This is amazing!!! I’ve made it so many times now, it is the go to chicken recipe in our family!
    As I am gluten free is have swapped out both crumbs for gf panko and rice crumbs, gf flour for dredging and the result is fantastic – yay!
    A question Nagi, can you prep these the night before, ready to cook for lunch the next day?
    Love your site, you and of course, Mr Dozer xxx

    Reply
    • Lizzie G says

      September 30, 2020 at 11:50 am

      Oops! Wrong recipe for comment Nagi, I was thinking chicken parmigiana….. I love this recipe as well, only way to have kfc! 💕

      Reply
  13. Stephanie McGill says

    August 17, 2020 at 12:12 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing. As all your recipes are. 🙂 Served then with the mashed potatoes and KFC gravy.
    Perfect!

    Reply
  14. Charlie says

    July 27, 2020 at 6:08 am

    Hi Nagi!
    If I’m making two batches of this at the same time, how should I adjust for oven temp/time?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 27, 2020 at 9:26 am

      Hi Charlie, the cook time will be as per the recipe. N x

      Reply
  15. Steve Anderson says

    June 20, 2020 at 5:45 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi. I hadn’t made these for a while so I made them for a family get together for Mum’s 90th birthday today. A big hit! Among my Recipetineats favourites with Sticky Chinese Chicken wings, Corn Fritters, Pad See Ew and One Pot Greek Chicken. Thank you!

    Reply
  16. Caroline says

    May 12, 2020 at 8:49 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you Nagi! This tastes better thank KFC because it’s not at all oily.

    To replicate the full KFC experience I used a whole chicken which I broke down into the standard pieces (wings, breasts, drumsticks and thighs).

    Wish I could give this recipe 6 stars!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 13, 2020 at 7:32 am

      Wahoo, perfect Caroline – and you know it hasn’t been sitting around being kept warm getting greasy – so much better than store bought! N x

      Reply
  17. Matt says

    May 3, 2020 at 5:37 pm

    HI Nagi,
    Just wondering if your temps are for fan forced or conventional ovens. It would be great to know..

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 3, 2020 at 7:00 pm

      Hi Matt, when I list one temperature it is the same for all oven types. I’ll list two oven temps where required 🙂 N x

      Reply
  18. Denise J says

    May 3, 2020 at 8:54 am

    5 stars
    Hello Nagi!
    Excited to bake these up tomorrow. My chicken is marinating until then.
    Do you think these would freeze well after breading?

    Thanks for all the delicious recipes!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 3, 2020 at 7:29 pm

      Hi Denise, yes you can freeze after breading 🙂 N x

      Reply
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