Hello and Happy Fourth of July! Hope you’re having a great holiday so far. I’m posting my recipe today instead of Wednesday because…well, I’m just getting around to it. But it’s a perfect one for the holiday, right? So, if you don’t have your menu planned for the day, here’s a recipe that’s all-American, easy, delicious, and perfect for picnics: oven-fried chicken.
Do you follow Home Made Modern on Facebook? (I hope so!) If you do, you may have noticed a teaser last week about the secret to my grandma’s perfect oven-fried chicken. I actually have TWO secrets for ya. So, for years, my grandma has insisted that I should be soaking my chicken in salt water overnight before cooking it. I never thought this step was that crucial, and let’s face it, I don’t often think about tomorrow’s dinner the night before. But last week, I took the time to do this and wowza! What a difference. So that’s secret number one. The second secret is to use chicken thighs. Think you don’t like dark meat? Well, lemme tell ya, it is so much moister and tastier than white meat. Plus, thighs are really inexpensive, so there’s that.
Here’s the method for great oven-fried chicken:
Grandma’s Perfect Oven-Fried Chicken
1 package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt
1 c. Bisquick or flour
1 T. lemon pepper seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash)
2 T. unsalted butter
2 T. Crisco
The night before, place your thawed chicken thighs in a big bowl and cover them with water. Add salt to the water. When I asked Grandma how much to add she said, “Oh, put in way more than you think you should.” Haha! She never measures anything. So I put in enough to make me feel anxious, and then I stopped. (Maybe 1/4 cup?)
When you’re ready to cook the chicken, put the butter and Crisco on a rimmed baking sheet and place in a 400 degree oven so it can melt.
Meanwhile, put the Bisquick or flour and the lemon-pepper seasoning in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag, remove the chicken from the salt water, and seal it in the bag. Shake to coat.
When the Crisco/butter mixture has melted, place the chicken on the baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, flipping once about halfway through the cooking time.
So there you have it! The method for getting tasty, moist, oven-fried chicken that is great served either hot or cold. Enjoy!
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