One of my favorite childhood memories is our family loading up our red wagon with blankets, drinks and Picnic Perfect Oven Finished Fried Chicken and heading to our local park for the annual Fourth of July fireworks show! And while this meal may look and taste like a traditional, decadent, southern meal I also offer low carbohydrate, gluten and grain free options!
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Oven Finished Fried Chicken and All The Fixins'! Gluten and grain free options offered!

That Crispy Chicken!

My  “Picnic Perfect Oven Fried Chicken” is soaked in buttermilk and hot sauce, then dredged in herbs and spices, browned on the cooktop and finished in the oven so the chicken is the perfect combination of crispy and tender. You can serve it piping hot out of the oven or cold at a picnic, either way it’s absolutely fantastic. Helpful hint: the longer you let that chicken stay in the buttermilk and hot sauce, the more tender the chicken will be. 

Oven Finished Fried Chicken and All The Fixin's! Gluten and grain free options offered!

 

The Sides: Options, Options Options!

For the side dishes I will offer quite a few choices! You can stick with traditional mashed potatoes or opt for a healthier Three Ingredient Cauliflower Puree. My Skillet Mac and Cheese is a decadent option but you could also opt for my healthy coleslaw or this kale salad. In the mood for biscuits? Try my bacon cheddar biscuits!

Oven Finished Fried Chicken and All The Fixin's! Gluten and grain free options offered!

Make it Gluten or Grain Free!

If you would like to make this recipe gluten or grain free I recommend two flours. The first is Jovial Gluten Free Pastry Flour . I use it for baking all the time and it’s the best! If you’d like to make this recipe grain free I recommend using Cassava flour , but if preferred you can also use fine almond meal.

The Recipe: Oven Finished Fried Chicken and Fixings!

Suggestions and Variations

You will need: a large cast iron skillet, a rimmed cookie sheet and parchment paper.  You can buy a whole chicken already cut up or ask your butcher to do it.

Picnic Perfect Oven Finished Fried Chicken!
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
55 mins
 

A delicious fried chicken finished in the oven! NOTE: The longer you leave the chicken in the buttermilk mixture the more tender it will be, I recommend 12-24 hours but you can wait as little as an hour if you're pressed for time. How "hot" your chicken turns out will depend on how hot your hot sauce is.  

Course: dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fried chicken, picnic food, southern food
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 4 pound chicken cut into 8 pieces (wings, thighs, legs, breasts)
  • 1 cup cultured buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons hot sauce (how hot is up to you)
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (or gluten free flour or fine almond meal for my grain free friends)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt or kosher salt (don't panic, most of it stays in the bowl)
  • 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/3 cup cup olive oil (the amount you use will depend on the size of your pan)
Instructions
  1. In a shallow baking dish, whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce. Place chicken in buttermilk mixture, turning so both sides have been coated. Leave chicken in dish (breasts and thighs skin side down) Cover and place in the fridge for at least an hour but as long as 24 hours. The longer, the better!

  2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and place rack in center of oven

  3. Mix flour and seasonings. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture and dredge in flour so each piece is lightly coated. Set on a plate and discard remaining flour

  4. Place a large pan on high heat. Add enough olive oil to pan so that the entire bottom is well coated. When oil is very hot, carefully add chicken to pan. Lower heat to medium/high. When first side is golden brown (about 3-4 minutes) turn and brown other side. You may have to work in batches adding more oil to pan if needed

  5. Place browned chicken on a rimmed cookie sheet skin side up (I like to line the pan with parchment for easy clean up)

  6. Place in oven and cook for 40 minutes

  7. Remove from oven and serve piping hot, or serve cold the next day. So good either way!

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