Our easy Bisquick oven fried chicken thighs and legs at 425 turns out crispy with juicy meat. No oil or frying necessary for a healthy way to get crunchy skin on a sheet pan.
We all love Pan Fried Chicken Legs but want them to be healthier right? We have instructions on how to bake your pieces in the oven but get the same crunch that you crave, like KFC style. 😉
Can you use Bisquick instead of flour to fry chicken?
Yep! It works great as an alternative to bread the outside in order to get super crispy skin. Use it on all chicken parts with seasonings like garlic powder or even Old Bay to fry or make fried chicken in the oven like we will show you here.
Even though there are differences you likely won’t notice the difference when you eat a piece. What is the difference between flour and Bisquick? Flour just lacks added ingredients like leavening agents, salt, and fat which actually may help the overall outcome with a bit of fat making this coating more umami.
Ingredient Notes
You are going to want to start off with about 2.5-3 lbs chicken thighs, and bone-in legs were used. If you wanted to double this that is fine but you would need to double the coating amount too and have a larger baking sheet where pieces are in a single layer.
Ideally you want to use regular Bisquick baking mix, not Heart Healthy, for the best coating that will make the outsides crispy like KFC.
You will also need an Egg whisked to get coating to stick. I will go over other options below if this isn’t possible.
Seasonings are important always and in this case I like to whisk in some Paprika, garlic powder, some onion powder, and a bit of salt and pepper I use when it is done.
Get out a baking sheet with a wire rack on top of that. You want the hot air to rotate all around each piece like our Copycat Kentucky Fried Chicken Recipe, that won’t happen set on the pan itself. You’ll need a few shallow bowls to coat too.
Substitutions
If you need to know How to Bread Chicken Without Eggs because of allergies or preferences there are other options available. I suggest regular baking mix, Bisquick or Jiffy brand vs. the low fat versions as those don’t have as much flavor to me.
How to Cook Fried Chicken in the Oven
You will want to first preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with foil. Place a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. The rack will allow the hot air to circulate properly.
Pat meat dry with paper towels so coating can stick well and skin can crisp up as much as possible. Dredge legs and thighs into the egg and then the seasoned Bisquick mix. Coat all sides. Place onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all chicken pieces are covered. Bake breasts, legs or Chicken Thighs at 425 until internal temperature reaches 165F.
How Long to Cook Bisquick Fried Chicken in the Oven
You are looking at 40 minutes or so for bone-in chicken thighs, legs or breasts. Cook time will of course vary slightly depending on their size. I like organic and do recommend that as there is more lean protein and the texture is just better. If not choose medium size pieces ideally.
I do prefer this higher temperature vs. our instructions in How Long to Cook Chicken Breast in Oven 350 in this case because of the coating on the outside which you want to get to a deep golden brown. A lower temperature won’t get it as crisp.
I do not include the option of the smallest pieces in this because the timing is different. I would suggest following our How To Bake Crispy Chicken Wings at 425 for those pieces instead.
Love this one and want to try yet another option that is healthier but you don’t have to heat up your whole house? Try our Air Fryer Fried Chicken Thighs method!! OMG so good and you will get the same result this way too. Have to cook in smaller batches but just as delicious and without the need for oil other than a light spray.
FAQ
If you’re cooking at 425°F or higher in the oven, oil is a safer choice. Butter can burn at high temperatures, leading to bitter flavors if not monitored carefully. To avoid this, use clarified butter (ghee) or mix butter with a high-smoke-point oil.
Place the fried chicken on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.This allows air to circulate around the chicken, preventing the bottom from becoming soggy. Avoid placing it directly on a baking sheet or plate, as trapped steam can soften the crust.
You can if you use our technique here! Using the same technique of an egg flour coating you can bake in the oven on a cooling wire rack to just as crispy. Best part about this change though is it is so much healthier for you.
When oven-baking chicken as an alternative to deep frying, cooking time and method depend on the type and cut of chicken. Bone-in, skin-on pieces: 35–45 minutes depending on size. Boneless, skinless pieces: 20–30 minutes, as they cook faster. Whole wings: 40–50 minutes.
Bisquick Oven Fried Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
- 1 cooling rack
- 2 shallow bowls
Ingredients
- 2.5-3 lbs chicken thighs, bone-in, legs and thighs used
- 3/4 cup Bisquick, regular yellow box is better than Heart Healthy variety
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 large egg, room temperature whisked is best
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with foil (for easy clean up). Place a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet and generously grease with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine Bisquick, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk egg and water.
- Pat meat dry with paper towels so coating can stick well and skin can crisp up as much as possible.
- Dredge chicken pieces into the egg wash and then the seasoned Bisquick, coating all sides. Place onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all chicken pieces are covered.
- Bake for 35 minutes. Flip chicken over and return to oven for an additional 5 – 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F and outside is as crispy as you'd like.
Notes
Oven Fried Chicken Cook Time
Bone-in, skin-on pieces: 35–45 minutes depending on size. Boneless, skinless pieces: 20–30 minutes, as they cook faster. Whole wings: 40–50 minutes.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
