I have been asked by my friends how to make fried chicken in a convection oven? And even I wanted to know the same thing before I started cooking in a convection oven too. If you are one of them, this article will benefit you.
Convection oven has multiple heating elements behind the grates that distribute heat evenly to cook food fast and tasty. It is an all-purpose cooking appliance that can be used for baking, roasting, frying, broiling, among other functions.
I recently bought a Panasonic Countertop Oven NN-SD997S to replace my old Convection Oven. I have been using it daily since then and exploring its abilities with different foods.
From this, I got the idea of cooking fried chicken in a convection oven because my stovetop ran out of gas one day while frying chicken.
So, I used an alternative way to fry chicken in the convection oven. And it turned out very delicious and crispy like deep-fried. I used my old fried chicken recipe with some slight variation to suit how it is being baked (Convection Oven style). The result was fantastic!
How to Make Fried Chicken in a Convection Oven?
Fried chicken is very tasty and easy to make. However, the first obstacle comes in the form of acquiring a taste for fried chicken.
This is because it requires you to break out into a sweat as soon as you smell it cooking. Yes! I am talking about breaking out into a sweat while frying chicken.
Ingredients:
- 4 large chicken thighs (skin-on, bone-in)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- Convection Oven
Preparations:
1. In a bowl, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Make sure to rub it well on the chicken skin, as this is where most of the flavour comes from when frying chicken. Set aside for 30 minutes.
2. In another bowl, add 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 tsp of salt and pepper (optional). Mix it well to incorporate the spices into the flour evenly.
3. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil and place a wire rack on top of it. Spray some non-stick cooking oil on the wire rack to prevent the chicken from sticking while baking.
4. Arrange the seasoned chicken pieces on top of the wire rack skin side up. Let it sit for another 30 minutes (optional, but if you want crispy skin, do it without fail).
5. Preheat oven to 400-degree Fahrenheit with Convection Oven option.
6. Put the baking sheet with chicken pieces in the oven and bake for 30 minutes till the skin turns golden brown. Flip them over (skin side down) and cook for another 15 minutes or till it is fully cooked through.
7. Remove from oven, let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving so the chicken will be moist and tender.
Oven-Fried Chicken Notes:
1. Be sure to follow all the steps if you want crispy fried chicken. Don’t skip any of them. If you do, then it won’t be as crispy as deep-fried chicken. And if you think about trying substitutes like a baking powder for buttermilk or adding baking soda in flour, please don’t do it.
2. You can use kitchen shears instead of a knife for cutting the chicken into pieces if you want easily eatable fried chicken.
3. While using a convection oven, cooking times are much shorter than traditional ovens, so keep an eye on your fried chicken while in the oven. If you cook for too long, the chicken will turn dry and chewy like old fried chicken.
4. After laying the chicken on the wire rack, don’t open the oven door to check during baking because it will elongate cooking time due to heat loss. Every time you open the door, it creates a “hole” that lowers the oven temperature. So, keep your curiosity for checking fried chicken to a minimum while baking.
5. If you are looking for a healthy alternative to deep fried, then try Oven Fried Chicken in a convection oven or use Air Fryer.
Health Benefit of Convection Oven Fried Chicken
Most people are very reluctant about cooking fried chicken in the oven because they think it will taste “not as good” as deep-fried.
But after trying oven-fried, I can say that whatever the combined disadvantages of traditional frying are, this recipe has succeeded in rebalancing the scales with its various advantages. Therefore, you must try oven-fried once to know what I am talking about.
Here are some of the benefits of oven frying chicken:
1. Minimal to zero mess because you don’t have to stand for hours in front of the stove or fryer monitoring temperature and dealing with splattering oil & grease.
2. Fried chicken turns out crispy due to baking powder added to the flour mixture.
3. Oven-fried has the same taste and texture as deep fried but is not oily or greasy. You don’t have to eat it with a generous coating of salt & pepper anymore like oven-baked chicken pieces.
4. Oven frying method is healthier than deep frying because you don’t need much oil. In fact, just one tablespoon is enough to give that crispy texture.
5. Oven fried chicken can be easily prepared at home without any special equipment or skills. You don’t have to buy a deep fryer with expensive propane gas connected to it or pay someone from the fast food joint to make you a bucket of tasty fried chicken anymore.
6. And finally, oven frying is fun! Because you get to eat fried chicken without any mess.
7. This oven frying method also works great for leftover or fried chicken that are not crispy anymore.
8. Tips on Oven-Fried Chicken: Salt the chicken before coating it with flour mixture because salt draws out moisture from the meat, and it will be difficult for the flour mixture to stick on it.
The coating should be thick enough to make sure that chicken is completely coated with flour mixture.
The Bottom Line
Fried chicken is a meal that many people enjoy, but it can be challenging to cook fried chicken in an oven. This article outlines how to make your own crispy and juicy fried chickens without frying them in oil!
If you have any questions or comments about this recipe, please leave them below so we can get back to you quickly with the answer. We hope this helps you out on your next cooking adventure, and thanks for reading!
