So Dustin’s been asking me for a while to make oven fried chicken. We used to make this baked chicken like 9 years ago (yowza! before we had kids!) where we would coat chicken thighs with seasoned flour, pop ’em in a baking dish and literally add pads of butter to the top to help it get nice and tasty. Like pads.
Oh my gosh I remember that being delicious.
And, yes, I totally just said yowza.
But, 9ish years later, I just can’t get myself to throw a bunch of butter and all-purpose flour on top like we used to.
So, instead, I changed up the recipe some, added a little more spice, and swapped the flour for chickpea flour and panko. Never heard of chickpea flour before? Well, it’s a great gluten-free flour that is high in protein and fiber and is actually very cheap to buy. I like to use it in savory recipes like this panko baked chicken.
Then, when Dustin saw the panko baked chicken thighs, his first thought was that I hadn’t made what he wanted. And he was sad.
Like super alllllmost crying sad. It was bad.
Then he tried them.
Then he was happy. 🙂
Panko is awesome, isn’t it?
It’s like super-charged breadcrumbs.It’s kinda like breadcrumbs and has a light, flaky and crunchy texture which makes it perfect for baking protein instead of frying. It’s also lower in calories, sodium, and fat and higher in fiber than regular breadcrumbs. Not only does it allow you to add a delicious crunch up your food, it also helps to reduce oil and fat when cooking because you can bake the meat instead of frying and still get that yummy, oh-so-coveted crunch.
It’s basically a great way to get that fried chicken fix in a healthier, less oily way.
By the way, these oven baked chicken thighs pair very nicely with my garlic sautéed spinach, which is pictured above.
- 8 chicken thighs bone-in and skin-on
- 2 tsp kosher salt divided
- 1 tsp ground black pepper divided
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp granulated onion
- 1 cup chickpea/garbanzo flour
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 tbsp hot sauce I use Cholula or Tapatio
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs unseasoned
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Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper (this will make cleanup a lot easier).
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In a shallow dish or bowl, combine the chickpea or garbanzo flour, 1 tsp. kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper.
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In another shallow dish or bowl, combine the eggs, almond milk, hot sauce, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.
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Finally, in a third shallow dish or bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs with 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, 1/2 tsp. paprika, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp. granulated onion and stir to combine.
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One thigh at a time, dredge into the seasoned chickpea flour mixture, shaking off any excess, followed by the egg mixture, and finally in the panko mixture.
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Once fully coated in the panko mixture, place onto the baking tray, skin-side-up, and repeat with the rest of the thighs.
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Place into the oven and bake until the thighs are golden brown and the chicken is completely cooked through, about 45 minutes.
Recipe Video
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This post was last updated on 3/11/16 to include a new recipe video.
Does it need to be covered?
I used coconut flour, added 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, Italian Panko, delish perfection! Save dishwashing, use two separate cheap gallon storage bags for the flour dip & the Panko dip, then toss ‘em!
How any thighs are one serving? It says serves 6, but the recipe calls for 8 thighs. Just wondering so I know how to track my calories. Looking forward to this! Thanks
Just what I was hoping for! Thank you Lacey! Even the leftovers were crispy and good. I have already shared this recipe with friends..
Just what I was hoping for. I had tried other baked chicken recipes that turned out soggy. Not this one! Even crispy and moist the second night for leftovers. Thank you!
I love this recipe. Tried it a couple of weeks ago, it was super moist on the inside but really crispy. I’m making this again today and thought I wouldn’t be able to find this recipe again. This time I’m emailing it to myself. Thank you kindly for sharing this superb recipe.
Made these for dinner and they were amazing. Nice and crispy and very tasty.
We were craving fried chicken and yet didn’t want the horrible feeling of regret after eating greasy chicken. So over the moon to find your recipe. The chicken was perfect and the Panko breadcrumbs work so well. I’ll be sharing this recipe with friends and family.
This chicken was absolutely fantastic! All I had on hand was regular flour, so it wasn’t as healthy, but still tasted great! I made it with bone-in chicken thighs and my boyfriend absolutely loved it. He said it was tied for my #1 best cooked meal yet. Will be saving this one for sure! Thanks! 🙂
Lol about your hubby being sad and then happy! I have panko and I’m going to try this tonight, but don’t have chickpea flour so will just use regular. Hope it turns out!
Good luck! I hope you love it like we do 🙂
I agree – I love panko! Made this and it was a winner at last night’s dinner. I added cayenne and onion powder. SO delicious.
AY! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing!
This recipe is delicious! Made with boneless, skinless chicken thighs and baked at 375 for 30 minutes, then let rest 5 before serving. Juicy and perfect!
Yay! Thanks for sharing what you did and how it turned out, Misty! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂