How do you make oven-baked breaded chicken?

Oven-baked breaded chicken involves coating chicken pieces or tenders in breadcrumbs and baking them in the oven. It is easier to prepare than traditional pan-fried chicken.

Oven-Baked Breaded Chicken

This easy recipe for oven-baked breaded chicken was originally published in the "Gourmet Today" cookbook and is featured on the Epicurious website. It creates moist breaded chicken pieces and is easy to customize.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Ready in: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken cut into pieces, or 2 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 stick butter, unsalted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

1. Prepare the oven

Turn on the oven to 450 F to preheat it. Place the rack in the center of the oven.

2. Prepare the breadcrumb mixture

Mix the breadcrumbs, cayenne pepper, first 1/2 teaspoon of salt and first 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a shallow dish.

3. Prepare the butter mixture

Melt the butter. In a small bowl, mix the butter and the remaining salt and pepper.

4. Coat the chicken

Brush each chicken piece with the butter mixture to coat. Roll the pieces in the breadcrumb mixture to bread them.

5. Bake the chicken

Lay the chicken pieces out on a baking pan. Bake the breaded chicken for 30 to 40 minutes and remove from the oven when the tops are browned.

There are several variations on this recipe. For example, Paula Deen on the Food Network recommends coating the chicken pieces in olive oil and mustard and mixing Parmesan cheese and thyme into the breadcrumb mixture.