Crispy Golden Brown Chicken (Printable)

A golden-brown chicken dish featuring a crisp coating and juicy, tender meat for satisfying dinners.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 oz each)

→ Marinade

02 - ½ cup buttermilk
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
05 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 1 teaspoon paprika

→ Coating

07 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
08 - ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
09 - 1 teaspoon paprika
10 - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - ½ teaspoon salt
13 - ½ teaspoon black pepper

→ For Frying

14 - ¼ cup vegetable oil (canola or sunflower)

# How to Make It:

01 - Whisk together buttermilk, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika in a large bowl. Add chicken breasts and coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
02 - In a shallow dish, mix flour, panko breadcrumbs, paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
03 - Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off. Dredge each piece thoroughly in flour mixture, pressing gently to adhere.
04 - Warm vegetable oil in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
05 - Place chicken breasts in skillet and cook 5–6 minutes per side until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Adjust heat to prevent burning.
06 - Transfer chicken to paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It delivers restaurant-quality crispiness in under an hour with ingredients you probably already have.
  • The buttermilk marinade keeps the chicken impossibly tender while the panko coating shatters when you bite into it.
  • It's foolproof enough for a weeknight but impressive enough to serve when people are actually watching.
02 -
  • The oil temperature is everything—if it's not hot enough, the coating absorbs oil instead of crisping up, and if it's too hot, the outside burns while the inside stays raw.
  • Don't skip the resting time after marinating; the buttermilk needs those 30 minutes minimum to actually penetrate the meat and tenderize it.
  • The moment the coating is golden on one side, flip it; there's a small window between perfectly crispy and slightly overdone.
03 -
  • Pat the chicken breasts dry after removing them from the marinade; excess liquid on the surface prevents proper browning and makes the coating soggy.
  • If the coating isn't sticking well, let the floured chicken sit for a minute or two before cooking so the moisture has time to help the flour adhere.
  • Use a meat thermometer rather than guessing—165°F in the thickest part is the only way to know for certain the chicken is cooked through without being overdone.

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