The No-Mess Guide to Amazing Fried Food

Southern Fried Chicken—from the Oven

There is a way to get crackling chicken skin without deep-frying (or shaking and baking). The trick is to preheat the oven with a pan in it—so when the chicken hits the hot metal, it instantly forms a golden crust. Crank the oven up to 375 degrees and place a dark roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet inside. Bread drumsticks, breasts and thighs—a mixture of Ritz cracker crumbs and Parmesan cheese gives you a wonderfully crunchy and salty exterior—and then carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. Slowly drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil around the pan and carefully lay the chicken down; when the meat hits the pan you'll hear a sizzle. Bake for 20 minutes, flip, squirt with lemon juice and bake another 20 minutes.