Crispy, crunchy, and no-fuss recipe: chicken breast strips, a basic seasoned flour-egg-cornflake dredge, and a quick two-sided bake. Crushed cereal creates a golden coating while keeping the chicken juicy inside. It's a dinner recipe that works on a Tuesday night (kids love it!) and also holds up fine as finger food for a casual get-together and game day, with dipping sauces.
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Retro chicken dinner
This cornflake-crusted chicken recipe is not fancy, it's not new, and it doesn't need to be. You get that craveable fried-chicken crispiness, but it comes out of the oven instead of a pot of hot oil, which means less cleanup, less splatter, and a noticeably lighter dish without losing the part everyone actually wants: the crunch.
Crushed cereal as a breading stand-in became a staple move in mid-century kitchens, and it never really left. Similar in results to using panko breadcrumbs, like I do for the onion rings and the extremely popular among my friends calamari rings.
Just like this vintage Chicken a la Maryland or one of my all-time favorite dishes, this classic shepherd's pie, it's the kind of recipe that gets handed down on an index card, with one generation tweaking the spices and a detail here and there for the next.
Key takeaways:
Baked cornflake chicken is a vintage American recipe that uses crushed cornflakes as a crispy coating for chicken. The cornflake crust becomes golden and crunchy in the oven, creating a lighter alternative to fried chicken while keeping the meat juicy and flavorful. It works as a family dinner or appetizer for a casual party or game day. My method uses a three-step dredge: seasoned flour, beaten egg, then medium-crushed cornflakes. It can be customized with different spices, swapped for chicken thighs or tenders, or made gluten-free with simple ingredient substitutions.
Testing notes
Crush the cornflakes to a medium-fine crumb, not powder. Too fine and you lose the texture contrast; too coarse and the crumbs won't adhere well or bake evenly. A few firm rolls with a rolling pin over a sealed ziplock bag get you there.
Shake off excess flour before the egg dip. A thick flour layer underneath makes the final coating gummy instead of crisp.
Don't skip the flip at the halfway mark. Cornflake coating browns fast on the side facing up; flipping at 15 minutes is what gets you even color and crunch on both sides instead of one golden side and one pale, slightly soggy one.
Space the strips out on the tray. Crowding traps steam, and steam is the enemy of a crisp coating; you'll end up with soft spots wherever two pieces touch.
Use parchment, not foil, if you want maximum crispness. Foil can trap a little extra moisture underneath; parchment lets more air circulate.
Check for doneness with a thermometer, not just color. Coating can look perfectly golden before the inside hits a safe 165°F (74°C), especially on thicker strips. Don't rely on the crust alone. If in doubt, especially if serving it to kids, use a thermometer or cut one in half and check.
Paula's Tip ⭐️
How to avoid hands that are thickly coated in egg and cornflakes that you have to wash constantly? Coat the chicken pieces in flour, wash your hands and then use one hand for the egg mixture and the other hand for the cornflake coating.
How to make cornflake chicken
Flour
Dredge the pieces quickly and shake them so it's a fine coating. You don't want a too-thick flour layer; just enough for the egg to adhere well.
Egg mixture
Quickly coat the pieces in the beaten eggs, and let them drip well before the next step.
Cornflakes
Make sure the crushed cereal adheres well to the chicken.
Baking
It's essential not to crowd the chicken tenders and to flip them halfway so they bake well on both sides.
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Baked Cornflake Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 2 cups cornflakes
- 4 tablespoons flour
- ⅔ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into strips
Optional flavorings:
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme or oregano leaves,
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika or chili powder, for spiciness
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it. If you have a wire rack that fits inside the baking sheet, use it for extra crispiness.
- Place 2 cups cornflakes in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin until you have coarse crumbs. Transfer to a shallow bowl.
- In another shallow bowl, stir 4 tablespoons flour, ⅔ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Add optional flavorings if you want to: ½ teaspoon dried thyme or oregano leaves, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika or chili powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder or ¼ teaspoon dried mustard.
- In another shallow bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil with 2 eggs until well combined.
- Pat dry 1 pound chicken breast with paper towels. Coat quickly in the flour, shaking off excess. Repeat with all of the chicken pieces.
- Dip each floured piece into the egg mixture, letting any excess drip off, then coat thoroughly with the crushed cornflakes, pressing gently so the crumbs adhere.
- Arrange the coated chicken strips on the prepared baking sheet or wire rack, leaving a little space between each piece.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, depending on the thickness of the strips, until the coating is golden brown and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C).
- Let rest for a few minutes before serving. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, or a simple green salad.
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