Crunchy Baked Chicken
I grew up in the dark ages. We ate our meals at the kitchen table instead of in front of the tv. We spent almost all our time playing outside instead of playing video games and we actually had to do chores. That was the best childhood ever.
As most of you already know, I was an avid reader and still am. I would try to read anything and everything. In the mornings before school, I didn’t have enough time to pull out my latest book, so I would read the back of the cereal boxes. My siblings and I would even argue about who would get to read which cereal box. Ha ha! Wow, we were dorks. I learned all about the importance of fiber, solved the multiple choice questions, crossword puzzles and helped the little cereal figures make it to the other end of the maze. Once in a while, I would be so excited to see a recipe on the back or the side of the box. In those days, recipes were not as readily available as today. The internet didn’t have millions of recipes, food blogs were nonexistent and the only recipes we had were in our handwritten notebooks, cookbooks and magazines. Even cereal box recipes were exciting to find. I found this recipe for Cornflake Chicken and had to give it a try. It was delicious. Over the years, I’ve created my own version of this very popular recipe.
Most importantly, I start out with brining the chicken in a buttermilk mixture and add a whole slew of other flavorful ingredients and spices. The chicken is so juicy and flavorful all the way through, not just on the outside. The coating made from crushed cornflake cereal is extra crispy and uber flavorful because I drizzle the coated chicken with melted butter and then bake it in the oven on top of a rack. The crisp coating is so crunchy and doesn’t fall off when you take a bite. The actual meat of the bird is so delicious too, because it’s flavored with aromatics and spices. It reminds me a lot of fried chicken, but I think this version tastes even better. It’s definitely healthier. You can serve the chicken hot or even make it ahead of time and take it to work for lunch or bring it on a picnic, since it’s just as delicious when it’s cold.
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces (you can also use 8-10 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs, drumsticks or chicken breast pieces)
2 cups buttermilk
2 Tablespoons table salt
1/4 -1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2-3 dry bay leaves, slightly crushed
3-5 garlic cloves, smashed
6-7 cups cornflake cereal (about 2 cups when crushed)
4 Tablespoons melted butter
Instructions:
Cut the whole chicken into pieces, so that you end up with 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks and 2 chicken breast halves that you will cut in half as well, so a total of 10 chicken pieces. Save the chicken wings and the backbone to be used in Chicken Broth. Remove the skin from the chicken. 
In a medium – large bowl, combine the buttermilk with the salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika, dry mustard, ground coriander, bay leaves and garlic cloves. Whisk until the salt is dissolved. 
Submerge the chicken pieces in the buttermilk mixture. Place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours. I don’t recommend leaving it in the salty buttermilk for a longer period of time, since it will be too salty.
This is essentially a brine solution, which not only makes the chicken very juicy, but will also disperse so much incredible flavor all the way THROUGH the chicken, not just on the outside.
This is a bone-in split chicken breast that is cut in half.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a wire rack into a large rimmed baking sheet.
Crush the cornflakes with your hands, or place them in a ziptop bag and crush them with a rolling pin or even use a food processor. Make sure you have coarse crumbs; don’t pulverize them into a powder. Place the crushed cornflakes into a shallow dish, like a pie plate. 
Take each piece of chicken out of the buttermilk mixture, letting the excess drain off, and then coat each chicken piece in the crushed cornflakes, pressing with your hands on all sides. Try to cover the chicken completely in crushed cornflakes, without having any bald spots. 
Place the chicken on the prepared baking dish, on top of the rack. 
Drizzle the melted butter over each piece of coated chicken.
Baking the chicken on a wire rack makes sure the the heat will circulate all around the chicken. If you place the chicken directly on the baking sheet, the chicken will be soggy on the bottom and most likely that bottom portion of coating will simply fall off. Drizzling melted butter on top of the coating, will also help to crisp up the coating. You can also use oil instead of butter, but I think butter tastes so much better.
Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, until the center of the chicken breast registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant read thermometer and the dark meat is 175 degrees Fahrenheit. 
This crunchy and delicious chicken can be served warm or cold. 
- 1 whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces (you can also use 8-10 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs, drumsticks or chicken breast pieces)
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons table salt
- ¼ -1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 2-3 dry bay leaves, slightly crushed
- 3-5 garlic cloves, smashed
- 6-7 cups cornflake cereal (about 2 cups when crushed)
- 4 Tablespoons melted butter
- Cut the whole chicken into pieces, so that you end up with 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks and 2 chicken breast halves that you will cut in half as well, so a total of 10 chicken pieces. Save the chicken wings and the backbone to be used in Chicken Broth. Remove the skin from the chicken.
- In a medium - large bowl, combine the buttermilk with the salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika, dry mustard, ground coriander, bay leaves and garlic cloves. Whisk until the salt is dissolved. Submerge the chicken pieces in the buttermilk mixture. Place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours. I don't recommend leaving it in the salty buttermilk for a longer period of time, since it will be too salty.
- This is essentially a brine solution, which not only makes the chicken very juicy, but will also disperse so much incredible flavor all the way THROUGH the chicken, not just on the outside.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a wire rack into a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Crush the cornflakes with your hands, or place them in a ziptop bag and crush them with a rolling pin or even use a food processor. Make sure you have coarse crumbs; don't pulverize them into a powder. Place the crushed cornflakes into a shallow dish, like a pie plate.
- Take each piece of chicken out of the buttermilk mixture, letting the excess drain off, and then coat each chicken piece in the crushed cornflakes, pressing with your hands on all sides. Try to cover the chicken completely in crushed cornflakes, without having any bald spots.
- Place the chicken on the prepared baking dish, on top of the rack.
- Drizzle the melted butter over each piece of coated chicken.
- Baking the chicken on a wire rack makes sure the the heat will circulate all around the chicken. If you place the chicken directly on the baking sheet, the chicken will be soggy on the bottom and most likely that bottom portion of coating will simply fall off. Drizzling melted butter on top of the coating, will also help to crisp up the coating. You can also use oil instead of butter, but I think butter tastes so much better.
- Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, until the center of the chicken breast registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant read thermometer and the dark meat is 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
- This crunchy and delicious chicken can be served warm or cold.
31 Comments
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Katy
You weren’t the only one reading cereal boxes! I remember fighting with my younger brothers over the best boxes that were covered in activities. I miss those days when we would be carefree and played outside all the time. This is an awesome recipe, I will need to try it asap!
olgak7
Ha ha! That’s so funny to remember now, but we were really serious about who got the best cereal boxes:). Great memories.
Tatyana
Thanks Olga! I will make it for Sunday dinner!!! Can’t wait , look delish 🙂
olgak7
I hope you enjoyed the chicken for your Sunday dinner, Tatyana.
mila furman
OMG Olga…this looks to DIE for! I hate making fried chicken at home because of the splashing! But I think you hit this right on the head! Looks absolutely amazing!
olgak7
I don’t like the splattering either, Mila. The oven method is always my choice for sure.
Paramitha Nasimova
Can’t wait to try this recipe! :)) Would it be working with skinless chicken as well?
Thank you!
Vita
I used to be the kid who was excited to read anything including cereal boxes too 😉 I totally get it. And can’t wait to try this!
olgak7
Yay! A kindred spirit, Vita:).
Paramitha Nasimova
Silly I was… Asked if skinless chicken would work or not :p Surely you’re omit the skin after I look at the pictures once again. Sorry Olga! I should have paid attention more :))
Tatyana
I did not pay attention to the picture as well and made the chicken with skin on but it came out delish and picture like. (:
olgak7
As long as you enjoyed it, that’s all that matters, Tatyana:).
olgak7
That’s a very easy mistake to make, Paramitha:). Not a big deal at all.
Olena
Thank you! My husband cut the chicken for me:) and I prepared it for us and for the guests. We like it:)) I need to share the recipe now:) thank you very much Olga!!!
olgak7
That’s so nice of your husband to lend a hand, Olena:).
I’m so glad that you guys liked the chicken.
olga
Olga, is dry mustard the same as ground mustard?
olgak7
Ground mustard is a powdered form of the mustard seed.
Ground mustard is prepared by mixing the ground mustard with something liquid (like water, vinegar, white wine) salt, and other seasonings. In most cases you can use 1 tablespoon of prepared mustard in place of 1 teaspoon dried mustard, Olga.
elena
Olga, I really like this recipe the chicken was so flavorful! Thanks so much. The only problem I had was some of the corn flake coating fell off when I took the chicken out of the oven. Do you have any tips for that? Thanks.
olgak7
This chicken has flavor in every bite:).
Here are the tips to keeping the coating on the chicken.
1. Make sure to use skinless chicken. Skin-on chicken is much more likely to have the coating come off.
2. When you are applying the coating on the chicken, use both hands to firmly pat it on the chicken from all sides and keep dipping and pressing until it’s all covered.
3. Drizzling the chicken with melted butter will also help the coating to be extra crisp.
4. Use a rack to roast the chicken. If you don’t use a rack, the coating will come off and be soft.
I hope that helps, Elena.
Memoria
What great lighting you have! I love your photos. Anyway, this chicken looks fantastic and so well-coated. I don’t like making fried chicken and rarely eat it, but a baked version sounds perfect. I like that you used a whole chicken. Pinned!
olgak7
Thanks, Memoria. Lighting is definitely a big deal in photography. I feel very blessed to live in sunny Florida.
I agree about not liking to make fried chicken. I prefer this oven method for sure.
Caroline
My mother used to make “chicken in cornflakes” and it was one of my favourites growing up. She used chicken legs and left the skin on. The best part was pulling off the skin with its crunchy coating and saving that for last. I have never been able to make it quite the same. I will give your recipe a try, it looks delicious.
olgak7
I love recipes that bring back such warm memories:). I’d love to hear what you think of this recipe once you try it, Caroline.
Tanya S
Hi Olga! I really enjoy your recipes!! Thanks for sharing your recipes ! I was wondering if the wire rack for this recipe is the wire rack for cooling baked goods?
olgak7
I use it for everything, cooling baked goods, cooking things in the oven, etc.
It’s a really great tool to have.
Aya
I just made this for dinner and my husband and I inhaled half a chicken!!
We stopped eating fried foods and we missed fried chicken so much. This satisfied our craving for fried food. They were so juicy and crunchy:)
Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe:)
olgak7
I’m so happy to hear that, Aya.
My husband and I love this chicken too, even more than the fried version:). So glad to hear that you enjoyed it.
Natalia
Made this chicken a couple of weeks ago and unfortunately, the cornflakes didn’t stick to the chicken. But I loved the chicken marinade and plan to use it in the future, just without the cornflakes. Thank you Olga!
olgak7
Yes, unfortunately, the breading has a tendency to come off. If you press it on really firmly with your hands, it works better. Also, if you use skinless chicken, it adheres better than if you use skin-on chicken.
Smitha
Olga, this looks so yummy i haf to give it a try. I made it last week but it wasnt so good. :-(…. I dobt ever have buttermilk on hand so I used buttermilk substitute… Is that okay in this recipe? Can the substitute be used anytime for buttermilk or is it onlyin pancakes? Next I had some dry mustard seeds (yellow kind) and I ground it to powder and used that instead thinking that is dry mustard until I read in your reply to a comment above.. So just to clarify your saying dry mustard is ground mustard with some sort of liquid in it? Anyway marinTed the chicken in this mixture for 45 mins and still none of the flavors caught the chicken..it was very bland:-(… Next, my mistake I didnt look at your crumbs photo clearly and i only crushed the cornflakes partially and so there were many pieces that were left whole cuz i didnt want to crumbly too much as I misread you saying dont turn it into powder as crumble..lol and didnt catch it till later. This caused it to get burned on the parts left whole….. But I want to give this another try to see if it will work out. Do you think putting slits in the chicken pieces will hellp get the flavor into the chicken? Again this looks so good olga def will give this another try..thank you for the recipe.
olgak7
Hi Smitha.
I think a buttermilk substitute doesn’t really work well in this recipe. I think buttermilk substitute is best used in baking, not cooking. It’s a pretty important ingredient for this particular recipe, so I would suggest using buttermilk. You can use a combination of your favorite spices to give the chicken more flavor. You can try to marinate the chicken overnight, so that it has more time to get the flavors into the meat. I don’t think you need to cut any slits in the chicken if you do those two things. I hope you will enjoy the chicken more next time. I’m sorry you had such a hard time with it.