Cornflake Fried Chicken

Cornflake fried chicken is a delicious dish of crispy fried chicken breast pieces coated with a mixture of cornflakes and seasoning.

The coating gives the cornflake fried chicken a crispy and crunchy exterior while the meat remains tender and juicy on the inside. It's an easy dinner idea and a versatile dish that can be enjoyed as a family dinner, a party appetizer, in burgers, or sandwiches.

Use the juicy chicken breasts to make this amazing Crispy Chicken Burger; it's a family favorite.

This cornflake chicken recipe is a delightful variation of the traditional fried chicken recipe. Double-coating the breast pieces with cornflakes instead of breadcrumbs adds a unique texture and flavor. 

Recipe ingredients

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts. They need to be cut horizontally into two pieces. Or you can buy already cut fillets to speed up the cooking process. 
  • This recipe will also work with chicken tenders, strips, or boneless skinless thighs, but you must adjust the cooking time accordingly.

• Buttermilk helps tenderize the meat during a short marinating time and enhances its flavor. 

• All-purpose flour is used as a binding agent to help the cornflake coating adhere to the meat.
• Baking powder makes the coating more airy and crunchier (See Expert Tips).

• Cornflakes: Use plain cornflake cereal without any added flavors or sweeteners. They provide a thick and crispy coating. 

• Spices: Garlic powder, paprika, fine sea or kosher salt, and ground black pepper.
  • You can add a bit of cayenne pepper, chili powder, or red chili flakes for heat.
  • You can also add other spices like onion powder, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, dried herbs, etc. 

• Cooking oil: Use a neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil, for frying the cornflakes chicken.
  • You will need enough oil to submerge the pieces partially during frying.
  • Don't use olive oil. 

How to make cornflake chicken?

Cut the breasts into smaller fillets:

Use caution while handling the sharp knife, and ensure your cutting surface is stable (place a folded kitchen towel underneath it). Additionally, clean the cutting board and knife after working with raw poultry to prevent cross-contamination.

• Place one breast on the cutting board.
• Hold it firmly with one hand, and position the knife parallel to the cutting board.
• Starting from the thicker end of the breast, carefully slice horizontally through the middle, creating two thin fillets. Use a gentle sawing motion to maintain an even thickness throughout.

Marinate the pieces:

• Mix: Pour the buttermilk into a baking dish or another shallow dish that will hold all the pieces in a tight single layer. Add paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper (and any additional spices you like). Stir well to combine.
• Turn the meat pieces into the marinade, then nestle them snuggly inside the dish (1). 
• Marinate them for at least 30 minutes or overnight. 

Cornflake coating:

• Crush: Place the cornflakes into a large bowl and crush them lightly with your hands. Please don’t overdo it; they should be only lightly crushed. 
• Add flour, baking powder, a little salt, and pepper, and stir well to combine the three ingredients (2).

Heat the oil while you coat the chicken. 

Coat the fillets:

• Lift the pieces from the marinade, let them drip gently, and place them all on a large plate. This step will allow you an easier second dipping of the fillets into the remaining marinade.
• Then, transfer the meat to the cornflake crumbs, pressing it down gently to help the coating adhere. Flip it and coat both sides evenly.
• Carefully dip the cornflake-coated chicken pieces into the buttermilk marinade again. 
• Press them again into the cornflake mixture (3). 

Fry:

• Fry in batches; you should not overcrowd the pan. 
• Carefully lower two or three pieces into the hot oil and fry the pieces, flipping them halfway until golden brown and cooked through (1,2). 
• ​Place the cornflake fried chicken on paper towels to absorb the excess fat.
• Repeat with the remaining coated pieces.

Expert Tips 

• Baking powder or the secret ingredient: It serves as a leavening agent creating tiny air bubbles in the coating when heated, resulting in a more airy and crunchy crust on the cornflake fried chicken, thus making it similar to the crispy coatings found on commercially prepared chicken.
  • However, its use is optional; the cornflake chicken breasts will still be excellent without it. 
• Cornflakes: Don’t crush them too much; just roughly using your hands. Leaving the pieces larger ensures that the coating is super crunchy.

Alternative cooking methods

Recipe FAQ

How to store and reheat?

• The cornflake fried chicken is best served immediately to be as crunchy as possible; the cornflake coating will soften in the fridge. 
• However, you can refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days. They will still be delicious even if they are not that crispy anymore. 
• Reheat them in the oven or toaster oven to make them crispier again. 
• I don’t recommend reheating them in the microwave, as that will make the coating even softer. 
• Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months and reheat in the oven as instructed above. 

How to serve?

Make a crispy chicken burger with your favorite toppings and some coleslaw for burgers. 

Serve it with a potato side dish, like French fries, sweet potato slices, garlic mashed potatoes, smashed potatoes, or air fryer baked potatoes. 

For instance, make a salad with yogurt dressing or vinaigrette, white cabbage salad, or beet and feta salad. 

Serve it with a dipping sauce like peri peri sauce, yogurt mint sauce, hot sauce, bbq sauce, or your favorite dipping sauce. 

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