Honey & Cornflake Chicken
Chicken breasts made with cornflakes taste crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. A great recipe for a filling meal that is really easy to make.
Chicken breasts made with cornflakes taste crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. A great recipe for a filling meal that is really easy to make.
- Carbohydrate 54.4040103468082 g
- Cholesterol 548.720000001014 mg
- Fat 12.3185166968491 g
- Fiber 1.16174753953877 g
- Protein 221.983450741184 g
- Saturated Fat 3.38102508992764 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1024g)
- Sodium 823.348146325869 mg
- Sugar 53.2422628072694 g
- Trans Fat 3.16928002694357 g
- Calories 1268 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
- Place the flour in a small bowl and the cornflakes in a medium bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, mix the honey and milk.
- Dredge chicken in the flour, dip in the honey mixture, and thoroughly coat with the cornflakes.
- Arrange chicken in the prepared baking dish.
- Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until no longer pink and juices run clear.
Swapping standard breadcrumbs for crushed cornflakes changes the structural integrity of the crust, yielding a significantly larger surface area that traps steam and browns more aggressively in the oven. Crushing the four cups of cereal into uneven granules rather than a fine powder is critical, because microscopic dust packs too densely and blocks the heat from rendering the surface crisp. Uniformity is the enemy of texture here, since varied particle sizes create micro-crevices that catch ambient heat and brown at different rates.
Standard metal baking sheets conduct thermal energy faster than glass baking dishes, meaning a dark aluminum pan will yield a crunchier bottom crust at 350 degrees Fahrenheit without requiring extra oil. Placing a wire rack inside the baking dish elevates the chicken, allowing heated air to circulate underneath so the underside avoids steaming against the pan. Without this elevation, moisture released from the chicken meat during the twenty-five minute bake time will pool at the base and dissolve the cereal coating into a soggy paste.
The liquid binder relies on a one-to-two ratio of milk to honey, where the dairy proteins thin the viscous sugars just enough to create an adhesive film across the flour-dredged meat. Dredging the chicken first in dry all-purpose flour absorbs surface moisture from the protein, establishing a dry foundation that prevents the honey mixture from sliding off the poultry during transfer. Excess flour must be tapped off before dipping, because a heavy flour barrier prevents the liquid binder from making direct contact with the meat.
Crust degradation occurs when trapped interior steam breaks through the coating, which happens rapidly if leftovers are stored in airtight plastic containers without a paper towel to absorb condensation. Stored properly in a refrigerator for up to three days, the coated chicken can be revived in a toaster oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for ten minutes to drive off residual moisture. Never use a microwave for reheating, as electromagnetic waves excite water molecules uniformly and turn the cereal crust rubbery within seconds.
