Indian Oven-Fried Cornflake Mixture Chicken

My husband, Andrew, grew up cooking and eating from the behemoth of a book that is the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. On one of the rare occasions when I let him take over my kitchen, he made me an Oven-Fried chicken from said book, which was a revelation.

Fried chicken without all that oil

It was a platter of crunchy and juicy chicken that didn’t guzzle a gallon of oil! The secret to the success of this recipe was to coat the chicken cutlets in crunchy cornflakes to achieve that crisp crust.

Indian cornflake mixture is the equivalent to American trail mix

When I realized that cornflakes were the unsung hero of this dish, I immediately knew that I wanted to tweak this recipe with a familiar Indian snack I grew up eating called “mixture”. 

Mixture is basically the equivalent of American trail mix! Like trail mix, there are many variations which have different combinations of nuts, fruits, and savory bits. The mixture that I thought I could use was Cornflake Mixture! This mixture features cornflakes, peanuts, and raisins tossed in a spice mixture of fennel seeds, curry leaves, and chili powder. Each bite alternates between nutty, spicy, and sweet. 

You can buy this cornflake mixture in your local Indian grocery store or online or easily and delicious it is to make cornflake mixture at home via my recipe. It gives you the control over how you spice your flavorful snack which is crushed and used to coat the cutlets before they bake and crisp up in the oven. 

Oven-Fried Cornflake Mixture Chicken

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• Author: Shri Repp

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Description

Oven-Fried Cornflake Mixture Chicken! This is a great weeknight recipe that satisfies your craving for a flavorful fried chicken without breaking out the deep fryer! 

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 6 pieces - Chicken thigh, skinless and boneless (~2lbs)
• 3 cups - crushed Cornflake Mixture, homemade or store bought (~ 4.5 cups uncrushed)
• Cooking spray or vegetable oil - as needed
• Kosher Salt

Wet Dredge Ingredients

• 1 - Egg - large, beaten
• 3 Tbs - Milk

Dry Dredge Ingredients

• ½ tsp - Kashmiri Chili Powder or Paprika
• ½ tsp - Kosher Salt
• ½ cup - All Purpose Flour

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  
2. Season chicken by generously sprinkling salt on the surface of the chicken and let rest for at least 15 minutes. This releases the excess water from the chicken. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel to remove moisture once the 15 minutes are up.
3. Meanwhile, collect three shallow dishes. Mix all the dry dredge ingredients in one dish, the wet dredge ingredients in the second dish, and the crushed cornflake chevdo in the last dish.
4. Working with one piece at a time, first dip each chicken piece in the dry dredge. Shake off any excess coating. Next, dip into the wet dredge, again remembering to shake off any excess. Finally dredge the chicken in the cornflake mixture. Lightly press the cornflake mixture onto the chicken piece so the mixture adheres. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
5. Lightly spray or brush the chicken pieces with vegetable oil and place on a lined baking sheet. Don’t overcrowd the pan or the chicken will steam rather than crisp. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes and then gently flip and spray the other side and bake for another 20 more minutes or until the chicken is cooked through with an internal temperature of 165F.
6. Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauces or on its own!

Notes

• If you want extra juicy and tender chicken, season your chicken pieces with salt up to 24 hours before you plan on making your chicken. This allows the excess moisture to release, the tough proteins in the chicken to breakdown, and the chicken to be seasoned within, resulting in a really tender and well-seasoned final product.
• Pick one hand to handle the wet dredge and another to handle the dry dredge and cornflake chevdo. This makes it so your hands don’t get coated in dredge instead of the chicken!
• You can substitute chicken breast or even tofu instead for this recipe! However, the cooking time will vary with chicken breast cooking 5-10 minutes faster and tofu only requiring ~20 minutes of time to develop a crispy crust. This chicken is best reheated in an airfryer or convection oven to re-crisp the exterior.