I remember the days when we started to "oven-fry" everything to cut the fat, especially the bad fat, but if it doesn’t taste good, what’s the point?
Many of you may have tried the latest new kitchen gadget called an air-fryer. Apparently, you can cook anything in it the air-fryer you would fry on the stovetop but with a fraction of the oil or grease. The biggest difference in "air-frying" and "oven-frying" is the air circulation. Most air-fryers are set up to blow hot air all around the food you are cooking, or at least that is the way I understand it.
Most ovens can do a pretty good job of circulating the heat so I haven’t purchased an air-fryer, just yet. Several air-fryer models are equipped to handle various functions, such as dehydrating, rotisserie-cooking, and some can also act as a toaster oven, while others can be used to bake and broil. So I’ve decided to invest in one that has multiple features, when and if I do.
In the meantime, I have dialed it back to when we used cornflakes cereal to create a crispy coating for chicken. Some folks deep-fry it, but the crispy flakes do well in the oven, as well.
I like the traditional way of using the crushed cereal for the coating, but crushed whole-wheat crackers will also work well as a substitute for the cornflakes. A combination of crushed cereal, and crushed crackers may even make for a nice variance in the texture of the coating.
Some cornflake-coated chicken recipes suggest dipping the chicken in water, then rolling it in the cornflakes. I combined a typical process for making regular fried chicken and used buttermilk seasoned with salt, pepper, and a few dashes of hot sauce. But I also opted to amp up these little chicken chunks by adding "everything-bagel" seasoning to the crushed cornflakes. This seasoning normally consists of sesame seeds, dehydrated garlic, dehydrated onion, poppy seeds, and a little salt. In addition, I added a little paprika for more flavor and color.
Serve these little chunks of chicken with a side of your favorite dipping sauce and your favorite veggies. Enjoy food made fresh!
Oven-Fried Chicken Chunks
1 to 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 or 3 dashes hot sauce
4 to 5 cups cornflakes
3 tablespoons everything-bagel seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray it lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
Cut each chicken breast into several small strips or chunks. In a small bowl, mix together buttermilk, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Place the chicken into the buttermilk mixture and let set while you prepare the coating.
Place cornflakes into a zip-top bag and crush the flakes until desired consistency for the coating. Pour the crushed flakes into a small bowl. Add everything-bagel seasoning and paprika and stir to combine, (in the process, some of the seasoning may drift to the bottom of the bowl so be mindful to keep it mixed as you coat the chicken).
Dip each buttermilk-coated piece of chicken into the cornflake mixture, rolling them to coat them well, pressing on the coating. Place each coated piece of chicken onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them out at least 1/2-inch apart.
Bake in preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
ANGELINA LARUE is a food writer, recipe developer and author of "The Whole Enchilada Fresh and Nutritious Southwestern Cuisine."
The Link LonkSeptember 15, 2020 at 11:21PM
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Larue: Oven-fried chicken chunks can be enjoyed with your favorite dipping sauce and veggies - LubbockOnline.com
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Fried Chicken
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