Cornmeal Crusted Baked Chicken Recipes

CORNMEAL BAKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine cornmeal, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper in a freezer ziplock bag (you can use a large bowl and dredge the chicken if you don't have a bag). Pour buttermilk in a shallow bowl to dip chicken in. Dip chicken in buttermilk and then add it to the bag. I did about a pound of chicken at a time. Shake well to make sure the entire piece of chicken is covered. Remove from bag and lay in a greased 9X13 pan. Continue this step until all chicken is coated.
• Bake for 10 minutes, remove and pour melted butter over chicken. Bake for 20-25 more minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. You will have to adjust your cooking time if you use breast or a larger piece of chicken.
• You can also broil this chicken for about 2 minutes at the end of baking to crisp it up, if you like.
• You can easily add smoked paprika, basil, ranch seasoning, to the bag to change the taste of the chicken. This is a great base recipe to begin with and make your own.

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1 cup yellow cornmeal, 2 tablespoons minced parsley, 2 tablespoons minced thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in large bowl. Whisk 1/2 cup Dijon mustard and 2 eggs in medium bowl to blend.
• Using mallet or rolling pin, pound each chicken breast half between sheets of plastic wrap to 1/2- to 1/3-inch thickness. Dip pounded chicken first into mustard mixture and coat well, then into breadcrumb mixture and coat well; shake off excess breadcrumbs.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken to skillet; cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Repeat with remaining butter, oil and chicken.
• Bake chicken until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

CORNMEAL OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large shallow dish, combine the first 9 ingredients. Place the buttermilk in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken in buttermilk, then dip in bread crumb mixture, a few pieces at a time, and turn to coat. , Place in a 13x9-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes; drizzle with butter. Bake until juices run clear, 30-40 minutes longer.

CORNMEAL CRUSTED CHICKEN LEGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F (200C).
• Combine the cornmeal, breadcrumbs (or crushed cornflakes)cayenne, salt and pepper in a shallow sided dish.
• Brush the chicken all over wth the mustard.
• Place the chicken in the crust mixture and pat the mixture onto the chicken to coat it on all sides.
• Set on a baking sheet skin side down and bake for 20 minutes.
• Turn the pieces over and bake for 15 minutes more.
• Drizzle the top of the chicken with honey and bake for 10-15 more, or until cooked through.
• *For a calorie reduced version of this dish, remove the skin from the chicken before coating.
• ** I made this tonight using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, it was really tasty -- just decrease the cooking time.

CAJUN CORNMEAL CRUSTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven 350 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, whisk 1/2 cup of the flour with the cornmeal, Cajun spice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Put the remaining 1 cup flour, buttermilk, and the cornmeal mixture respectively in 3 shallow dishes. Season the buttermilk with hot sauce, to taste.
• With the flat side of a cook's knife or the smooth side of a meat-pounder, pound each breast to equal thickness. Pat the chicken breasts dry and season with salt.
• Lightly coat each breast in flour and shake off any excess. Dip each breast into the buttermilk to coat and remove, shaking slightly so the excess buttermilk drains back into the bowl. Dredge the chicken in the cornmeal mixture, shaking off any excess coating. Lay the chicken on a piece of waxed paper.
• Heat a large (12-inch) cast iron skillet over medium heat with about 1/2 inch of oil. Lay 2 chicken breasts smooth-side down in the pan and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook 3 to 4 minutes more. Drain chicken on a paper towel. Repeat with remaining chicken.
• Place all chicken breasts on a rack over a baking sheet and bake until firm to the touch, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt, and serve immediately with mustard mayonnaise or sliced tomatoes.

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED CHICKEN NUGGETS

Steps:

• Sprinkle chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Place cornmeal in a medium bowl, add the chicken and toss to coat. Discard any leftover cornmeal.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook the chicken, turning once or twice, until browned and just cooked through, 6-8 minutes total.

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees; place rack in jellyroll pan.
• In medium bowl, beat egg with milk; reserve.
• In separate shallow bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, seasonings, salt and pepper; reserve.
• Add enough oil to large, deep skillet to come up 1 inch; heat to 350 degrees on deep-frying thermometer.
• Meanwhile, coat chicken pieces with egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then coat with cornmeal mixture; place on sheet of wax paper.
• Fry chicken in batches, turning once, until golden, 3-4 minutes per side.
• Drain on paper towels; transfer to rack in jellyroll plan.
• Bake until chicken is no longer pink near bone, about 35 minutes.

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl whisk together the buttermilk, the zest, the lemon juice, the oil, the shallots, the thyme, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1 teaspoon of the cayenne, add the chicken, stirring to coat it with the marinade, and let it marinate, covered and chilled, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. In another large bowl combine the cornmeal, the bread crumbs, the Parmesan, the parsley, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, the paprika, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon, letting the excess marinade drip off, dip it in the egg wash, and dredge it in the cornmeal mixture, shaking off the excess. Arrange the chicken in one layer on a rack and let it dry for 30 minutes. (The chicken may be prepared up to this point 6 hours in advance and kept covered loosely and chilled.) Arrange the chicken, skin side up, in one layer in a lightly oiled jelly-roll pan, drizzling the butter over it, and bake it in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes, or until it is crisp and golden. Transfer the chicken to paper towels to drain. Serve the chicken warm or at room temperature.

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl whisk, together buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, shallots, thyme, 1 tsp of the salt, and 1 tsp of the cayenne, add the chicken, stirring to coat it with the marinade, and let it marinate, covered and chilled, stirring occasionally for 3 hours or overnight. (I put everything in a large zip lock bag.).
• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• In a separate bowl, make the egg wash by mixing together the eggs, water and 1 tbl lemon juice.
• In another large bowl combine the cornmeal, bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, remaining 1 tsp salt, paprika and the remaining 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper. (I put everything in a large zip lock bag, and coat the pieces two at a time.).
• Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon, letting the excess marinade drip off, dip it in the egg wash, and dredge it in the cornmeal mixture, shaking off the excess.
• Arrange the chicken in a one layer onto a rack and let it dry for 30 minutes.
• (The chicken may be prepared up to this point 6 hours in advance and kept covered loosely and chilled.).
• Arrange the chicken, skin side up, in one layer in a lightly oiled jelly-roll pan, drizzling the butter over it, and bake it in the middle of the oven for 35-45 minutes, or until it is done and crisp.