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Fried chicken is one of the world’s most beloved comfort foods thanks to its combination of a crispy, salty skin on the outside and juicy, tender meat inside. Many chefs have studied and experimented with ways to achieve that perfect balance, and admittedly there are a lot of mistakes you can make in the fried chicken-making process. If you’re not into trying double dredging, dry brining, or other techniques to get a crispy, flavorful exterior, fear not. All you need to get a next-level crunch is a humble box of breakfast cereal.
That’s right — your favorite bowl of puffs or flakes is more than just a means to start the day. Breakfast cereal brings texture, flavor, and even a little bit of nostalgia to the table. You might also be surprised to learn that a lot of different types of breakfast cereal can taste great on fried chicken, from traditional Corn Flakes or Rice Chex, to sweetened varieties like Honey Bunches of Oats and even Cap’n Crunch. The key is to think of cereal as a breading ingredient instead of something to eat with milk. Once you open up your mind to the possibilities, the entire cereal aisle will take on a whole new meaning.
Cereal flavors to try with fried chicken
You don’t need a recipe to use breakfast cereal to bread your fried chicken — just a willingness to experiment and a little imagination. We love a good ingredient swap when making fried chicken, and all you have to do here is switch out your usual breadcrumbs for crushed up cereal during breading. The hardest part, really, is choosing a flavor.
There are two ways you can go when deciding on a breakfast cereal to make chicken: savory or sweet. Almost any unsweetened, crunchy cereal will make a good chicken coating, including loops, clusters, or even shredded wheat. Some of the plain cereals might taste a little bland on their own, so don’t be afraid to add herbs and spices to the mix, along with some salt and pepper. Even a little powdered sugar gives fried chicken extra flavor.
Lots of sweetened cereals taste great on chicken, too, even if it sounds kind of unusual. Sweet and salty is an amazing combination, like chicken and waffles or honey hot wings, so look for varieties with honey, maple, and other sugary-sweet flavors like Maple Cheerios, Kashi Maple Waffle Bites, or Golden Grahams. You may need to tinker with the seasoning a little bit to balance the sweetness, but once you have the cereal-to-salt ratio figured out, you’ll get an amazing and unexpected crunchy chicken coating that no bucket of KFC can touch.
