How to Make the Best Breaded Baked Chicken

Ever desired a healthy alternative to fried chicken? This is it...WITH MORE FLAVOR. Baked chicken with a healthy breading and tons of flavor!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Baking pan
• Aluminum foil
• Tongs
• Medium sized plate (bread plate or dessert plate that is big enough to lay a piece of chicken on)
• FOR THE PRE-SATURATION
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1 cup milk (any kind you like from skim to whole)
• 1/2 cup mayo or light mayo (miracle whip can be used, but it WILL change the flavor)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper (table pepper)
• FOR THE BREADING
• 3 cleaned boneless and skinless chicken breasts (medium sized)
• 4 cups corn flakes (unsweetened)
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp dried oregano flakes
• 1 tsp ground black pepper (powder)
• OPTIONAL FOR BREADING
• 1 tsp dried cilantro flakes
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and then spay the foil with oil. If you do not have spay oil, such as Pam, you could also pour a little oil on the foil and then spread the oil with a paper towel.

2. In a small bowl, make the pre-saturation mixture by mixing the egg, milk, mayo, and 1st amounts of salt and pepper. Once mixed, set aside.

3. In a medium bowl filled with the corn flakes, add the garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, oregano, and any "optional" seasonings. With the potato masher start mashing the corn flake mixture. You want to mash the mixture for several minutes...until the mixture has the consistency of already made bread crumbs.

4. Once both mixtures are prepared, pour half of the corn flake mixture onto medium sized plate. Keeping half the mixture in the bowl will make it easier to coat the top of the breasts without having to flip them in the mixture.

5. Take one chicken breast, either with your hands or with tongs, and dip it into the pre-saturation mixture. Make sure the chicken is thoroughly coated. Remove the breast and let it drip over the bowl for a few seconds to get most of the excess mixture off.

6. Lie the chicken breast on the plate over the corn flake mixture and push down slightly to make sure that the entire bottom of the breast gets covered with the corn flakes. Lightly shake some of the corn flake mixture out of the bowl on to the top of the chicken breast, covering the chicken. Once chicken is coated, set the breast in the baking pan.

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 with remaining chicken breasts. When all breasts are finished, place the pan in the oven and bake chicken for 25 to 35 minutes (depending on size).

8. When the chicken is cooked to at least 150 degrees, remove from the oven and serve. It is best to take the chicken off the pan with tongs instead of a spatula so you don't accidentally scrape the breading off the bottom of the chicken.

Tips & Warnings

• If you do not have powdered black pepper, you can take some regular table pepper in your hand and then rub your hands together on the pepper to create powder.
• Chicken continues to cook itself for a few minutes after taken from the oven, so be sure not to overcook.
• Recipe is only for three chicken breasts because I usually only cook for my husband, my son, and myself. It can be adjusted to accommodate more!
• This recipe is my favorite alternative to fried nuggets for my son. He is 18 months old now, and LOVES it (and has loved it for a few months...since he has had enough teeth).
• Always take proper cleansing precautions when handling raw chicken.
• It is recommended that you use tongs instead of bare hands to handle the chicken before cooking.
• A meat thermometer is always good to use when cooking chicken...better safe than sorry:)