Crunchy Shake and Bake Chicken (17-Minute Recipe!)
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This shake and bake chicken is genuinely one of my favourite quick dinners & so much better than anything from a box. It’s not only ready in less than 20 minutes, but it’s also packed with protein & has the crunchiest crust. Serve Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes alongside the shake n bake chicken & dinner’s sorted!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Crunchy Shake and Bake Chicken (17-Minute Recipe!)
- 🕦 Ready in: 17 minutes
- 🤝 Serves: 3
- 🍴 Calories: 455kcal
- 🧑🍳 Main ingredients: chicken tenders, mayonnaise, cornflakes, parmesan
- ✨ Summary: My shake and bake chicken swaps the packet for the crunchiest cornflake crust. It’s full of protein, ready in 17 minutes & SO crispy!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- The crunch: Crushed cornflakes give this homemade shake and bake chicken a thick, crispy coating that breadcrumbs just can’t compete with. Same satisfying crunch as the pieces in this Easy Spicy Chicken Sandwich and just as easy!
- Ready in minutes: Chicken tenders are the secret here & this shake and bake chicken recipe is in and out of the oven in 12 minutes flat. If you need dinner sorted fast, this is it. Consider pairing it with my Rocket Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes which also couldn’t be easier.
- Macro-friendly: Genuinely one of the leanest high-protein dinners you can make this fast. Great for meal prep too!
If you like chicken, consider making Cold Noodle Salad with Chicken (High-Protein Sesame Noodles), Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip (High Protein & Extra Creamy), and 30-Minute Cream of Mushroom Chicken (From Scratch).
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Three ingredients really make this shake and bake chicken what it is:
- Chicken tenders: Tenders cook so much faster than a standard shake and bake chicken breast, and you get way more crust per bite – which is exactly why I use them. You can try them in this Healthy Crispy Chicken Wrap later too!
- Crushed cornflakes: This is the thing that sets this recipe apart from every other how to make shake and bake chicken tutorial out there. They crisp up in the oven in a way that breadcrumbs genuinely don’t, and leaving a few slightly larger pieces in the mix gives you that extra crunch.
- Mayonnaise: Just a tablespoon, but it does two jobs: binds the heavy cornflake coating to the chicken and locks moisture in during baking. The fat content is what helps the crust go golden too.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
You can definitely play around with the shake and bake chicken:
- Make it spicy: Add half a teaspoon of cayenne to the cornflake mix for a nice kick. That’s a really good chicken shake and bake variation if you like heat, and it would pair so well with the Easiest Creamed Cabbage Recipe Ever.
- Use chicken thighs: Boneless skinless thighs work brilliantly here, you just need to know how to cook shake and bake chicken thighs which requires about 18-20 extra minutes in the oven. Worth it for the extra juiciness!
- Swap the binder: If you aren’t a fan of mayonnaise, Dijon mustard or plain Greek yogurt work super well to adhere the heavy crumb mixture to the meat. Dijon in particular adds a fantastic bite that reminds me of the flavor profile in my Creamy Mustard Chicken.
How to make this Shake and Bake Chicken Recipe
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 205°C (400°F). Place the cornflakes in a large ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin until you achieve a coarse, breadcrumb-like consistency.
Step 2: Add your oregano, smoked paprika, garlic and onion granules, dried parsley, grated parmesan, salt, and pepper directly into the bag with the cornflakes.
Step 3: Pat the raw chicken tenders completely dry with a paper towel, then place them in a bowl. Add the mayonnaise and toss well until every piece is evenly coated.
Step 4: Drop the mayo-coated chicken pieces into the ziplock bag and seal it tightly. Shake vigorously until the meat is completely covered in that crunchy cornflake mixture.
Step 5: Set a wire rack over a baking tray, grease it lightly, and arrange the tenders evenly across the rack. Spray the top of each piece with a light mist of oil to help them turn golden.
Step 6: Bake for 12 minutes until crispy and cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Season immediately with a final pinch of salt the exact second they come out of the oven!
Got leftover mayonnaise? Put it to work in my Crispy Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites with Chilli Mayo, Tuna-Mayo Courgette Salad, or Mexican Chicken Salad with Roasted Corn & Bacon.
Tips for the best result
- You want to crush the cornflakes enough so that it binds to the chicken pieces easily, but a few slightly larger pieces can create a fun crunchy texture.
- Always pat the chicken completely dry before adding the mayo. Any moisture stops the coating from sticking and you’ll lose half your crust in the oven.
- Bake on a raised wire rack, always. Hot air gets underneath and the whole piece crisps up evenly. This shake n bake chicken recipe is worth doing this way every single time.
- Season with salt immediately when they’re out of the oven so that the salt can bind to the batter easily. I use this trick in my KFC Popcorn Chicken Recipe too.
- If you want to meal prep and are wondering, “how do you make shake and bake chicken from frozen?”, the process is incredibly simple. Just freeze the battered tenders raw, then add 3-5 extra minutes to your usual bake time when you pop them in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
This shake and bake chicken works with pretty much anything you’ve got going on the side. Slice it up for wraps and salads or keep the tenders whole for a proper shake bake chicken dinner plate situation. It’s so good regardless!!
Try it with:
Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions
This shake and bake chicken keeps well in the fridge and reheats better than most baked chicken recipes. Just avoid the microwave if you want the crust to survive.
Refrigerator: Cool it completely then store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze the tenders raw and battered for the best results. Once you know how long to cook shake and bake chicken from frozen, it’s a brilliant meal prep hack: straight from freezer to oven, just add a few extra minutes.
Reheat: Air fryer or hot oven at 400°F for a few minutes. The crust comes back to life properly, while the microwave will just steam it soft.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, don’t skip it! A light spray over the top of each tender is part of the shake n bake chicken instructions that actually makes the cornflakes go golden. Without it you’ll get a pale, powdery crust instead.
You can! Whole shake and bake chicken breast will need around 22-25 minutes in the oven rather than 12. Always check the internal temp hits 165°F / 74°C rather than going by time alone.
Three things: pat the chicken dry first, use mayo as your binder, and bake on a wire rack so air gets underneath. Cornflakes instead of breadcrumbs help massively too.
Yes, actually! Mix the dry cornflake and spice blend and store it in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to a week. When you’re ready, it takes about 2 minutes to coat and get the chicken in the oven.
If you love high-protein dinners, my Tender Pepper Steak Recipe (Better Than Takeout), Easy Devilled Sausages (Sweet & Savoury One-Pan Dinner), and Quick & Easy Boom Boom Shrimp (No Deep Frying!) are all worth a try!
If you tried this Crispy Shake and Bake Chicken, it would mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
The Crunchiest Shake and Bake Chicken
Ingredients
- 650 g chicken tenders
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
Shake and Bake Mix
- 120 g cornflakes
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 1 tsp onion granules
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 30 g finely grated parmesan
- ½ tsp sea-salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Oil spray
Method
- Preheat oven to 205°C/ 400°F.
- Place your cornflakes in a ziplock bag and roll them with a rolling pin to achieve a breadcrumb-like consistency. Then add the oregano, smoked paprika, garlic granules, onion granules, dried parsley, grated parmesan, sea salt and black pepper.
- Start by patting the chicken tenders dry with a paper towel. Add the mayonnaise and stir to combine.
- Place the pieces in the ziplock bag and shake until they are completely coated.
- Add a raised wire rack to a baking dish and spray it with oil. Evenly distribute the chicken tenders and spray each piece with oil. Pop in the oven to cook for 12 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Season immediately with salt and top with optional extra parmesan and parsley!
Notes
- You want to crush the cornflakes enough so that it binds to the chicken pieces easily, but a few slightly larger pieces can create a fun crunchy texture.
- Always pat the chicken completely dry before adding the mayo. Any moisture stops the coating from sticking and you’ll lose half your crust in the oven.
- Bake on a raised wire rack. Hot air gets underneath and the whole piece crisps up evenly.
- Season with salt immediately when they’re out of the oven so that the salt can bind to the batter easily.
Nutrition
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