Cornflake Chicken

This cornflake chicken is crispy, juicy, and full of flavor! Baked, not fried, it’s an easy, family-friendly dinner that delivers classic comfort food in every bite. Use boneless or bone-in chicken, and get the satisfaction of great flavor and crunch without the mess of frying!

Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success

• You can use bone-in chicken pieces or boneless chicken thighs or tenders. See the recipe card below to adjust the baking time and temp for the boneless, skinless meat.
• If using bone-in chicken, I prefer the thighs or drumsticks because they cook faster than larger chicken breasts, so the coating doesn’t burn and the meat stays nice and juicy.
• Seasoned mayonnaise helps the Cornflakes crumbs adhere to the chicken. I prefer Duke’s, but any similar brand is fine.
• Make the crushed cornflakes with help from a food processor, or place them in a large Ziploc bag and use a rolling pin (or wine bottle) to gently crush them.
• If you have extra Cornflakes on hand, use them to make my grandmother’s baked eggplant parmesan or this kitchen sink cookie recipe!

How to Make Cornflake Baked Chicken

• If you’re using bone-in chicken pieces, remove the skin. This helps the crumbs adhere to the meat, and also yields crispier chicken. Pat the chicken dry and season the meat liberally with salt and pepper.
• Whisk together the mayonnaise and seasoning.

3. Brush the chicken with the mayo mixture.
4. Dredge the chicken in the Cornflake crumbs.

5. Bake on a wire rack over a baking sheet until the coating is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Since the total cooking time will vary depending on a number of different factors, a meat thermometer is the best way to know when your chicken is done. The meat should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Serving Suggestions

Pair the cornflake chicken with classic Southern sides for a simple meal that the whole family will love. Try creamy baked mac and cheese, sour cream mashed potatoes, vinegar coleslaw, baked potato wedges, Southern-style green beans, this 3-ingredient biscuit recipe, this Southern cornbread recipe, pumpkin muffins, a house salad with candied pecans, fried apples, this easy potato salad recipe, Southern collard greens, marinated cucumbers, and this stewed tomatoes recipe. Then, add a grape salad or a pear crisp for something sweet.

Recipe Variations

• I don’t recommend substituting with alternative breading (such as Panko breadcrumbs) in lieu of the Corn Flakes. The cereal gives this chicken a unique crunch and crispy perfection that’s hard to replicate with flour or breadcrumbs, and they add more flavor than other options.
• Make it spicy by adding hot sauce or cayenne pepper to the mayo mixture.
• Give the mayo coating even more flavor by adding paprika and onion powder.
• Serve the chicken with honey mustard sauce, chick-fil-a sauce, or ketchup for dipping. We’ve even used boneless, skinless chicken thighs to make crispy oven-fried chicken sandwiches. Delish!

Originally published in February, 2020, this post was updated in August, 2025.