The Sugary Cereal Ree Drummond Uses To Coat Chicken

Flour and breadcrumbs are the typical ingredients to coat fried chicken, but these days, chefs and home cooks are using crushed Hot Cheetos and even Corn Flakes to obtain a crunch factor. But leave it to Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman) to use a slightly more inventive ingredient to pull off crispy fried chicken. It's not panko breadcrumbs or crushed chips, but another cereal that you likely reserve for breakfast: Cap'n Crunch.

At first, it might sound odd to use a sweet and buttery cereal to coat fried chicken, a traditionally savory food. However, those flavor profiles are partly why Cap'n Crunch cereal works so well to coat chicken to deep fry. The original Cap'n Crunch has ingredients like corn flour, oat flour, molasses, and coconut oil, all of which provide sweet and even caramel-like notes. This contrasts quite well with poultry and the tangy condiments you might serve the dish with, like honey mustard, barbecue sauce, or ketchup.

I have to say, a local eatery in my neighborhood in Queens, New York, occasionally slings Cap'n Crunch chicken tenders with a tangy honey mustard, and the crunchy, slightly sweet coating really works for the classic dish. Even Drummond credits this spin to Planet Hollywood, so there's a chance you've also tried this type of fried chicken before.

While Cap'n Crunch will be the main coating for this version of fried chicken, you'll still want some flour. Dredging the chicken in flour, then eggs, will allow the cereal to cling to the pieces of chicken better. You will also need to crush the cereal for balanced bites of crunch. In her recipe, Drummond prefers to crush the cereal and leave some larger pieces. An alternative technique is to throw the cereal in a food processor for a finer consistency, similar to breadcrumbs.

To balance the buttery sweet notes of Cap'n Crunch, a few household spices can do the trick. Sprinkle in garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, crushed pepper flakes, or even chili powder for a sweet-and-spicy kick. Or, add a squirt of Dijon mustard or a dash of hot sauce into the egg mixture to offset the sweetness. Otherwise, stick to black pepper and salt and let the cereal do the rest of the work.

Here at Tasting Table, we have a few fried chicken recipes that you can upgrade with the crushed cereal. To make chicken tenders like Drummond, cook these classic chicken tenders or skip the deep frying and try these crispy baked chicken tenders. And for anyone who prefers whole pieces of crunchy poultry, upgrade our classic fried chicken recipe with Cap'n Crunch.