American · main

Cornflake-Crusted Baked Chicken Tenders

Cornflake-Crusted Baked Chicken Tenders reads umami 6.4, richness 5.6 and salinity 5.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a American main, about 1 hr 4 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.3 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 1.9 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 4.0 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.9 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.2 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.4 · Richness 5.6 · Salinity 5.5 · Sourness 3.7 · Heat 3.3 · Allium 3.1 · Funk & Ferment 2.9 · Smoke 2.6 · Warm Spice 2.3 · Nutty 1.9 · Sweetness 1.6 · Bitterness 1.1 · Earthy 1.1 · Citrus 0.9 · Herbaceous 0.8 · Fruity 0.8

What's in it (13)

• chicken tenders — 680 g
• buttermilk — 237 g
• hot sauce — 15 g
• salt — 5 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• cornflour — 603 g
• smoked paprika — 5 g
• garlic — 3 g
• onion powder — 3 g
• parmesan cheese — 38 g
• all-purpose flour — 60 g
• eggs — 200 g
• olive oil — 27 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 4 min (31 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 190.8 kcal, 10.4 g protein, 6.9 g fat, 22.1 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Add the chicken, turn to coat, cover, and refrigerate to marinate, at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours — this is what keeps the tenders juicy under a crunchy crust.
2. When you're ready to cook, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and coat it generously with cooking spray.
3. Crush the cornflakes into coarse crumbs — a mix of pea-size pieces and fine crumbs, not powder — in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin or in a food processor with a few short pulses. Transfer to a wide, shallow bowl and stir in the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, Parmesan, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
4. Set up two more shallow bowls alongside the crumb bowl: one with the flour, one with the beaten eggs.
5. Working one piece at a time, lift the chicken from the buttermilk marinade, letting the excess drip off, and dredge lightly in the flour, shaking off any extra.
6. Dip the floured chicken in the beaten egg, then press it firmly into the cornflake mixture, turning to coat all sides in an even, craggy crust. Arrange the pieces in a single layer on the prepared rack, without touching.
7. Lightly spray or drizzle the tops of the tenders with cooking spray or olive oil — this is what browns the crust without frying. Bake until deeply golden and crisp and the thickest tender reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 16-18 minutes, flipping halfway through for even color.
8. Let the tenders rest on the rack 2-3 minutes before serving with your favorite dipping sauce — they'll finish crisping as they sit.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Southern Fried Pork Chops with Milk Gravy — Southern
• Smoky Dr Pepper Pulled Pork — American · Barbecue
• Hoppin' John Soup — Southern
• Smoked Sausage and Peppers Skillet — Southern
• Pickled Cabbage and Pork Belly Pot (Suan Cai Bai Rou) — Chinese · Dongbei

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.