Frying chicken with cornmeal – has a mouth watering ring to it, don’t you think? I do. Its not often that you find cooking instructions in the mail, but Cornmeal Corporation decided to go against the norm and send us a cookbook full of recipes that we’ve been dying to try out. We’ve tested out 3 different fried chicken recipes with cornmeal (all different because we’re fancy like that) and well…lets just say my mouth is practically watering even as I type this article for you now!

Cornmeal Crispy Chicken

Prep:10 mins

Cook:10 mins

Rest:20 mins

Total:40 mins

Servings:4 servings

Yield:4 chicken breasts

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
328	Calories
8g	Fat
19g	Carbs
43g	Protein

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)SAVE RECIPE

For crispy, flavorful chicken breasts without all of the fat of fried chicken, whip out your George Foreman or another two-sided grill. A coating of cornmeal and parmesan cheese adds a nice, thin coating with lots of flavor.

This is an easy recipe that is fun to make and eat and uses ingredients you probably have on hand. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are excellent, but you can use chicken thighs if you’d like, or even pork tenderloin, sliced and pounded thin. This recipe is cooked on a dual contact grill. If you use a regular grill and have to turn the meat, the cooking time is doubled.

For sides, try garlic mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes. Add a green salad or a fruit salad and some biscuits or dinner rolls.

“The chicken breasts were crispy and perfectly cooked in about 6 minutes, and with the lime juice, Parmesan cheese, and herbs, they were delicious. This chicken would be great served as a main dish, sliced and served in a salad, or served in sandwich buns.

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

• 4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• Cooking spray, for the grill

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Place chicken breasts between two sheets of waxed paper and gently pound chicken to 1/3-inch thickness using the smooth side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin. Be careful not to tear chicken.
3. Beat egg in a shallow bowl.
4. In another shallow bowl or pan, combine cornmeal, parmesan cheese, basil, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Brush chicken with lime juice, then dip in beaten egg.
6. Coat with cornmeal mixture. Let chicken rest on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes so coating dries.
7. Spray a two-sided, dual-contact grill (like a George Foreman) with nonstick cooking spray.
8. Cook chicken for 4 to 7 minutes until thoroughly cooked to 165 F, and coating is brown and crisp.

Tips

• Some of the more basic George Foreman grills do not have variable temperature settings. If your grill has a temperature setting, set it at about 375 F for chicken or consult your owner’s manual.
• Make sure the label on the cornmeal states “gluten-free” if you are on a gluten-free diet.
• If you use chicken thighs, the cooking time would be increased to 5 to 8 minutes total.
• If you’d like to use slices of pork tenderloin, it should cook to 145 F in about 2 to 4 minutes.
• Make sure that all of the meat is pounded to the same thickness so it cooks evenly and in the same amount of time.
• Always check the final internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Chicken should be cooked to 165 F every single time to be truly safe.
• If you don’t have a dual-contact grill or regular grill, cook this chicken in a lightly oiled sauté pan on the stovetop. Check the temperature for doneness to make sure the meat is cooked through.

Recipe Variations

• Swap out the lime juice with fresh lemon juice.
• Add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes for a little spice.
• Replace the basil and oregano with 1 teaspoon of an Italian herb blend.

How to Store Cornmeal Crispy Chicken

• Transfer leftover chicken to shallow airtight containers or wrap tightly with plastic wrap or foil and eat within 3 to 4 days.
• To freeze the cooked chicken, transfer it to zip-close freezer bags or freezer containers and freeze for up to 4 months.
• Reheat leftover cooked cornmeal crispy chicken in a 375 F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 F. If frozen, reheat for about 25 to 30 minutes.

Cornmeal Crusted Fried Chicken

This cornmeal-crusted fried chicken from Sydney Meers, thanks to a quick brine and an easy dredge in flour and cornmeal, turns out tender, juicy meat, and shatteringly crisp skin. Here’s how to make it.

Nearly 10 years ago, when Sydney Meers, owner and chef of the quaint, quirky, aptly named Stove restaurant in Portsmouth, Virginia, said he’d indulge us and show us his grandmother’s approach to fried chicken, we of course said yes. We know it’s tradition to say grace before a meal. But we think this fried chicken will make you want to say grace after as well, regardless of whether you consider yourself religious.

This cornmeal-crusted fried chicken from Sydney Meers, thanks to a quick brine and an easy dredge in flour and cornmeal, turns out tender, juicy meat, and shatteringly crisp skin. Here’s how to make it.

Prep30 mins

Cook30 mins

Total1 hr

Mains

Southern

4 servings

5 / 2 votes

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INGREDIENTS USMETRIC

For the brine

• ▢1 1/2 gallons cool water
• ▢1 cup salt
• ▢5 dried bay leaves crushed
• ▢1 sprig rosemary
• ▢1 (3-to 4 -pound) whole chicken

For the fry

• ▢3 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢1 cup stone-ground cornmeal (it doesn’t matter if it’s yellow or white)
• ▢ Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• ▢Lard or bacon drippings for frying

GET INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS 

Brine the chicken

• In a large bowl, combine the water, salt, bay leaves, and rosemary, and stir until the salt is dissolved. Pat the chicken dry. Place the chicken pieces in the brine and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but no more than 1 hour.

Fry the chicken

• Sift the flour and cornmeal together in a shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove the chicken pieces from the brine, flicking off any pieces of herbs that may cling to the skin. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, flipping and flouring the meat until it’s completely coated.
• Heat about a 1/2 inch (12 mm) of lard or bacon drippings in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-highish heat until it bubbles and the sound it makes shifts from a sizzle to a gurgle. If you want a more foolproof indicator, it’s ready when you drop a pinch of flour in the oil and it hisses.
• Using tongs, snuggle the chicken, skin side up, into the skillet, being careful to handle only the big ends of the bones. You may need to work in batches and adjust the heat slightly so the chicken doesn’t brown too quickly. Fry the chicken for 8 to 10 minutes on each side, until all the chicken pieces are a shimmering golden brown.
• Remove the chicken from the skillet and let rest a spell on paper towels before diving in.

Crunchy Cornmeal Fried Chicken

A Tour of Rach’s Italian Villa + Rach’s Classic Chicken Cacciato…

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Cornmeal gives this fried chicken recipe extra crunch. “It’s my extra-crunchy variety of fried chicken,” Rach says.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• Frying oil, such as canola or vegetable
• 8 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken from 1 chicken cut into pieces or pick and choose your favorite cuts
• Salt and pepper
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
• About 1/8 teaspoon, a couple of healthy pinches, cayenne pepper
• 4 large egg whites

Yield

Serves: 4

Preparation

Preheat oven to 250°F

Heat about 2 to 2 1/2 inches of oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium to medium- high heat.

In a shallow bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, cornstarch, baking powder and spices. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy.

Clean and pat chicken very dry. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Turn each piece in the egg whites to coat then in the spiced flour mixture.

Fry the chicken in batches, 10-12 minutes, until deep golden in color and juices run clear. Keep fried chicken warm in the oven on a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet. Serve with hot sauce and honey for topping. Share Pin It Print