Pancake chicken marries breakfast and dinner in a delicious and easy way. Coated with pancake mix and cereal, this crispy crunchy chicken dinner will become a family favorite! Healthy and quick to make in just 30 minutes!
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What Makes This Recipe Work
- Pancake mix and cereal coating are a great swap when you are out of flour and breadcrumbs.
- Made with less fat and calories by air frying rather than traditionally fried methods.
- Boxed Kodiak cake buttermilk pancake mix adds in extra protein.
- Pancake chicken can be made as nuggets, strips or tenders, or added to a wrap, filling for tacos or in a sandwich.
- A little bit sweet and a little bit savory - the best of both worlds.
- Can also be baked in the oven.
- Coating also works great for wings or thighs.
- Pancake chicken is quick to make for a weeknight dinner.
What makes this pancake chicken outstanding is the cereal crust and pancake dredge combo! Moist and flavorful without being soggy or wet, this easy dinner will be on weekly rotation!
I use Heritage Flakes cereal for this pancake chicken recipe! It's a healthy, low-sugar cereal that has just a tiny bit of sweetness and a whole lot of crunch.
Air frying has become quite a thing around here. Add the original air fryer chicken recipe along with nuggets, tenders and bbq to your list!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.
- Heritage Flakes Cereal - I like this pancake chicken because it is just so crunchy. Corn flakes, Captain Crunch and even Rice Krispies work.
- Pancake Mix - use this instead of flour for your coating! I've also used cassava and oat flour here but definitely prefer pancake mix. Kodiak Cakes is my favorite because of the added protein but any homemade or boxed mix like Krusteaz, Hungry Jack or Pearl Milling Company works too.
- Onion Salt - Can also use onion powder and salt if you can't locate onion salt (I got this blend at Trader Joe's)
How to Make This Recipe
Below are step-by-step instructions for how to cook this recipe. The recipe card at the bottom shows the exact cooking time and temperatures.
1. Season your pancake mix. Whisk together ½ teaspoon paprika and ½ teaspoon onion salt with your pancake mix.
2. Beat the egg. Beat one egg until well mixed.
3. Season your cereal. Using a small food processor, combine your Heritage flakes, remaining ½ teaspoon paprika and ½ teaspoon onion salt.
4. Pulse cereal. Pulse cereal and seasonings until your mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Pancake Mix. Pat pancake chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Place meat in the pancake mix and coat all sides.
6. Egg. Dip the meat in the egg to coat all sides.
7. Cereal Crumbs. Dip your meat in cereal crumbs coating it on all sides.
8. Air Fry. Place meat in the basket sprayed with coconut oil spray. Air fry on 390F for 2-6 minutes per side depending on the thickness.
Expert Tips
- Make Ahead: Pancake chicken can be made ahead up until air frying step. You can store the prepared cutlets in the refrigerator for up to 1 day prior to baking.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Reheat leftover pancake chicken for 5 or more minutes until it is is crispy and heated through.
- Frozen: Store cutlets in a freezer safe container for up to four months. Can cook straight from frozen with extra time added to account for the frozen chicken.
FAQs
Time and temp for air frying depends on two things (1) the thickness of your meat and the temperature at which you cook it.
For this recipe, be sure that your meat is butterflied to ¼ of an inch thick. To ensure proper cooking, you will want even pieces that are thin.
Also - I highly recommend an instant read thermometer to ensure doneness. When I've made this recipe in the past, larger pieces need cooked longer than smaller pieces.
Yes - if you are out of flour or want a different taste - try pancake chicken! My favorite mix to use is Kodiak cakes because it adds in extra protein.
Follow all of the directions up until air frying. Store cutlets in a freezer safe container for up to four months.
Once you are ready to eat, you can cook the frozen meat in the air fryer. You will want to add extra time to account for the frozen meat. Be sure to ensure that it is cooked to 165F using an instant read thermometer.
This is likely happening because the it is too wet when you are beginning the coating process. Be sure to pat your the meat completely dry before seasoning and coating to ensure that the coating sticks.
Related Recipes
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Pancake Chicken in the Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 cup Heritage Flakes Cereal
- ⅓ cup Kodiak Cakes pancake mix
- 1 teaspoon paprika divided
- 1 teaspoon onion salt divided
- one pound of chicken breast trimmed of fat, dried and seasoned with salt and pepper
Instructions
- Trim chicken of fat and butterfly to ensure similar thickness.
- Add pancake mix, ½ teaspoon paprika and ½ teaspoon salt to a large bowl.
- Beat one egg in a separate large bowl.
- Using a small food processor, combine the Heritage flakes, remaining ½ teaspoon paprika and ½ teaspoon onion salt. Pulse cereal and seasonings until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Place mixture into a large bowl.
- At this point you should have three bowls lined up - pancake mix, egg, cereal crumbs.
- Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. With each piece of chicken, follow this order:
- Place cutlets in the pancake mix and coat all sides.
- Dip the chicken in the egg to coat all sides. Then dip the meat in cereal crumbs to coat it on all sides.
- Place meat in the basket sprayed with coconut oil spray. Air fry on 390F for 2-6 minutes per side depending on the thickness of your chicken.
Notes
- Make Ahead: Pancake chicken can be made ahead up until air frying step. You can store the prepared cutlets in the refrigerator for up to 1 day prior to baking.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Reheat leftovers for 5 or more minutes until chicken is crispy and heated through.
- Frozen: Store chicken cutlets in a freezer safe container for up to four months. Can cook straight from frozen with extra time added to account for the frozen chicken.
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