Or should I say “My Famous Goldfish Chicken”? Is it famous, like for real famous? Well if by famous you mean my family and everyone I have ever made it for and they have ever made it for loves it then, yes, it is famous!
I remember years ago my sister telling me she made chicken by breading it in cereal, I want to say she used Cornflakes or something similar. I was like, hmm, interesting but I thought it was just weird.
A few years ago, I wanted to attempt chicken strips or nuggets but I really don’t like the store bought breadcrumbs because they suck. They are stale tasting and just so plain. The Italian Flavored variety is only slightly better. I was looking for an alternative and came across a recipe that talked about using crushed crackers. I saw where this was going and thought cereal is not far off from this method.
The first time I tried my recipe, I crushed up some of those crackers, you know the ones that are in the shape of a goldfish? I threw in a little salt and pepper and that was the breading. I was impressed with the texture and they got kinda golden brown! They had a good flavor but I knew I needed to work on that some. The recipe began evolving quickly. Switch to the Parmesan flavored fish shaped cracker, add Italian Seasoning, throw in a little freshly grated Parmesan Cheese and it went on from there.
As I mentioned in my Stuffed Pepper Rice Recipe, as I eat better and learn more about food, I have revamped and changed a lot of our favorite recipes so they are better for us. I knew I had to switch the crackers we were using because they are full of junk. Now we get the Annie’s Homegrown Extra Cheesy Cheddar Bunnies or the Whole Foods brand Organic Cheese Square Crackers. I decided not to change the name though because I could not come up with one that sounded right. Cheddar Bunny Chicken or Organic Cheese Square Chicken just doesn’t cut it.
Ingredients:
-2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders (we either grab a pack of tenders from Trader Joes or have the butcher at Whole Foods cut a chicken breast or 2 into strips depending on size)
Wet mixture
-1 egg beaten in small bowl
Dry Mixture
-1 cup smashed Organic Cheese Crackers like Annie’s Homegrown Extra Cheesy Cheddar Bunnies or Whole Foods brand Organic Cheese Square Crackers in a plastic freezer bag (use a can of pretty much anything to smash or a rolling pin)
-1.5 TBLS Italian Seasoning
-1.5 tsp Pink Himalayan Salt or sea salt
-1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese
-4-6 TBLS Olive Oil
Directions:
Cut chicken into smaller pieces if needed. Heat large frying pan to medium/medium high and add enough oil to coat bottom. Dip each piece of chicken in the egg mixture and let excess drain. Put chicken in the cracker/dry mixture. Press crackers into chicken. Place carefully in pan with fork starting at the back of the pan, this will prevent you reaching over chicken already cooking that might spatter oil on you. Make sure they are not too close together or they will steam more than fry. Cook 5-7 min on each side or until they are golden brown. You may need to do 2 batches.
All of my recipes should be looked at as a guide. Maybe you are just not into Italian Seasoning so change it up. Maybe you love Cumin and Chili Powder with Cayenne Pepper for some kick. Maybe you have a favorite seasoning blend like the Everyday Seasoning from Trader Joe’s, which is awesome by the way. Put the flavors you like in the seasoning. If you are not a fan of Parmesan Cheese try some finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese. We have made this dish so many times with so many sides but our favorites are mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese or homemade garlic bread for the carb and steamed broccoli or raw bell peppers for the veggie.
Our favorite dipping sauce for this chicken is homemade ranch but homemade BBQ sauce is also a winner. But you can change up the sauce with the seasoning. You could use salsa or a marinara. The possibilities are endless!
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