Copycat Shake and Bake Coating

By
Linda Larsen
Linda Larsen
Linda Larsen is a journalist, quick-cooking and slow-cooking expert, and accomplished cookbook author with over 30 years of experience in testing and developing recipes.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/5/23
Copycat Shake and Bake cooked chicken breasts on a plate

The Spruce

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 23 mins
Total: 33 mins
Servings: 4 servings

A hefty combination of crumbs, seeds, and spices replicates the famous chicken coating known as Shake 'N Bake. The advantage of putting together something like this on your own is that you can control what goes into it; the original, for example, has more salt than maybe you might want on your chicken. And rather than use wheat germ and corn flakes, you can use other cereals, spices, and seeds, of course. But this recipe is really close to the original, and a good place to start if you are feeling creative and want to experiment right out of the gate.

You can multiply this recipe (minus the egg and milk, of course), and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer to use when you want. Be careful that you only remove the amount you want to use from the large container before you start handling the chicken. It's very easy to contaminate the dry mix while you are handling chicken and risk food poisoning.

If you choose to make a large amount and keep it, measure out about 1 cup of the mixture for every four chicken breasts. Discard any mixture that's leftover; don't put it back into the container.

Go classic and retro with this dinner, and enjoy this crisp and juicy chicken with a green salad, some baked potatoes, and brownies for dessert.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup corn flake crumbs

  • 1/4 cup wheat germ

  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, finely ground

  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika

  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon onion salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 tablespoon milk

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Heat the oven to 400 F.

    Ingredients for copycat Shake and Bake chicken
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  2. In a shallow bowl, combine cornflake crumbs, wheat germ, flour, sesame seeds, paprika, mustard powder, sugar, garlic salt, onion salt, pepper, and parsley flakes, and mix well.

    Combine dry ingredients
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  3. In another shallow bowl, beat the egg with milk.

    Beat the egg with milk
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  4. One at a time, dip chicken breasts into ​the egg mixture and shake off the excess.

    Dip chicken into egg
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  5. Then place in coating mixture, pressing to coat.

    Coat chicken
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  6. Let the chicken stand on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before you bake it.

    Let chicken stand on wire rack
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  7. Put the chicken on a baking sheet with sides. Bake at 400 F for 18 to 24 minutes until the chicken is at least 160 F, tested with an instant-read meat thermometer.

    Chicken on baking sheet
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  8. Let the chicken stand for 5 minutes, then serve. Enjoy!

    Serve chicken on dish
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How Do You Keep Shake and Bake Crispy?

The trick to crispy chicken is to cook it at a high temperature in the oven, which is what this recipe does. Some people go the extra step of baking the chicken on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet, to ensure that the air flows all the way around the chicken, making it super crispy.

How to Store and Freeze Copycat Shake and Bake Coating

You can double or triple this seasoning recipe (sans chicken) and store it in the freezer. Pull out about 1 cup of the mixture for each four chicken breasts when you are ready to use.

Variations

  • If you want to make this smokier and/or spicier, use cayenne pepper and smoked Spanish paprika.
  • If you need to make this gluten-free, skip the wheat flour and use oat flour instead, or another gluten-free option. Swap the wheat germ for ground flaxmeal.
  • Feel free to use this on the same amount (in weight) of boneless or bone-in pork chops. Bake as directed.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
337 Calories
9g Fat
21g Carbs
43g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 337
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 11%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 149mg 50%
Sodium 613mg 27%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 43g
Vitamin C 3mg 13%
Calcium 79mg 6%
Iron 6mg 34%
Potassium 475mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)