Kids in the Kitchen: Crunchy Oven-Baked Chicken Toes

This ‘kids in the kitchen’ series is near and dear to my heart. I began cooking and baking when I was just a child, and ever since I have had a strong passion for cooking and about sharing the knowledge of cooking with others, including kids!

I hope that this passion has come through in my writing, recipes, and stories, here on this blog. Because of this desire to share this passion and knowledge of cooking with others, especially children, I started sharing kids cooking tips, recipes, etc. when I first started this blog over three years ago.

Today’s ‘kids in the kitchen’ recipe is actually one of the very first kid’s recipes I shared on this blog after just a few months of blogging (boy, have my pictures come a long way).

This is a great recipe, and one of our favorites. The recipe is written for kids specifically and is one that even the pickiest of eaters will have a hard time turning their noses up at! In fact, these chicken nuggets, a.k.a chicken ‘toes,’ are ones that Eric and I enjoy on a regular bases!

The cornflakes stay extra crispy, even after baking in the oven, and they provide a protective coating around the chicken to ensure tender, juicy chicken. Not only do these chicken ‘toes’ have perfect texture profiles going for them, the slight hint of spice in the crunchy bready paired with the sweet and tangy sauce makes for a finger-lickin’ dinner that so happens to be both kid and adult approved!

One Year Ago: Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salsa and In Season: Corn
Two Years Ago: Canadian Bacon and Pineapple Pizza
Three Years Ago: Fried Pork Chops

Crunchy Oven-Baked Chicken Toes

Printable Version

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 15-20 minutes Serves: 4

2 1/2 cups cornflakes cereal

1 cup breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon allspice

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/3 cup barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Make the breading: pour the cornflakes into a pie pan or other large, shallow dish. Crush the cereal up with your hands. Mix in bread crumbs, brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon each salt, pepper and allspice.

Drizzle the vegetable oil evenly over the breading. Toss and turn it to mix the oil all through the bread crumbs and crushed up corn flakes.

Pour the flour into another shallow dish. Add the ¼ teaspoon each salt, pepper and allspice to the flour. Add the beaten eggs into a third shallow dish.

Season chicken pieces with remaining salt, pepper and allspice. Turn the chicken in flour, then in the eggs and then in the special, crunchy breading. Arrange the chicken toes on prepared baking sheet.

Place the chicken toes in the oven and cook until crisp and brown all over, about 15-20 minutes.

When the toes come out of the oven, it’s time to stir up the sauce for dipping them. Mix together honey, mustard and barbecue sauce in a small bowl. Dip your hot chicken toes into the honey mustard barbecue sauce.

adapted from Rachael Ray’s Classic 30 Minute Meals: The All Occasion Cookbook