Fried chicken is easily one of my favorite foods. The crunchy fried crust is the best part in my opinion. All your fried chicken skins are belong to me.
However, I am a huge scaredy-cat when it comes to frying stuff. So we usually end up hitting the drive-thru or grocery store deli for ours, more times than I care to admit (ahem). I’ve tried making it in the oven before, but given that I’m usually using skinless chicken and baking it, let’s just say it’s not the same.
But have you seen the picture at the top of this post? I think that looks pretty respectable! I tried something a little different this time: dipping the chicken thighs in beaten egg and then dredging in PANCAKE MIX. Oh and using melted butter to coat the baking dish and on top of the chicken. But yes, pancake mix!
The folks at Krusteaz, who are known for their easy to use baking mixes, offered to send me a selection of their pancake and muffin mixes, as well as a few other goodies so that I could play around with them and share them with you all. Now that we are kinda heading into fall weather, I was really tempted to make some baked doughnuts or some cookies, but my savory tooth won out this time – plus I’ve been craving some comfort food like fried chicken lately.
I’m no stranger to Krusteaz mixes – I used to buy their fat-free brownie mix back during my early Weight Watchers days. For someone like me who hates all the meticulous measuring and fiddly-ness of baking, these mixes are a godsend. Besides making the mixes as intended, it’s fun to use them in different ways.
Back to this chicken. I know using pancake mix to bread chicken isn’t the most novel idea and it’s been done before, but it was new to me and a way to think outside of the pancake mix box. The combo of beaten egg and pancake mix gave me that fried chicken crust that I miss when I make oven fried chicken. And let’s be honest, the butter definitely helped. I usually used cooking spray so while it was healthier, you lose some of the yum factor. Since the pancake mix was a little sweet, I just added more seasonings. Feel free to adjust the amounts in the recipe below to suit your tastes, or play around with your own combination.
The folks at Krusteaz want to give one of you a chance to get creative and experiment with their pancake and muffin mixes as part of their Say It With Krusteaz campaign. One reader will receive a generous sampling (2 each) of their buttermilk, pumpkin spice, and blueberry pancake mixes, their pumpkin spice and cranberry orange muffin mixes, as well as an oven mitt, tote bag, and a selfie stick!
How nice is that? That’s plenty of mixes to help you create something new!
All you have to do to win this giveaway is to leave a comment telling me how you would use pancake or muffin mix in a creative way. I might even try out one of your ideas!
Giveaway is limited to U.S. residents age 18 and over. Giveaway runs from Sunday, October 23rd, 2016 through 10pm EST Friday, October 28th, 2016. Once I’ve selected a winner, I will email you to get your contact info, so make sure you enter an email address when leaving a comment (it won’t show up in the comment). Winner has 48 hours to reply or else I will have to select another winner.
UPDATE: Congrats, Judith! You won all those mixes! Please check your email!
*Disclosure: Krusteaz provided me with the items described above. I did not receive any compensation and am not obligated to post a positive review. Any opinions are my own. Krusteaz is providing the prize for the winner of the giveaway.
Crusty Oven Fried Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
2/3 cup buttermilk pancake mix
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread half of the melted butter in a 9×13 inch glass baking dish and set aside.
Combine pancake mix and all spices in a shallow dish.
Dip both sides of each chicken thigh in beaten egg and then dredge into seasoned pancake mix, making sure to coat both sides thoroughly. Lay flat in baking dish. Repeat for each thigh. Pour remaining melted butter over tops of chicken thighs.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until cooked, turning thighs over halfway through.
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
I would try the Cranberry Orange made up into muffins broken up and used in my cornbread stuffing. I make several different dishes of stuffing for Thanksgiving.
How about some Cranberry orange muffin/bread pudding cups? 🙂
I would try to bread my pork chops with the pancake mix & add some Worcestershire sauce & some seasonings! Then bake it was some butter on top!
I would use 1 pancake mix + 1 muffin mix together add 1 tsp vanilla pour into a 9x baking dish . Bake chill over night. Cut in thicker slices for French toast 😉 yum!!! I do this with all leftover pancake mix. Just add fruit or chocolate chips to the batter . Thanks
Krusteaz has a recipe on their website that we use to make biscuits with their pancake mix. I think some pumpkin spice biscuits would come out pretty good, especially when you load them up with butter.
I would make Pumpkin Spice pork chops, and put them in the oven .. I would bet that would be so so good
I love using the pancake mix as a dredge for my fried chicken I do believe that I would love to use the blueberry mix it it as well. I always add kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder onion powder and a few other spices to taste that would definately compliment the blueberries.
I want to try the pumpkin spice muffin mix as a crumb topping for an apple and pecan cobbler.
I wonder how the pumpkin muffins would taste if you added some espresso powder?
Now I used to use a pancake mix when I use to make my chicken & dumplings on the stove. Now I don’t know how this brand would be to make the dumplings but the other well known pancake mix worked great for my dumplings. Just make the batter thick & drop them down into ur broth & let them cook.
I would use the Pumpkin Spice muffin mix to make a bundt cake topped with cream cheese frosting.
I’d add some bacon, cheese, eggs and butter to the buttermilk pancake mix and make some savory waffles.
I would make funnel cakes — I have a great recipe for them using pancake mix.
I would use it for fried squash or fried green tomatoes seasoning.
I would love to use the Pumpkin Spice Muffin Mix and add dark chocolate pieces to the muffins.
I would make chicken and waffles for the family.
i’d love to make pumpkin pancakes!
I would make savory pancakes with the buttermilk ones adding grated parmesan cheese, onion powder, garlic salt, lots of freshly ground black pepper, green onion finely chopped!
Use the Pumpkin muffin mix to make muffins with pecans and frosted with nutella, yumm!
I would use the blueberry pancake mix to make cornmeal blueberry waffles – talk about a yummy dish, along with my homemade orange jelly, scrapple, cheese grits, and eggs over easy. Brunch doesn’t get any better than this. And can’t forget my big glass of milk to wash it all down!!
I would make a pancake in a fun shape for my kids.
I would use the muffin mix to make donuts.
I would use the pumpkin spice muffin mix to make savory waffles and would add some spinach and bacon bites to the mix
I would use the to fry zucchini
I might try using it in a Clafoutis.