Better than Shake ‘n Bake! Easy, inexpensive & tastes better too! Common ingredients come together in this copycat Shake ‘n Bake recipe that’s even better than the original.
Better than Shake ‘n Bake! Easy, inexpensive & tastes better too!
PLEASE NOTE! Several comments have asked about the amount of salt at 1 1/2 Tbsp. Remember that this recipe makes sufficient coating for SEVERAL meals. It is equivalent to 6 or more envelope packets of a commercially available coating, so the amount of salt is pretty moderate, if not low by comparison, and of course with no artificial preservatives added.
I have to be honest and say up front that I have not had Shake ‘n Bake Chicken in many, many years. Although it was one of my absolute favourites as a kid, I don’t know that I have even purchased it while living in this house for the past 22 years.
When I was a kid, I would have been like that little fella in the 1970’s commercial, running home for his favourite dinner on Shake ‘n Bake night. Remember him? “Once, we didn’t have it for two whole weeks!!”
Better than Shake ‘n Bake ready for the oven
A recent reminder of Shake and Bake
A couple of months ago I was at a friend’s house after he had just come home from a massive Costco run and there was an enormous box of Shake ‘n Bake on his countertop.
Apparently his kids loved it and both parents in the household being teachers, this convenience product surely did make sense when coming home and having to have dinner ready quickly. Seeing it again made me a little nostalgic.
My cheapskate inspiration for Homemade Shake ‘n Bake.
When I was in a supermarket a few weeks later I noticed the packages and checked the price. It was $2.79 for a package of two small envelopes. Since this was only about 1 cup of dried breadcrumbs and some seasoning, I thought, “Wow, that’s quite a markup!”
Since I was planning some recipes for my blog that included Homemade Dried Bread Crumbs, I made a mental note to try a homemade version myself.
Looking at the package ingredients, the seasoning did not have individual ingredients listed but I did note that corn meal and corn starch were on the list. This made perfect sense because the cornmeal would add extra crispiness.
The instructions said to wet only with water, so the corn starch made perfect sense too because it undoubtedly helps the coating stick to the chicken when coming into contact with the wet exterior of the chicken pieces.
Homemade Shake ‘n Bake. Getting the flavour right.
I kept a blend of common spice rack ingredients in mind for this recipe. I experimented with a couple of batches and finally got the seasoning level that think works best.
Judging by the flavour, there is considerably more seasoning used in this version than the commercial version. Our family absolutely loved it; more flavour is definitely better!
The look, texture and crispiness are as close to the original as it is probably likely to get. Like the commercial brand, it also kept the chicken pieces moist and juicy inside.
Considering that y0u can make the bread crumbs from 2 or three day old bread ends that you may already have on hand, I’d say the cost is easily at least 75% less than buying it in the store and a single batch is enough for 5 or 6 meals. On value alone, this idea can’t be beat.
JUNE 2018 UPDATE
Check out our latest version of this recipe Copycat Barbecue Shake & Bake.
Copycat Barbecue Shake and Bake
I’ll be trying a couple of other versions soon, including one that uses our Homemade Italian Seasoning in the mix!
45 Minute Italian Roast Chicken
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Better than Shake 'n Bake!
Better than Shake 'n Bake! Easy, inexpensive & tastes better too! Common ingredients come together in this copycat Shake 'n Bake recipe that's even better than the original.
Ingredients
- 3 cups dried bread crumbs, , ground very fine
- 3 tbsp cornmeal
- 3 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp granulated onion, (powder can work too)
- 1 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tsp finely ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tbsp fine salt
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground dry thyme
- 1 1/2 tsp ground dry oregano
Instructions
- Mix together all of the ingredients very well. I use a food processor or mixer to make sure everything is very well blended.
- Store in a cool place in an airtight container like a 1 quart/litre mason Jar.
To prepare the chicken
- I use one whole chicken, cut in pieces and well trimmed but about 3 lbs of any kind of chicken pieces you like will do. You can, of course make any amount you need.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Simple wet chicken pieces with water, drain well and drop them, one at a time into a plastic bag containing some of the homemade shake 'n bake. I usually start with a half cup of the coating in the bag, which is equivalent to what is in an envelope if you bought it at the supermarket. You can always add a little extra if you need it at the end, but I find this is the best way to maximize the use you get out of a batch.
- Shake the bag and press the coating onto the individual chicken pieces. Place the coated pieces on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Don't crowd the pieces, they will crisp much better if there is space between them.
Baking the chicken
- At this point you can drizzle a little canola oil or peanut oil over the coated pieces to maximize browning but this step s completely optional. I have an oil spritzer which is ideal for this purpose because you can spritz about 9 or 10 pieces of chicken with only about a tablespoon of oil. This is a method I often use for Oven Fried Chicken too.
- Bake for about 45-55 minutes depending upon the size of the chicken pieces being used. Boneless skinless chicken breasts can be ready in as little as 25 minutes depending on size. I use my meat thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature is 175-180 degrees F to ensure they are fully cooked.
- Let the chicken pieces rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
PLEASE NOTE! Several comments have asked about the amount of salt at 1 1/2 Tbsp. Remember that this recipe makes sufficient coating for SEVERAL meals. It is equivalent to 6 or more envelope packets of a commercially available coating, so the amount of salt is pretty moderate, if not low by comparison and of course with no artificial preservatives added.
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Nutrition Information
Yield
56Serving Size
1 gAmount Per Serving Calories 27Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 232mgCarbohydrates 5gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 1g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Louise Stewart
Wednesday 5th of February 2025
I’ve used this for chicken & pork,both delicious..thank-you for sharing…I love a lot of your recipes iles & have a couple of your books.
Tracey
Monday 17th of August 2020
This is my go to recipe for chicken and pork. Thank you for sharing!
Tom
Thursday 16th of May 2019
Can Panko bread crumbs be used in this recipe?
Barry C. Parsons
Thursday 27th of June 2019
Never done that. It would not be like commercial Shake and Bake for sure. Worth a try though.
Charlie
Saturday 22nd of June 2019
Yes pa ko or even homemade la ko bread crumbs.
MaryEllen Brown
Friday 1st of March 2019
I have been using this recipe for years using seasonings that strike my fancy at the time. The receipt I found years ago in a chicken recipes book calling it "skinny shake and bake". There were not as many seasonings but as previously mentioned I adopted my own additives. This is a very easy and tasty method of baking chicken. Do you use a regular spritz bottle for the oil?
Kevin
Sunday 5th of May 2019
Funny, your name is actually Mary Brown! lol As for this recipe, I will try it out today or tomorrow with a big pack of Costco drummies. The seasoning will get altered in mine as well and leaned towards the spicy side. I was considering trying out some of the dry Jamaican jerk rub I picked up at the bulk barn. All I know is I like garlic and spices and have about 30+ drummies to coat. This makes a great base line to work from. I always just tried using store bought Italian seasoned bread crumbs and had a poor time with them sticking to the chicken and producing a crispy skin.
Barry C. Parsons
Tuesday 5th of March 2019
Ues a regular spritz bottle works for me
Robin
Thursday 23rd of August 2018
Yum! We have been making this coater and soaking chicken pieces in buttermilk for an hour or so, rather than dipping in water, before shaking and baking. It turns out fantastic!