Copycat Italian Shake and Bake

Copycat Italian Shake and Bake. A new variation on our copycat traditional Shake and Bake with the addition of a simple homemade Italian seasoning.

Copycat Italian Shake and Bake

I got an email a while ago from a long-time reader of Rock Recipes. He wrote to say how much he and his family enjoyed my first version of this recipe.

That recipe grew to be very popular in the time since I posted it. People really responded to an economical, no preservatives added version of Original Shake and Bake.

Almost all said that they appreciated the fact that they were able to control the amount of salt in that recipe. It seems everybody is looking to reduce their sodium intake these days.

Since then I have also added a BBQ version of this famous chicken coating. That one proved to be almost as popular.

Copycat Barbecue Shake and Bake, ready for the oven. (Click photo for recipe.)

An Italian version of Shake and Bake.

In the email, he said that his family mostly bought the Italian version of the mix. They were particularly fond of the herb mixture in that one.

I responded to him that he could try just adding a dried herb Italian seasoning to the mix. I suggested our Homemade Italian Seasoning, or even Herbes de Provence.

Homemade Italian Seasoning by Rock Recipes.

Herbes de Provence, although associated with southern France, to me it has a similarity to all herbs used around the northern Mediterranean. If that’s what you have on hand, feel free to use that instead, or a commercial version of dried Italian seasoning with no added salt.

In the end, he used our Italian Seasoning and declared the result, better than the brand name version. I left it at that, but weeks later, I remembered the online exchange.

Copycat Italian Shake and Bake

With chicken pieces already on hand for dinner, I decided to add the same Italian seasoning to try it out. The result was delicious indeed.

Although it really is just herbs added to our regular Shake and Bake version, I wanted to share it with you all as a new recipe idea. I hope you try it for yourself. especially if you already have our original recipe version on hand. 

It really could not be simpler.

One whole chicken cut into 8 pieces.  

You can use any chicken parts you like for this recipe. It is also particularly good for crispy wings, which I love.

PLEASE NOTE!

Several comments on our original recipe 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.

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Yield: 60 SERVINGS OF 1 TBSP (1 CHICKEN PIECE) MAKES ENOUGH TO COAT CHICKEN FOR SEVERAL MEALS.

Copycat Italian Shake and Bake

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Copycat Italian Shake and Bake. A new variation on our copycat traditional Shake and Bake with the addition of a simple homemade Italian seasoning.

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Ingredients

• [3 cups dried bread crumbs, ground very fine] Find a homemade recipe for them here: (https://www.rockrecipes.com/how-to-make-dried-bread-crumbs/){nofollow="false"}
• 3 tbsp cornmeal
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp finely ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tbsp fine salt
• 6 tbsp finely ground Italian Seasoning (or Herbes de Provence)

Instructions

Instructions

1. Mix together all of the ingredients very well. I use a food processor or mixer to make sure everything is very well blended.
2. Store in a cool place in an airtight container like a 1 quart/litre mason Jar.

To prepare the chicken

1. 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.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
3. 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.
4. 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

1. At this point you can drizzle a little canola oil or peanut oil over the coated pieces to maximize browning but this step is 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.
2. 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.
3. Let the chicken pieces rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

PLEASE NOTE! Several comments on our original recipe 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.

Nutrition Information

Yield

60

Serving Size

1 Tbsp
Amount Per Serving Calories 25Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 214mgCarbohydrates 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.

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