Grab This Boxed Pantry Staple For Crispy Fried Chicken (Hint: It's Not Flour Or Breadcrumbs)

We're yet to have a bagel-related accident in our kitchens, but we have felt our stomachs drop after wanting to make fried chicken ... but realizing there's not a whisper of flour in the pantry, we don't have a saltine to our names, we forgot to buy breadcrumbs, and the boxed pancake mix has been used. While other home cooks might grab the car keys and head to the store, we say wait a moment. That box of corn bread mix sitting on your shelf is the answer to your problem and your ticket to crispy fried chicken goodness.

Unlike couscous (which I have used in a pinch before but would heartily advise against repeating because it sets rock solid), cornbread mix makes a delicious and speedy fried chicken breading. All the necessary ingredients are present and in the right amounts, so we can simply throw it into a bowl. Plain cornbread mix, with just a dash of salt and pepper, is a tasty breading on its own, but adding a pack of ranch seasoning can also amp up the flavor in seconds.

It's worth mentioning that much-loved brand Jiffy is a little sweeter than others you might see in stores, something that has put off some home cooks from using it as a fried chicken breading. We're fans of a sweet-savory mash-up, but if swavory isn't your thing, it's worth reading the labels of other cornbread mixes to find one with less sugar.

Fried chicken in cornbread mix might not be the healthiest way to get our carbs in, and we love a square of honey butter cornbread as much as the next foodie, but if you need something different, there are many other cornbread mix options out there. Shop around online or in specialty stores for whole wheat cornbread mixes or sugar-, gluten-, and wheat-free options, for instance. If you're really short on time and want to boost the flavor of your fried chicken without trawling through your collection of spices, we suggest giving a cheddar and jalapeño version a whirl on your next batch.

Whether you choose to make up a wet batter with your cornbread mix, use it as a dry breading, or a combination of both for your fried chicken (it's great on fish and oysters too) is entirely up to you, but there's another way to use cornbread as a coating. Many cooks get the best of both worlds by taking leftover cornbread, blitzing it into crumbs, and covering their fried chicken in that. Keep an eye on the size of your cornbread crumbs, as overly large ones might not stick to the meat or cook evenly. Give them enough time to dry out so they form a nice breading, and if you've used a sweeter brand of cornbread, be aware the sugars in it might burn more quickly than others.