Seriously, Bread Your Chicken With Crushed Up Ice Cream Cones

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, up to 40% of food in the United States' food supply chain, from production and distribution to the consumer level, is wasted. One inventive way you can do your part to reduce food waste is to use any surplus of ice cream cones you might have as a breading for chicken. 

The simple ice cream cone is not limited to sweet applications. Once crushed in a food processor, ice cream cones make a fantastic crunchy coating for chicken. The cones' sweet flavor profile adds a playful taste and aroma to the savoriness of chicken. If you're apprehensive, consider that this duo is another take on the popular sweet-savory flavor pairing, such as in sweet and sour chicken thighs or honey-glazed drumsticks. Their flavor and texture aren't the only desirable characteristics that ice cream cones bring to the party: The visual appeal is also spot-on, with the light golden hues of the cones transforming into a glorious dark tan when fried or baked.

Who knew you could reduce food waste and elevate your chicken by breading it with leftover crushed ice cream cones?

Before you dip the chicken into crushed cones, you will need to have a shallow bowl of seasoned flour and another of beaten eggs on hand. Coating the chicken in flour and eggs will help to keep the cone breading on the chicken during cooking. It's an easy process: Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel, coat them first in flour, then dip them into the eggs, and allow any extra egg mixture to drip off. Once the chicken is coated, thoroughly cover the chicken with the crushed cone pieces. You can then bake or fry the chicken until the pieces are evenly golden brown and crispy. Also use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken has reached a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

You can decide on how much to crush the ice cream cones based on your crispiness preferences. Cones can be ground until they have a texture similar to panko bread crumbs, which will give you a seriously crunchy bite; or, pulse the cones into finer crumbs, which will produce a coating that has a lighter crispiness. The finer the ground cones, the more uniformly they will coat the chicken, as delicate crumbs have a higher chance of adhering to the chicken's surface, whereas heavier, chunkier crumbs might struggle to stick.

Any type of ice cream cone will work as a breading. The type of ice cream cone you use will determine the sweetness and crunchiness of the coating. Sugar cones are the sweetest of the cones, and are usually exceptionally crunchy. Waffle cones are cakeier with a deeper, more complex flavor from molasses or brown sugar. A cake cone has a more nuanced sweetness and its texture is more flaky than sugar or waffle cones.

If you are concerned the sugary flavor of ice cream cones will overpower the savoriness of the chicken, you can dilute the sweetness by adding unflavored breadcrumbs to the cones when you process them. This is also a smart way to add extra texture if the cones you use are soft or flaky. Another way to curb the sweet disposition of ice cream cones is to blend herbs, such as rosemary, parsley, or black pepper, into the flour bowl. This way, you get tiers of savory and sweet flavors layered on the chicken's exterior. This is ideal if you prefer a more aromatic tinge. Using leftover ice cream cones as chicken breading is a creative and delicious way to demonstrate resourcefulness in the kitchen.