How to Cook City Chicken

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: January 14, 2023

If you aren't from the North or Midwest, you might not have heard of city chicken, a regional favorite. During the Great Depression when chicken was expensive, people created a meal that tasted like fried chicken, but used inexpensive veal and pork. To try this dish at home, thread cubes of meat onto skewers and coat them in breadcrumbs. You'll pan-fry the skewers to get the meat golden brown before you finish baking them in the oven.

Ingredients

1 pound (450 g) of veal tenderloin
1 pound (450 g) of pork tenderloin
1 egg, beaten
¹⁄₄ cup (59 ml) of milk
1⁄2 teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt
1⁄4 teaspoon (0.5 g) of pepper
1 cup (125 g) of crushed saltine crackers or dry breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons (44 ml) of vegetable oil or shortening
³⁄₄ cup (180 ml) of chicken broth
1 1⁄2 tablespoons (12 g) of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (30 ml) of water

Makes 8 servings

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Assemble the Skewers

1
Cut veal and pork tenderloin into 1 ¹⁄₂ in (3.8 cm) cubes. Get out 1 pound (450 g) of veal tenderloin and 1 pound (450 g) of pork tenderloin. Place these on your cutting board and cut each into even 1 ¹⁄₂ in (3.8 cm) cubes.^{[1]
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- It's easy to substitute any type of meat for the veal and pork. Try boneless pork shoulder, beef steak, or even chicken!
- Wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat to prevent the spread of germs.
2
Push the meat onto 8 skewers. Get out 8 skewers that are 6 inches (15 cm) long and push a piece of pork tenderloin onto a skewer. Then, push a piece of veal onto it. Keep threading the meat cubes onto the skewer, alternating each type. Once you've filled a skewer, repeat it for the other 7 skewers.^{[2]
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- Push the meat close together so there aren't gaps between the pieces.
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3
Whisk an egg with milk, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Crack 1 egg into a shallow dish that's large enough to hold a skewer. Beat the egg with a fork and whisk in ¹⁄₄ cup (59 ml) of milk along with 1⁄2 teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon (0.5 g) of pepper.^{[3]
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- Substitute your favorite seasoned salt for the regular salt to give the city chicken even more flavor.
4
Put crushed crackers or dry breadcrumbs into a separate bowl. Set another shallow dish next to the one with the wet mixture in it. Pour 1 cup (125 g) of crushed saltine crackers or dry breadcrumbs into this dish.^{[4]
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- Again, ensure that a skewer fits into this dish so you'll be able to coat the meat.
5
Dip the meat skewers into the egg mixture. Take 1 of your skewers and place it in the egg mixture. Turn the skewer to coat all of the meat pieces. Repeat this for all of the skewers.^{[5]
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- The egg mixture binds the crushed crackers or breadcrumbs to the meat.
6
Roll the skewers in crushed crackers or breadcrumbs to coat the meat. Lift the wet meat skewers out of the egg mixture and let the excess drip back into the dish. Then, put the skewers into the dish with the crushed crackers or breadcrumbs and roll them a few times so the meat is completely coated.^{[6]
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- Hold the skewer by the very end so your hands don't get as messy. If you do get clumps of eggy breadcrumbs on your fingers, just rinse them off so you can finish coating the meat skewers.
- If you'd like extra-crunchy city chicken, dip the skewers in the egg and dry a second time.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Fry the Meat

1
Preheat the oven to 325 °F (163 °C) and heat oil or shortening in a skillet. While the oven's preheating, set a heavy skillet on the stove and pour in 3 tablespoons (44 ml) of vegetable oil or shortening. Turn the burner to medium-high and heat the pan until the oil or shortening shimmers.^{[7]
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- Feel free to substitute any oil with a high smoke point like canola or peanut oil.
2
Put the skewers into the skillet and fry them for 4 minutes. Slowly lower the seasoned meat skewers into the hot oil and fry them for 4 minutes. The breadcrumbs or crushed crackers will become brown and crispy as the skewers cook.^{[8]
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- If you can't fit all of the skewers into the skillet at once, fry half of the skewers at a time.
3
Turn the skewers and fry the other side of the meat for 3 to 4 minutes. Use tongs to carefully flip the skewers over. Fry the meat for another 4 minutes so the meat becomes a rich golden color.^{[9]
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- Keep in mind that you're not trying to completely cook the meat. You're browning the outside so the city chicken is crispy before you finish baking the skewers in the oven.
4
Transfer the skewers to a baking dish. Once the city chicken is a rich brown color on the outside, use your tongs to take them out of the skillet. Place the skewers in a 9 in × 13 in (23 cm × 33 cm) baking dish.^{[10]
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- It's important to use a baking dish instead of a baking sheet since you'll be making gravy in the dish while the city chicken cooks.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Bake the City Chicken

1
Whisk chicken broth, flour, and water in a small bowl. To make an easy gravy, pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of water into a bowl and whisk in 1 1⁄2 tablespoons (12 g) of all-purpose flour. Once the flour is dissolved, mix in ³⁄₄ cup (180 ml) of chicken broth.^{[11]
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- Try swapping out this gravy with cream of mushroom soup. Open a can of condensed soup and dilute it with a can full of milk or water.
2
Pour the gravy liquid over the chicken and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Pour the gravy into the baking pan and tear off a piece of foil that's large enough to cover the dish. Seal the pan closed so moisture doesn't escape as the city chicken bakes.^{[12]
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3
Bake the city chicken for 50 minutes. Put the dish into the preheated oven and bake the skewers until the meat cooks throughout. Keep in mind that the exterior of the meat will be golden and since you browned it in the skillet. Baking it in the oven finishes cooking the meat.^{[13]
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- There's no need to turn the skewers as the city chicken bakes.
4
Remove the foil and bake the city chicken for another 10 minutes. Carefully take the baking dish out of the oven and pull off the aluminum foil. Return the dish to the oven to bake for 10 minutes. This helps the outside of the skewers crisp up and thickens the gravy.^{[14]
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- Use caution when you pull off the foil since the escaping steam can burn you.
5
Serve the city chicken with your favorite homestyle sides. Crispy city chicken is delicious with fried or mashed potatoes, cornbread, and a garden salad. If you want to season the city chicken, serve hot pepper vinegar on the side.^{[15]
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- City chicken has the best, crispiest texture right immediately after you cook it. Although you can refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days, it becomes soggy the longer you store it.