My father-in-law – Grampa to all of us in the family – worked as a firefighter in Brockton, Massachusetts for most of his career. During that time, each firefighter took turns cooking dinner for the rest of the guys working the shift at the firehouse. Grampa developed this recipe (named Firehouse Chicken by our family) one night, and it was an instant hit with the crew!
In fact, it became so popular that the recipe was shared among five other firehouses in the city of Brockton, and it became part of the regular menu rotation for years!
Grampa’s Firehouse Chicken is a simple variation of breaded baked chicken breast. Before breading the chicken, it’s dipped in a sauce made by mixing together mayonnaise and prepared horseradish. This extra coating keeps the chicken super moist during the baking process, but also adds a delicious creamy layer with a gentle, flavorful warmth thanks to the horseradish beneath the breadcrumbs.
Although retired now, Grampa still makes this recipe at home and it has become a regular meal at our house too! (The whole family loves it!)
This recipe was originally published on A Family Feast on November 15, 2012.
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PrintGrampa’s Firehouse Chicken
A delicious variation to your typical breaded boneless baked chicken breast.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 6 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 3 cups of seasoned bread crumbs or enough to coat chicken
- Non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9X13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Trim any visible fat from the chicken breasts.
- Mix mayonnaise and horseradish until blended in a medium sized bowl.
- Spread breadcrumbs out on a plate.
- Dip chicken in mayonnaise mixture on both sides until well coated. Shake off any excess. Then lay chicken in breadcrumbs turning to coat on both sides.
- Place breasts in prepared pan. Spray the top of the chicken with cooking spray until crumbs are coated. (There is enough fat in the mayonnaise that you don’t need any more fat to coat the crumbs so cooking spray works really well to help the bread crumbs brown while baking.)
- Bake at 425 degrees until cooked through, about 20-25 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of breast.
- Note: Use the “poke test” to test for doneness. If you poke the thickest part with your finger and it bounces back, it is done. Or, use a probe thermometer inserted into thickest part of the breast and remove from the oven when the internal temperature reaches 155-160 degrees. It will cook a little longer out of the oven with a final temperature of 165 degrees.
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Oooo! Horseradish in the dredging sauce. Grampa is a genius!! I can’t wait to try this one.
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do Kirsten! (The horseradish totally makes it!)
The mayo/horseradish combo sounds great. For years I have coated in mayo and dipped in corn flake crumbs and a little garlic salt…with a bit of melted butter poured over all before baking. I am for sure going to try your version!!
Your chicken recipe sounds great Sheri! Hope you like this version!
Aww I love the story behind this recipe. It makes it such a special recipe that way! Can’t wait to try it 🙂
Thanks Ashley – I agree! The stories behind the recipes are the best part of what we do…
that sauce sounds really good
Martha, oh my….you and Grampa made us very happy tonight. I’m always looking for new recipes for chicken, this was delish and easy. I purchased a jar of fresh horseradish Saturday, as mine had an expired date, if that that is possible with horseradish!!!
We are celebrating our 50th anniversary in June, and my husband never knows what I’m preparing for dinner after all these years. He is always on board when I try new recipes.
I now have a binder for copies of Jack’s and your recipes.
We’re all so glad you and your husband enjoyed the recipe Linda! (My in-law’s celebrated their 62nd anniversary over the winter.) 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to write to us – we love hearing from our readers!
I loved this story! This chicken looks so good while being so simple to prepare. Good job, Grandpa!
Thanks so much Tammy!
I love stories of with a recipe attached! As soon as I saw “grampa’s” I knew it would be good! The addition of horseradish is something I want to experience, thanks for sharing!
Thanks Colleen – I hope you enjoy the recipe – adding the horseradish adds great flavor!
Thankyou for sharing this wonderful recipe. After just one night for dinner, this is now a favourite in our house too. Love the story behind it which I shared with my family as we were enjoying the delicious chicken. I used chicken thighs and only 1 tablespoon of horseradish as it’s not something we have had before and gluten free corn breadcrumbs (to cater for the coeliacs in the family). Hardly a word spoken as everyone was too busy eating. Dad has tagged the one piece left over for his lunch tomorrow!! YUM, YUM, YUM and quick and easy. Happy New Year from my family to yours – Michelle – Monto, Queensland, AUSTRALIA
So glad you (all) enjoyed the recipe Michelle! I’ll be sure to tell Grampa that you enjoyed it too!