Almond Crusted Chicken

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One of my favorite ways to cook chicken is to coat them in ground nuts like this delicious juicy and crispy Almond Crusted Chicken recipe. The roasted almonds are ground into a breadcrumb size texture and tossed with parmesan cheese to coat these chicken cutlets and cook until crisp and golden brown. It’s so easy to make for a weeknight dinner. Just 4 main ingredients plus seasonings to make this crunchy almond-crusted chicken in about 30 minutes!

If you loved my pecan-crusted chicken recipe, this almond chicken recipe would be a new favorite made with a homemade ground almond and parmesan coating. This crust replaces flour for a lighter style chicken recipe and is baked instead of fried for a healthier option to fried chicken.

Why you’ll love this Almond Crusted Baked Chicken

• The best almond crust. Roasted almonds are ground into a fine coating the size of breadcrumbs and tossed with parmesan and a blend of onion powder, paprika, dried parsley, salt, and pepper. While it bakes, the almonds release their natural oils and crisp up for a crunchy bite. The paprika adds a nice color to the almond coating, too.
• So easy to make! Oven-baked chicken is pretty simple to make. Just dip the chicken in eggs and then in the almond crust and bake. I flip them halfway through to get a nice golden brown color on both sides.
• A family craved favorite. My kids love crunchy chicken, so these almond crusted cutlets are perfect. You can cut them down into strips or nuggets for a more kid-friendly size. It also pairs well with many different sides, like baked mac and cheese, cauliflower au gratin, or cheesy asparagus.
• Healthier option. This alternative to pan frying and deep frying is a healthier way to enjoy breaded chicken by using less oil with just a few spritzes of oil spray. You’re also adding a few health benefits from almonds instead of flour.
• Great for leftovers. These chicken almond crusted cutlets make for some tasty leftovers to serve over a fresh kale salad or add to a melty grilled cheese sandwich.

Ingredients to make Almond Crusted Chicken

• Chicken: I use boneless skinless chicken breast for this recipe and cut it down into cutlet sizes, or you could cut it into strips or nuggets. Just adjust the cooking time for different sizes.
• Almonds: Dry unsalted roasted almonds work best for this crusted chicken recipe. Use a food processor to ground them into a fine breadcrumb size texture.
• Parmesan cheese: Pre-grated works just fine here. But if you have time, you can freshly grate the cheese so it it melts and toasts into the crust.
• Seasonings: onion powder, paprika, dried parsley, salt, and black pepper.
• Egg: This binding helps the almonds stick to the chicken cutlets.
• Cooking spray: This adds an even layer of oil over the almond coating and helps crisp them up.

How to make Almond Crusted CHicken Cutlets

Making this almond-crusted baked chicken is so simple, especially when you have a food processor to quickly crumb the roasted almonds. A high-speed blender may work if you don’t have a food processor, but you need a little more time to get the right texture.

Prepare almond breading & Chicken

1. Place the almonds in a food processor.
2. Pulse until fine crumbs form that resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Add the ground almonds to a bowl with parmesan cheese and spices.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg until smooth.
5. Dip a chicken breast cutlet into the egg allowing an excess to drip back into the bowl.
6. Then, coat each side of the chicken with the ground almond breadcrumb coating.

Bake Almond Crusted Chicken Breasts

1. Once coated, lay the crusted chicken on a wire rack on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
2. Bake until golden brown and crunchy, flipping the chicken halfway through for even cooking.

Tips for making this Almond Chicken Recipe

1. Make ahead. You can bread the cutlets and freeze them in a single layer on a sheet pan until firm, then store them tightly wrapped in a freezer safe bag between sheets of parchment paper for up to two months. When ready to eat, bake from frozen, adding about 5-10 minutes of cooking time.
2. Use roasted almonds if possible. Roasted almonds make a difference! If you cannot find unsalted roasted almonds, purchase raw almonds instead and toast them at home in a 350˚F oven on a sheet tray for about 8-10 minutes. Let them cool before proceeding with the recipe.
3. Don’t skip the wire rack. This is my favorite hack for getting this extra crisp in the oven because the wire rack allows more heat to circulate around the chicken than resting on parchment paper.
4. Let the chicken rest. Give the chicken about 10 minutes after removing it from the oven to rest. This helps lock in the juices and flavor for the most delicious bite.

Popular substitutions & additions

• Switch to another nut. If you want to try these with another nut instead of almonds, I recommend pecans or cashews!
• Try it with chicken tenders. Or just cut the breasts into strips so they are smaller. That way they become handheld and more kid-friendly.
• Substitute the egg. Switch out the egg as a binder and use hummus, Greek yogurt, or mustard instead. This will adjust the end taste but opens up more possibilities for more flavors.
• Marinate the chicken first. If you want a little extra flavor, try marinating your chicken first. Here are a few different chicken marinades you can try.
• Pair with a dipping sauce. These are so tasty with honey mustard or try my homemade ranch dip.

What to serve with Crispy Baked Almond Chicken

• Creamy Risotto
• Lemon Rice
• Quick Green Beans
• Stove top or Roasted Broccoli
• Arugula Strawberry Salad
• Roasted Beet Salad

How to store & reheat Almond Crusted CHicken Breast

Store nut crusted chicken in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, place in a preheated 350˚F oven until warmed through. You can also reheat in a 350˚F air fryer for about 3-4 minutes

How long will baked Chicken last in the fridge?

When stored properly, cooked almond coated chicken will last up to 3-4 days in the fridge.

Can I freeze Baked Chicken?

Yes, after coating the chicken cutlets in egg and the almond coating, place in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag and store up to 3 months.

Frequently asked questions

This oven baked almond crusted cutlets are full of delicious nutty flavor and so juicy. Pair with just about any side for the ideal quick weeknight meal. Plus, it’s versatile enough to switch up a few ingredients for a unique recipe everytime. Crusted nut chicken is such a fantastic substitute for heavy fried chicken or pan fried with extra oil and still has all the flavor and crunchy texture you crave!

More easy chicken recipes:

• Pecan Crusted Chicken
• Tortilla Crusted Chicken
• Chicken and Rice Casserole
• Baked Chicken Nuggets
• Yogurt Marinated Chicken
• Breaded Air Fryer Chicken
• Oven Baked Balsamic Chicken
• Spinach Feta Stuffed Chicken
• Grilled Harissa Chicken
• Honey Mustard Chicken

If you try this feel good Almond Crusted Chicken recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!

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Review

Almond Crusted Chicken

This Almond Crusted Chicken is crunchy and juicy, ready in 30 minutes with only a few ingredients. If you haven't tried nuts for coating your chicken, It's a must-have!

5 from 42 votes

Author Yumna Jawad

Servings 5 servings

Course Entree

Calories 327

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup dry roasted unsalted almonds
• ▢ ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon paprika
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 egg lightly beaten
• ▢ 1 pound chicken cutlets
• ▢ Cooking spray as needed

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Place a baking rack on top of a rimmed sheet pan, then spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place the almonds in a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Scrape the almond crumbs into a shallow bowl, then mix in the Parmesan cheese, onion powder, paprika, parsley, salt and pepper.
• Place the egg in a separate shallow bowl and beat with a whisk. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then working with one cutlet at a time, dip in the egg. Let the excess egg drip off of the cutlet, then dip in the almond mixture, pressing the crumbs onto each side of the cutlet to ensure that they adhere. Place the coated cutlet on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat the process with the remaining chicken.
• Spray the chicken with more nonstick cooking spray, then bake for 18-20 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through cooking time, or until the cutlets are cooked through and the almond mixture is golden brown and crisp.

Equipment

Cuisinart Food Processor

Measuring Cups and Spoons

Mixing Bowl Set

Aluminum Sheet Pans

Cooling Rack Wire Baking Rack

Balloon Whisk

Nutrition

Calories: 327kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 99mg, Sodium: 410mg, Potassium: 584mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 261IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 177mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free

Cuisine American

Course: Entree