Almond Crusted Chicken Breasts

Take chicken over the top with these toasty and nutty almond crusted chicken breasts. Baking the chicken in the oven keeps it light but still gives you the satisfaction of a deep-fried crunch.

If you’re craving something homemade and delicious for dinner then this recipe for crispy oven baked chicken is for you! Both adults and kids love it. Anyone can pull this off since it’s really simple to make with mostly pantry ingredients.

Boneless chicken breasts are pounded lightly then coated with mayonnaise and Dijon mustard and encrusted in a perfectly seasoned mixture of chopped almonds, panko breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese. The almond coating adds additional protein to the meal and also gives the chicken a beautiful golden crust with a perfect crispy texture while the chicken stays deliciously moist on the inside. It really is hard to believe this chicken is baked and not fried!

A simple honey mustard sauce made with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and honey takes seconds to whisk up is perfect for dipping the luscious juicy chicken. But if you prefer, you could also use bottled plum sauce, ranch dressing or a chili sauce as a dip.

You can whirl up the almonds in a food processor (I like to use my mini food processor for this) or you can pound them with a mallet. You want to achieve some almond crumbs while still keeping some almond chunks in the mix. Just make sure the almonds pieces are not too large or it will be difficult for them to adhere.

If you’re feeding kids you can easily make their portions into strips or nugget sizes by slicing the chicken breasts into smaller pieces before coating them. This turns them into a finger food that is really appealing to kids. Just reduce the baking time slightly since these smaller pieces will cook much faster than the full breast pieces.

I cook chicken at least once a week which means I’m always looking for a variety of ways to jazz it up. I was tired of regular breadcrumb coated chicken so I decided to play around with pantry ingredients I had on hand, including almonds. The first time I made this chicken I pan fried the pieces but wasn’t happy with the results; I felt it contained too much fat. The next time I decided to bake the chicken in the oven and I actually preferred it that way! I was surprised it turned out super crispy with almonds that were perfectly crumbly and toasty! Turns out everyone in my family agreed on the oven baked method too.

Fried chicken is not particularly healthy so this oven-baked almond crusted chicken is the kind of recipe you want to keep in your weeknight meal rotation. It’s so easy and quick to prepare for a family dinner while also impressive to serve at a dinner party. It can be prepared early in the day and refrigerated until ready to bake. This makes dinner such an effortless event!

Serve the chicken alongside a green salad, steamed vegetables, and if desired add rice as well. I also like to add a sprinkle of fresh parsley and lemon wedges to brighten up the chicken.

5 from 1 vote

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Almond Crusted Chicken Breasts

Boneless chicken breasts are coated in mayo and Dijon then dipped in a seasoned mixture of chopped almonds, panko breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese. Baked in the oven until perfectly crispy on the outside, and super moist on the inside.

Cook Time 22 minutes

Servings 4

Author Rita Jakobschuk

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 4 medium boneless chicken breasts, pounded to ¾” thickness
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 cup whole almonds, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the honey mustard sauce & garnishes

• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoon liquid honey
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley, optional for garnish
• 1 lemon, sliced, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly brush the parchment paper with cooking oil. (This step facilitates the browning of the bottom of the chicken.)

2. Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper and pound gently from the centre out towards the edges with a mallet, to an even ¾” thickness (approximately).

3. In a medium bowl, stir together the coating ingredients, ¼ cup mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard.

4. In a rimmed plate or a pie plate, add coarsely chopped almonds, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, thyme, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper; mix to combine.

5. Brush the coating mixture all over the chicken pieces, top, bottom and sides. Dip both sides of the coated chicken in the chopped nut and breadcrumb mixture and press lightly to adhere. Shake off any excess coating and place coated pieces on the prepared baking sheet.

6. If time permits, refrigerate chicken for 15 - 30 minutes (or longer), before baking. This helps the coating to adhere. Dispose of any remaining mayonnaise coating and nut/breadcrumb mixture.

7. Bake chicken for 20 - 22 minutes without flipping it over. The time will depend on the thickness of the chicken pieces. The chicken should be golden-brown and toasty on the outside and no longer pink inside. When ready to serve, gently lift up the pieces with a spatula.

8. Meanwhile, make the honey mustard dipping sauce by whisking the ¼ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup Dijon mustard and honey in a small bowl. 

9. Sprinkle chicken with chopped parsley, if desired, serve with lemon pieces and the dipping sauce.