Almond Crusted Chicken Breasts

Take chicken over the top with this toasty, nutty, oven baked Almond Crusted Chicken served with a 3-ingredient honey mustard sauce. Baking the chicken in the oven keeps it light but still gives you the satisfaction of a deep fried crunch. A healthier way to enjoy crispy, breaded chicken.

If you haven’t tried nuts for coating your chicken, then it’s about time! This baked almond chicken breast recipe is what you need in your weeknight meal rotation. Quick and easy to prepare for a family dinner while also impressive enough for a dinner party. The crusted chicken can even be prepared early in the day and refrigerated until ready to bake. This makes dinner such an effortless event!

Once you experience the perfect crunchy texture and nutty flavour of these almond crusted crispy chicken breasts, you’ll find it hard to believe that they’re baked and not fried! For this recipe the almond coated chicken breasts are baked until a beautiful golden crust forms on the outside, while the inside remains irresistibly tender and juicy.

The crunchy almond crusted chicken is amazing on it own, but elevate it with a simple honey mustard sauce made with just three ingredients. It takes seconds to mix up the dipping sauce made up of mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and honey. The honey mustard sauce is perfect for dipping the oven baked crusted nut chicken. 

Why This Is The Best Baked Chicken Coated In Almonds

• Easy. The oven-baked chicken is simple to put together and bakes in about 20 minutes. It can even be assembled early in the day and baked when needed.
• Healthy. The breaded chicken is baked and not fried making it a healthier and lighter option. Plus the boneless chicken breasts and almonds are full of protein.
• Crispy. The almond crust is great for when you crave a nice golden brown crunch in your chicken without any deep frying but baked in your oven instead.

Ingredients Needed to Make Almond Crusted Chicken

(Ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post)

• Boneless chicken breasts – The best choice for this recipe are chicken breasts with no bones that have been pounded to an even thickness to tenderize them.
• Mayonnaise – Used twice in the recipe – for coating the chicken and for the honey mustard sauce for dipping.
• Dijon mustard – Mixed with the mayonnaise to create a savoury wet coating for the chicken.
• Almonds – The star ingredient in the recipe, coarsely ground almonds used to create the crispy coating.
• Panko breadcrumbs – Added to the coating mixture to help create the crispy coating.
• Parmesan cheese – Added to the coating mixture to add flavour, and also when the chicken bakes, it acts as a glue to help keep the coating in tact.
• Thyme, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper – The seasonings used to flavour the chicken.
• Honey – Used to make the honey mustard sauce for dipping.
• Parsley – Adds some freshness to the crispy chicken
• Lemon – A little squeeze of lemon enhances the flavour of the crispy baked chicken.

HOW TO MAKE NUT CRUSTED CHICKEN

(Note : This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.)

1. Lightly pound the boneless chicken breasts between parchment paper sheets to an even ¾” thickness.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and mustard for the wet coating.
3. In a rimmed plate combine chopped almonds, breadcrumbs, Parmesan and seasonings.
4. Brush wet coating mixture over the chicken then dip both sides in the almond and breadcrumb mixture. Place pieces on a parchment lined greased baking sheet.
5. If time permits refrigerate coated chicken for 15 – 30 minutes which helps the coating to adhere.
6. Bake for 20 – 22 minutes without flipping the chicken over until it is golden-brown and toasty and the chicken is cooked.
7. While the chicken cooks, in a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, mustard and honey for the dipping sauce.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What’s the best chicken to use for this recipe?

The healthiest and favourite choice is boneless skinless chicken breasts that you tenderize yourself. If preferred you can also use boneless chicken thighs but if you do, increase the baking time. If feeding kids turn this crispy almond crusted chicken recipe into chicken fingers by slicing the boneless chicken breasts into strips before coating them. Chicken strips made with white meat chicken breasts resemble takeout chicken nuggets and are always a favourite for kids but are much healthier. Just reduce the baking time slightly since these smaller pieces of chicken tenders will cook much faster than the full breast pieces. Great for adults too!

How can I ensure the almond crust sticks to the chicken?

Make sure you pat the chicken breasts dry before brushing them with the wet ingredients. The almond coating mixture includes Parmesan cheese which not only adds flavour, but when baked, it melts and acts like glue. Once the chicken is coated with the almond coating mixture, pop them in the fridge for 15 – 20 minutes, or longer, before baking. This helps the crust stick to the chicken and the greased parchment they bake on keeps the crust from sticking to the pan. Also, let the chicken rest for a few minutes out of the oven to allow the juices to redistribute which allows the coating set.

Can you make almond crusted chicken in the air fryer?

Yes you can use your air fryer and get equally crispy results. Add the coated chicken to the air fryer basket in a single layer and spray the top of the chicken with cooking spray. Cook for 12 – 13 minutes until 165 degrees F on the inside.  Gently remove the chicken from the basket. You may have to cook the chicken in batches depending on the size of your air fryer

PRO-TIPS AND VARIATIONS

• Coarsely chop the almonds in a food processor or chop with a knife until there are some chunks and some are fine.
• Replace almonds with pecans or cashews for equally tasting chicken.
• Tenderize your chicken as directed by pounding it to an even thickness to ensure tender chicken that cooks evenly.
• Cut the chicken into strips to make chicken fingers for kids. In this case reduce the baking time slightly.
• Adjust the seasonings as you desire – make it spicy if you wish by adding chili powder.
• Ensure you line the baking sheet with parchment paper and grease it lightly with cooking oil to ensure browning on the bottom.
• Once the chicken is coated and arranged on the baking sheet let it sit in the fridge for at least 15 - 20 minutes or longer before baking, to allow the crust to stick.
• If making ahead early in the day, once the chicken is coated it can sit on the pan, lightly covered in plastic wrap, in the fridge until it’s time to go in the oven.
• Before serving the cooked chicken, let the chicken rest to allow the juices to settle and the coating to stick.
• Chicken can be cooked in an air fryer, sprayed with cooking spray for 12 – 13 minutes.
• If you prefer a different dip, use bottled plum sauce, ranch dressing, ketchup or sirracha sauce as a dip.
• Always treat the chicken gently even after it’s baked to ensure the coating stays on.

MAKE AHEAD, STORAGE, FREEZING AND SERVING TIPS

• Make ahead – The almond chicken can be coated and assembled early in the day and refrigerated on the baking sheet lightly covered with plastic wrap, until ready to bake.
• Store – Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper between each one for 3 – 4 days. Reheat the chicken in the oven on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350 degrees F for about 10 – 15 minutes until warmed. Not recommended for reheating in the microwave as the crispiness will be lost.
• Freeze – Like most crusted baked chicken recipes this does not freeze well after it’s cooked since the crispy almond crust won’t stay crispy. But you can freeze the assembled and raw crusted chicken for 2 months. Simply flash freeze the unbaked pieces on a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and once frozen, gently pack them in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper between each layer. Bake the chicken right from frozen when needed. Just add a little more baking time.
• Serve – Serve the almond crusted chicken as a main meal with sides like rice, mashed or roasted potatoes and steamed vegetables such as broccoli or cauliflower. You can also wrap it in a tortilla with lettuce and dressing. For a lighter fare, simply serve it with your favourite side salad.

If you like chicken recipes, then try these:

Orange Soy Glazed Chicken
Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce
Phyllo Topped Chicken Pot Pie

Recipe