Almond Crusted Chicken

4.99 from 66 votes

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!

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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!

Large serving platter with 5 almond crusted chicken breasts and a fork lifting one up.
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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.
Ingredients for recipe in individual bowls before prepped: chicken breast, egg, seasonings, whole almonds, and parmesan cheese.

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.
6 image collage making recipe: 1- almonds in food processor, 2- almonds after processing into fine crumbs, 3- cheese, seasonings, and almonds added to bowl before combined, 4- eggs whisked in seperate bowl, 5- chicken breast dipped in egg, 6- hands holding chicken after coating with almond mixture.

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.
2 image collage of recipe before and after baking.

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.
  • 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

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

Is almond crusted chicken gluten free?

This chicken recipe is gluten free because it uses ground almonds instead of flour or bread crumbs, eggs, parmesan cheese, and spices!

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

Boneless skinless chicken breasts or cutlets work best for this crusted chicken recipe, but you could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs. They may take a little longer to cook and release more grease so the almond crust may differ.

Can I cook this almond chicken recipe in the air fryer?

I haven’t tested this recipe in the air fryer yet, but it would be the same cooking time and temp as my breaded air fryer chicken – 390˚F for about 10 minutes.

Can I use almond flour instead of ground almonds?

This is an option, but it won’t get the same crunchy crust as freshly ground chopped almonds. If you decide you just want a finer ground crumb to the roast almond coating, pulse in the food processor a few extra times to get your desired size.

Small plate with almond crusted chicken partially sliced to show texture and garnished with fresh parsley served with fresh green beans with a bowl of risotto nearby.

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:

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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 66 votes
Servings 5 servings
Course Entree
Calories 327
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

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.

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.

Cuisine American
Course: Entree

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Comments

  1. This is one of the most requested items in our family. We might have it 2-3 times a month. I make it for meal trains for people. The last time I did this, the lady said that it was the best chicken she has had in years!

  2. Hi lady!

    Thanks for this recipe! I found a killer Spaghetti with Almond and sundried tomato sauce recipe off food and wine. My wife and I are die hard carnivores and need some kind of meat with a meatless dish. I thought it would be a great idea to use your recipe as a topper for the pasta, it would be similar to a chicken parm but with its own identity. Thanks for this excellent recipe!!

  3. I followed the recipe to a T. Came out with wet spots and not crispy. I even placed it on a wire cooling rack above the sheet pan and let it cook another 6 mins, but no luck.

    1. Hmm, I am sorry to hear that they didn’t turn out crispy. Did you use the baking/cooling rack for the entire cooking duration or just for the last 6 minutes?

    1. Did you grind the almonds into a fine powder? The size of the almonds does affect how well it sticks to the chicken.