The Best Almond Chicken Recipe

What is Almond Chicken?

I love chicken tenders, chicken wings, chicken nuggets, and pretty much any other chicken that’s been coated in something crunchy. This almond chicken gives you the best of all that without being fried or breaded. It’s encrusted in a crunchy almond + spice mixture then baked to perfection!

If you’re looking for almond Chinese chicken, that’s something totally different. This is simply almond crusted chicken that’s perfect for a weeknight meal!

I have yet to meet someone who tried this recipe and didn’t love it. It’s a family favorite too –  even kids will love this take on chicken nuggets!

How to Make Almond Chicken – Tips & Tricks

There are three keys to making this almond chicken super crunchy and delicious! Don’t skip this step if you want it to really be the best almond chicken recipe ever.

1 – Crush the coating correctly.

First, you want to crush the almonds and spices in a food processor until they’re small but not totally pulverized. You want small chunks of almonds, not ground almond powder.

Using a food processor has always given me the most consistent sizing in the coating but if you had to, you could also just use a mallet and smash them up or something as well, but I recommend the food processor.

2 – Press in the coating.

Second, after the almond coating is on the chicken, pat it down with your hand. This will seal the coating to the chicken and keeps it from falling off. It also helps the flavors of the spices to soak into the chicken.

3 – Finish with a drizzle.

Finally, add that drizzle of oil before baking the chicken. Again, it’s not going to make or break the chicken, but it will give an added layer of crispiness to the chicken and just help the coating brown perfectly.

4 – Let it rest

Let the chicken rest for a few minutes after you take it out before cutting. This will help the juices distribute and keep it perfectly moist and delicious! 

Almond Chicken Directions

Making this almond chicken is easy! Here are the quick directions but make sure to read the entire recipe in the recipe card below as well! 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Combine the first six ingredients (through the salt) in a food processor. Pulse until the almonds are chopped fairly small.
3. Pour the almond mixture in a shallow bowl.
4. Pour the beaten egg egg in a shallow bowl.
5. Salt the front and back of each piece of chicken.
6. Working with one piece at a time, dip the chicken in the egg and then coat with the almond mixture making sure to pat the mixture into the chicken.
7. Place the chicken on a non-stick baking sheet or one lined with parchment paper.
8. Drizzle olive oil over top of almond chicken to help make crispy.
9. Bake for 22-25 minutes and remove from oven.
10. Let rest for 3 minutes to let juices redistribute
11. Serve hot.

Want to see how easy it is to make this almond chicken? There’s a video below with step by step instructions. It really is as simple as it seems!

What to Eat with This Almond Crusted Chicken

Since you can’t just eat almond chicken by itself, here are some great sides that would pair well with this paleo almond chicken. You could always go with something basic like easy mashed potatoes, strawberry spinach salad, cauliflower puree, or one of these other delicious sides!

• Paleo Roasted Cauliflower
• Paleo Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
• Paleo Lemon Bars (because you always need dessert)
• Homemade Ginger Ale

Almond Chicken FAQs

I’ve answered the questions I receive most frequently on this recipe below. If you have any others, leave me a comment, and I’ll do my best to answer as quickly as possible!

Is almond chicken healthy?

Yes! The recipe uses only clean ingredients – eggs, almonds, boneless skinless chicken, spices, and olive oil. It’s a great source of protein and fats and absolutely delicious! Make it even healthier by using organic chicken, eggs, and spices!

How to Reheat Almond Chicken?

My favorite way of reheating almond chicken is to simply put it back in the oven (350 degrees) for a few minutes until it’s warm and crisped up.

You’re not cooking the chicken again so you don’t need to leave it in long enough to cook, just get warm. You can also microwave it in a microwave safe dish as well, but we try to limit our microwave use these days!

Is Almond Chicken Gluten Free?

This almond chicken recipe as written is gluten free. The breading is made up of chopped almonds and spices. If you want to add actual breading to the recipe you can, but you don’t miss it at all without it!

How to make breaded almond chicken?

If you want to do a full breading, add a 1/4 cup of bread crumbs to the mixture. You don’t even miss the breadcrumbs, and I’m normally all about the breading. The chopped almonds make a great crust all by themselves.

How many calories in almond chicken?

This is a hard question to answer because it totally depends on how much breading ends up on your individual piece of chicken and how big the piece of chicken is. Basic calories are in my recipe card below.

How to make almond chicken sauce?

We don’t normally eat a sauce with this almond chicken recipe, but you could make some sort of gravy or this cauliflower puree is great with it and acts like a kind of sauce!

Other Delicious Chicken Recipes:

If you’re a big chicken lover like me, these other paleo chicken recipes should be added to your meal plan along with this almond chicken recipe!

• Baked Lemon Chicken Thighs
• Easy orange chicken recipe
• Teriyaki chicken bowl
• Baked coconut chicken tenders
• Balsamic chicken recipe
• White chicken chili
• White chicken enchiladas

The Best Almond Chicken Recipe

The best almond chicken recipe ever! Almond crusted chicken that's crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside! Delicious enough that both kids and adults will love it!

5 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: almonds, chicken, keto, paleo, paleo chicken, weight watchers, whole 30

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 302kcal

Author: Richie Vigil

Ingredients

• 3/4-1 cup almonds , depending on the size of the chicken
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg , beaten
• 4 chicken breast halves 4 small or 2 large

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Combine the first six ingredients (through the salt) in a food processor. Pulse until the almonds are chopped fairly small.
• Pour the almond mixture in a shallow bowl.
• Pour the beaten egg egg in a shallow bowl.
• Salt the front and back of each piece of chicken.
• Working with one piece at a time, dip the chicken in the egg and then coat with the almond mixture making sure to pat the mixture into the chicken.
• Place the chicken on a non-stick baking sheet or one lined with parchment paper.
• Drizzle olive oil over top of chicken to help make crispy.
• Bake for 22-25 minutes and remove from oven.
• Let rest for 3 minutes to let juices redistribute
• Serve hot.

Notes

This is the gluten-free version. If you would like to make this a breaded almond chicken, you can substitute 1/4 cup of the almonds with bread crumbs to add a little extra breading to the chicken.

Nutrition

Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 438mg | Potassium: 631mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 235IU | Vitamin C: 1.3mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 1.9mg

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