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Plated almond crusted chicken with a side salad.
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5 from 2 votes

Easy Almond Crusted Chicken Recipe

This simple recipe features juicy chicken cutlets covered in a delicious, crunchy almond crust! Make it for dinner in about 35 minutes with just a handful of ingredients.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Almond Chicken Recipe, Almond Crusted Chicken, Chicken Breast Recipe
Servings: 4 cutlets
Calories: 477kcal
Author: Stacey Adams

Equipment

  • 1 Large baking sheet *the one I use is 13 x 17 inches
  • Aluminum foil or parchment paper *optional but makes for easy cleanup
  • Non-stick cooking spray (or olive oil) *optional but helps prevent sticking

Ingredients

  • 2 8 ounce (1 pound total) skinless boneless chicken breasts *see note below
  • cup flour *regular flour or gluten free *see note below
  • ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¾ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt *plus extra for brining
  • ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 cup raw almonds *see note below
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons water

Recipe notes: 

Chicken: I like using smaller chicken breasts. They're easier to work with and taste better, in my opinion. Generally, organic chicken breasts are smaller so I tend to go this route. 8 ounces is a half pound, which means that a 1 pound package of chicken with two breasts in it should work well!
Flour: I've tested this recipe with Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour and it worked fabulously.
Raw almonds: packaging will typically specify if almonds are toasted or not. Look for raw nuts that have NOT been toasted or salted. These taste best, and are less likely to burn in the oven since they haven't been cooked at all yet.
General/brining: you can brine your chicken overnight and cook it the next day to save yourself extra time on a busy weeknight. Don't skip brining, it will make your chicken super flavorful and juicy!
General/tenderizing: don't skip this step! It will make your chicken extra juicy and tender.

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400°F.
  • Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and lightly coat with non-stick cooking spray. You don't have to line your sheet or use cooking spray but I find this helps prevent almond crust from sticking to the sheet (and it keeps it on the chicken where we want it)! Plus, cleanup is a snap.
  • Now slice both chicken breasts in half, lengthwise, to create 4 thinner cutlets. Place cutlets in a Ziploc bag and pound them with your fist or a meat mallet. About 15 seconds per piece will do, there's no need to pound them super thin.
    2 8 ounce (1 pound total) skinless boneless chicken breasts
  • Add cool water to a large bowl and salt heavily. I typically add 2-3 tablespoons of kosher salt, though any kind of salt will work. Stir gently until it dissolves completely, then add chicken cutlets, ensuring meat is completely submerged.
  • Place chicken in the refrigerator and allow it to soak/brine for at least 15 minutes. You can also brine chicken overnight if you want to make things easier for yourself and plan ahead for the next evening.
  • While cutlets are brining, combine flour and spices in a medium bowl or on a plate. Whisk until well incorporated and set aside.
    ⅓ cup flour, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon onion powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
  • Next, measure whole, raw almonds into a food processor and puree until crumbly. I like leaving some texture/larger chunks, rather than blending until super fine. Transfer crushed almonds to a plate or bowl and set aside.
    1 cup raw almonds
  • Measure egg and water into a bowl and whisk vigorously to create an egg wash, and once again, set this aside.
    1 large egg, 2 tablespoons water
  • Now remove your chicken from the brine and pat dry with a paper towel.
  • Cover chicken in flour and spices, then dip in egg mixture. Finally, coat each cutlet with almonds. You can gently press crushed almonds into chicken with the back of a spoon, if desired. This can help nuts to stick better, but it's not necessary.
  • Line chicken with almond coating on your prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden with internal temp of 165°F. I always use a food thermometer to avoid overcooking, which will surly lead to dry chicken.
  • Allow to rest, then plate and enjoy!

Storing leftovers:

  • Refrigerate in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for 3-4 days. You can also freeze for up to 4 months!

Reheating leftovers:

  • Reheat leftovers in the oven or air fryer at 350°F for 5-10 minutes until warmed through. You can also use the microwave, though I avoid it as chicken can become soggy.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 4 ounce cutlet (all values are approximate). | Sugar: 1.9g | Fiber: 5.1g | Calories: 477kcal | Fat: 25.1g | Protein: 48.7g | Carbohydrates: 15.4g