Almond crusted chicken is full of fantastic flavor! Use whatever cut of chicken you have for this yummy dinner that’s ready fast. This naturally gluten-free breaded chicken recipe is high in protein and fits with paleo, Whole30, low-carb, and keto diets – your family will love it!
I laughed when my husband said the other night that this crispy almond crusted chicken was his favorite of all the Whole30 meals I’ve made so far. After all, I’ve made a lot of healthy meals, including Pork and Potato Soup and Egg Roll in a Bowl and The Best Carnitas Stuffed Baked Sweet Potatoes, and almond crusted chicken is one of the quickest and easiest Whole30 meals we’ve had.
I asked why, and he said his mom used to make crispy baked chicken all the time when he was a kid. She used Corn Flakes or Rice Krispies. I remember it well because my mom used to do the same thing with Shake ‘n Bake!
This almond crusted chicken is like what your mom used to make when you were a kid, but all grown up and healthier. And it’s downright delicious!
ALMOND CRUSTED CHICKEN
This almond crusted chicken recipe has quickly become a family favorite. It is great for when you want that nice crunch to your chicken (a la fried chicken) without all the icky stuff that’s in those seasoning bags.
I love this baked almond chicken recipe because it’s:
- Super quick and easy: it’s ready in only 20 minutes!
- Versatile: use chicken breasts, tenders, cutlets, or thighs, or skip the chicken and make almond crusted pork chops!
- Whole30-approved, gluten-free, low-carb, and keto-friendly.
- Plus, it’s full of crunch on the outside, moist on the inside, and packed with flavor. You’ll wind up repeating it on your meal plan again and again!
And my little secret: It doesn’t really matter if you use an egg wash. The chicken is crispy and DELICIOUS every time. So, if you’re out of eggs, you can still make this recipe!
INGREDIENTS FOR BAKED ALMOND CHICKEN
This baked almond chicken recipe is simple, and you likely have all of the ingredients in your pantry!
- Chicken. We prefer skinless chicken thighs, but boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders work too!
- Almond flour. Both almond flour and almond meal work for this recipe.
- Whole almonds. Raw unroasted almonds work best but use whatever almonds you have on hand. If your almonds are salted, use a bit less salt in the seasoning mixture.
- Paprika + salt + pepper for seasoning. Necessary for flavor in this recipe. Trust me, you do not want to skip out on the seasonings. (You could also add onion powder or garlic powder, or sub in this Poultry Seasoning, Seasoned Salt, or even Ranch Dressing Mix!)
- Egg + Milk or Water. Using only water or milk works too! See below for my substitution tricks – you just need something wet to help keep the coating on the chicken.
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HOW TO BIND ALMOND COATING TO CHICKEN
Okay, so I did say the egg wash is optional, but you will need SOMETHING to help the almond coating bind to the chicken.
If you are out of eggs or need to not eat them for allergy reasons, you can use milk, non-dairy milk, or even water.
Simply dip the chicken in the wash and let the excess drip off. Then dredge in the breading, pressing gently to ensure the meat is well coated.
This process works for both the almond crust in this recipe and traditional breadcrumbs.
HOW TO MAKE BAKED ALMOND CRUSTED CHICKEN
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425F.
Step 2: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a wire cooling rack on top.
Step 3: Combine seasonings with almonds and almond flour in a high-powered blender (like this one) or food processor and pulse just until the almonds are small. (Don’t over-pulse or you’ll create almond butter.) Pour the almond mixture into a shallow dish or medium bowl.
Step 4: In a separate shallow dish, crack the egg and add the water or milk. Whisk well.
Step 5: Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip the chicken in the beaten egg wash, turning to thoroughly coat all sides. Allow the excess to drip off and then place in the bowl with the almond coating. Turn the chicken to make sure all sides are coated. Place the crusted chicken cutlets on the wire rack and repeat this process with the remaining chicken.
(If your cutlets are thick, pound them to even thickness using a mallet before coating them.)
Step 6: Bake the chicken until golden brown and the juices run clear.
Note: If you run out of the almond coating, you can either make a small half-batch using the ratio of 2 Tablespoons of almond flour to 1 Tablespoon of whole almonds OR just sprinkle more almond flour into the bowl. I tend to do the latter since it’s easier.
Store any leftover baked almond crusted chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Note that the almond coating will not be as crispy when you reheat it.
VARIATIONS FOR ALMOND CRUSTED CHICKEN RECIPE
- Panko Crusted Chicken: Panko is coarse bread crumbs. You can make your own bread crumbs using this recipe. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs if needed. Use in place of the almond flour and almonds in this recipe and bake the chicken as directed.
- Pecan-Crusted Chicken: Substitute pecans for the whole almonds.
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast: Add parmesan cheese to the almond coating.
- Crispy Ranch Chicken: Add Ranch Seasoning Mix to the almond breading for a ranch almond crusted chicken recipe.
DIPPING SAUCE FOR ALMOND CHICKEN
Baked almond chicken alone is AMAZING, but I understand if your people need a dipping sauce too. Try any of these homemade sauces for a flavorful addition to this crispy chicken:
- Secret Recipe Buffalo Wing Sauce
- Homemade BBQ Sauce
- Magic Thai Peanut Sauce
- Homemade Caesar Dressing
- Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing
- Honey + Mustard to taste, for homemade honey mustard
Psst! This almond crusted chicken recipe is featured in my FREE Budget-Friendly Whole30 Meal Plan! Get an entire week’s worth of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners to help keep you on plan.
CRISPY ALMOND CHICKEN BREAST FAQS
Can you make almond crusted chicken in the air fryer?
I haven’t personally tried this, but others have, and they say the air fryer chicken still turns out great! You’ll need to adjust the cooking time as air fryers tend to cook faster than regular baking. (You can also cook the chicken in a skillet over medium heat, if you don’t want to bake it.)
Is almond crusted chicken low-carb or keto?
Yes! This recipe does not use breadcrumbs. I use almond flour and almonds, along with seasonings. It is low-carb and keto-friendly! It is one of the recipes I discovered while doing a Whole30.
By the way…you can learn more about how we were able to eat Whole30 while on a budget and read about our experience doing the Whole30 plan with our kids.
Can you freeze crispy almond chicken breast?
Like most crusted baked chicken recipes, this doesn’t freeze well. The crispy almond crust just doesn’t stay crispy. Leftovers the next day, whether plain, added to a hash, or chopped up in a salad, are very good. But this isn’t something you’ll want to make tons of to stash in your freezer for a quick meal later.
If you need some freezer meal ideas, I recommend freezing components since they’re the most flexible later. Proteins like Sheet Pan Chicken, 15-Minute Italian Meatballs, or The Very Best Slow Cooker Carnitas are perfect for the freezer. Then you can easily mix and match them with quick side dishes like Cilantro-Lime Coleslaw, Instant Pot Brown Rice, or Root Vegetable Sauté.
Can you cook almond-crusted chicken tenders or chicken nuggets?
I’ve made this recipe with chicken breast, bone-in chicken thighs, pork chops, and boneless chicken thighs.
I really liked the boneless chicken breast cutlets best because they were so moist, but again, use whatever chicken you have on hand! You can cut the chicken into smaller pieces, or chicken tenders, but you’ll need to adjust the baking time to make sure you don’t overcook them. Always make sure to use a baking sheet lined with parchment to make cleanup easy.
Boneless chicken (or pork) will cook up pretty quickly, so I recommend putting this in the oven when everything else is about 15 minutes away from being done. I like to get the oven preheating, get the side dishes going, and then prepare the chicken. It can also sit ready to go on the pan for a little while until it’s time to go in the oven.
And if you’re looking for a homemade chicken nugget recipe, here’s what you need!
MORE QUICK DINNER RECIPES
- Easy Weeknight Stir Fry
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
- 30-Minute Cashew Chicken
- Incredible Jamaican Jerk Chicken
- Homemade Pasta Primavera
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Almond Crusted Chicken
Almond crusted chicken is full of fantastic flavor! Use whatever cut of chicken you have for this yummy dinner that’s ready fast. This naturally gluten-free breaded chicken recipe is high in protein and fits with paleo, Whole30, low-carb, and keto diets – your family will love it!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 – 1 ½ lbs chicken (I recommend boneless skinless thighs)
- ½ cup almond flour
- ⅔ cup whole almonds
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp water or milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a cooling rack on top.
- Combine the almond flour, almonds, salt, paprika, and pepper in a blender or food processor and pulse until the almonds are in small pieces (half a pea, or smaller), about 4-6 times. Make sure not to over-process, or to process for longer spurts, otherwise, the almonds will release their oils and you’ll make almond butter. Pour this into a shallow dish.
- In a separate shallow dish, crack the egg and add the water or milk. Whisk well.
- Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip the chicken into the egg wash, turning to thoroughly coat all sides. Allow the excess to drip off and then place it in the bowl with the coating. Turn the chicken and make sure all sides are coated. Place the chicken on the cooling rack and repeat this process with the remaining chicken.*
- Bake the chicken for 15-18 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Serve warm.
Notes
- If you run out of the almond coating, you can either make a small half-batch using the ratio of 2 Tbsp flour to 1 Tbsp whole almonds OR just sprinkle more almond flour into the bowl. I tend to do the latter since it’s easier.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 291
This looks amazing! Has anyone ever made it in a skillet on the stove? My oven is broken right now and we are waiting on a part! I could use the toaster oven and just do two batches, but thought a skillet might work just as well. It wold be more oily / fried, which is maybe what people are trying to avoid here, but I wondered if the coating would fall off in the oil or if it would stay and fry up nicely. I’ll let you know if I try it!
Made them tonight so yum and the chicken was still moist (I used tenders) didn’t even need sauce to dip them in.
I’m gonna try this tonight, I’ve been looking for something different to make for dinner. I like the comment that says its better than chick fa la. Thanks for the recipe.
Your site is amazing.
How long to cook as tenders?
Hi Bri, It depends on how big your tenders are! Start with an 8 minute bake time and see if the internal temp reaches 165F (the safe temperature for Chicken meat.)
Can I use unsweetened almond milk ?
Hi Amanda,
Sure you can! 🙂 Enjoy!
We had this for supper tonight, and it was delicious! I love the crunch from the almonds, and the flavor of the breading. Yummy!!
It is an awesome recipe. I like oily food. Can I add here a little bit more oil in this recipe?
You can if you’d like!
Do you cut the chicken thighs in half or leave them their normal full size?
Whichever you prefer, Lydia!
How do I get the coating not to stick to the rack? I’ve tried this twice now and when I lift the chicken the coating is stuck to the rack and I have no coating on the bottom of all my chicken thighs. I do the egg wash and then my seasoned almond flour. Second time I tried olive oil on the rack. Help!
Have you tried parchment paper?
Can you use almond flour and flaxseed meal?
That would probably work Lakesha!
Do you use raw almonds or dry roasted & salted?
My almonds are roasted and salted, but you can use whatever you have on hand. 🙂
Hi! I am a diabetic and I have to calculate Carbohydrates. I was wondering if you knew what that carbs were for the recipe?!
Hi Katie – I don’t, but you’re welcome to use an online calculator!
Can you make the breading ahead of time?
Yes!
Delicious! Reminded us of chick-a-filet but better.
That’s a high compliment – thank you Megan!
Oh my, epic fail! Pulsing 4-5 times I had whole almonds with some chunks out of them. I continued to pulse and even after more than a dozen pulses I had huge chunks. My food processor has speeds and you didnt say what speed, could that be the problem? Help, cuz this sounds and looks great – well, yours looks great – not mine.
I don’t have a food processor Cindy, but I used my Blendtec with the “pulse” button so that’s how I processed the almonds. I’ve made this many times, including just two days ago, and it takes me maybe 6-8 rounds to get them into small pieces. If you have whole chunks, stir or shake up the contents of the container so they shift around a bit. Sometimes one or two almonds can get stuck and make the whole thing not work nearly as smooth as it should.
I have the same problem so I do what I can with- well, I just have something called the bullet- but then I have to chop it up with a big knife.
We don’t have almond flour because we don’t use it. I do like almonds and I bought some for a recipe but might have gone a little over board on the almonds when I bought them. Could we just use regular flour in case we buy the almond flour and don’t like it and then what? I have a wish. When something isn’t something you have ever used, and it’s a new product or just something most people don’t use all the time, I wish they would make a trial sized box or bag or whatever of it. That way if you try it and you don’t care for it, you are only throwing away a little bit, not a whole, full sized package. Okay, I will get off of my soap box now. LOL I want to try this recipe and I do love the corn flake chicken recipe. I have made that many times but we don’t make shake and bake anymore.
You sure can Gail! And I like your wish – sample sizes would be nice. 🙂
If you don’t eat eggs you can use veganaise sp? Just add a little more liquid to it to make it runny like an egg or less runny if you prefer
I haven’t tried that substitution Laurie, but if you’ve done it before with success, it should work!
I don’t have a high powered blender. Would almond meal be a substitute for the almonds? So, using a mixture of almond meal and almond flour?
Hi Amy!
I’m sure that almond meal would work. Let us know how it comes out! 🙂
What would be a good whole 30 alternative to almonds…Just a different nut flour? I’m allergic and so many grain free recipes call for it…such a bummer.
Yes, any nut flour would work!
This looks delicious, it looks like you served with the caramelized onion swiss chard, but what is the other side with the tomatoes, that looks great as well.
Thanks Stephanie! That’s just fresh cherry tomatoes with salt and pepper! 🙂
So do you bake the chicken still on the cooling racks?
TFS
Yes! This lets air circulate underneath the chicken so you don’t have to turn it halfway through. 🙂
Hi Tiffany, so if I use the racks I do not have to turn the chicken? That would be great.
Correct!