Roasted Almond Chicken with Lemon Mayo

 

This Roasted Almond Chicken with the Lemon Mayo is very similar to a recipe I tried a while back from a Hello Fresh Box.   I took the best parts of that recipe which I enjoyed and combined it with inspiration from this recipe that I had bookmarked from a site named  The Kitchen Fairy called Almond Crusted Chicken Breasts.

Both recipes were fabulous and combined together they became something exceptional.

 

The end result is a very simple recipe, that goes together very quickly using simple ingredients.  I also chose to downsize things to make only two servings.  You can very easily double them to make more servings. 

I also chose to make a lemon mayo for dipping rather than a honey mustard sauce, having just had a honey mustard chicken recently.  The lemon mayo dipping sauce is fresh and zingy, the perfect contrast to that toasty, nutty coated, juicy and tender chicken!  The two together are perfection! 

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ROASTED ALMOND CHICKEN WITH LEMON MAYO

A few simple ingredients. Nothing outrageous and nothing complicated with this. I am betting you have everything in the house to make this right now!

For the chicken:

• 2 medium sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 3 TBS flaked almonds
• 1/2 TBS Dijon mustard
• 1 TBS mayonnaise
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
• a bit of oil

For the Lemon Mayo:

• 3 TBS of good quality mayonnaise
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• salt and black pepper to taste

To serve:

• fresh lemon wedges

I used medium sized boneless skinless chicken breasts. I like to buy the free from breasts that I find at the Super Store here in NS.  They do cost a bit more than the others, and lets face it, chicken is no longer an inexpensive option.  But I do think they have more taste than the others and a much nicer texture. The other ones always seem tough.

I used Hellman's mayonnaise.  It is the best prepared mayonnaise out there, at least where I live anyways. And I was just reading an article that said it was Julia Child's preferred mayo, so if it was good enough for Julia, then its good enough for me!

You don't necessarily have to use flaked almonds, but they will chop much easier than whole almonds.  They are already thin, so they give the best texture. AND, DO toast them before chopping them for the best flavor!

Make sure you use garlic powder and NOT garlic salt.

Wash your lemon really well before using and dry it off.  This makes sure that any pesticides or bug dirt is totally removed.

 

HOW TO MAKE ROASTED ALMOND CHICKEN WITH LEMON MAYO

This is a lot easier to make than one would suppose. The fact that the almond coating is applied after the chicken is browned and before it is roasted really makes sure that the coating sticks to the chicken!

Preheat the oven to 450*F/230*C/ gas mark 7. Butter a small baking dish.

Pour the almonds into a dry skillet. Toast them over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Remove to a bowl and set aside to cool.

Slice the chicken breasts in half, leaving them intact along 1 inch of the thick edge. Open like a book and season them to taste on both sides with salt, pepper and the garlic powder.

 

Heat a small amount of oil in a the skillet. Add the chicken breasts, top side down and sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip over and sear the other side, another 2 minutes. Remove from the skillet and place next to each other in the baking dish.

Finely chop the almonds and mix together in a bowl with the mustard, mayonnaise, and lemon zest. Add some pepper. Spread this almond mixture on top of the chicken.

 

Roast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

To make the lemon mayonnaise, whisk all of the ingredients together until well combined.

Divide the chicken between two heated plates and serve each with a small bowl of lemon mayonnaise for dipping and a lemon wedge for squeezing.

 

This was really delicious. The chicken was tender and moist and I loved the crispy almond coating. It had beautiful flavor and went so well with the other flavors.  Who doesn't love a bit of crunchy coating on chicken!

I also loved that zesty lemon mayonnaise. It was rich and lemony and was the perfect contrast to the chicken.  Both of them together were simply just delicious!

Yes, that is the same vegetable side that I enjoyed with my steak yesterday.  I had to use them up.

Got chicken breasts and are looking for something a little bit different than this recipe to do with them. Why not consider the following?

PAN FRIED CHICKEN WITH SAGE, GARLIC AND LEMON - One thing I really love about this recipe are the flavors.  Earthy herby fresh sage. Tart acidic lemon. Creamy, nutty garlic.  Rich butter. All wonderful flavors and when combined with the mild flavor of chicken, its a fabulous taste combo that can't be beat!

GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE - Chimichurri Sauce may not be a sauce you are familiar with. Its a lovely lush and spicy sauce which hails from Argentina. Its deliciously created from fresh herbs, vinegar, seasonings, red pepper flakes and plenty of garlic, and there is not much it doesn't go with! In this recipe, some of it is inserted between the flesh and the skin of the chicken prior to grilling. More of  the delicious sauce is served with the finished chicken.

Yield: 2 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Roasted Almond Chicken with Lemon Mayo

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Tender and juicy chicken with a flavorful crispy almond topping. Serve with the optional Lemon Mayo for dipping.

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 2 medium sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 3 TBS flaked almonds
• 1/2 TBS Dijon mustard
• 1 TBS mayonnaise
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
• a bit of oil

For the Lemon Mayo:

• 3 TBS of good quality mayonnaise
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• salt and black pepper to taste

To serve:

• fresh lemon wedges

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450*F/230*C/ gas mark 7. Butter a small baking dish.
2. Pour the almonds into a dry skillet. Toast them over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Remove to a bowl and set aside to cool.
3. Slice the chicken breasts in half, leaving them intact along 1 inch of the thick edge. Open like a book and season them to taste on both sides with salt, pepper and the garlic powder.
4. Heat a small amount of oil in a the skillet. Add the chicken breasts, top side down and sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip over and sear the other side, another 2 minutes. Remove from the skillet and place next to each other in the baking dish.
5. Finely chop the almonds and mix together in a bowl with the mustard, mayonnaise, and lemon zest. Add some pepper. Spread this almond mixture on top of the chicken.
6. Roast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
7. To make the lemon mayonnaise, whisk all of the ingredients together until well combined.
8. Divide the chicken between two heated plates and serve each with a small bowl of lemon mayonnaise for dipping and a lemon wedge for squeezing.

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