Almond Chicken
Chicken breasts: easy to cook, easy to freeze. I know I’ve said that before, but I can’t help but repeat it!
A while ago I was looking for something to cook for dinner. We were just getting back from vacation, I was getting ready to head out for a business trip later that afternoon, and our fridge was basically bare.
With no time to run to the grocery store (and, admittedly, even on a non-travel week I don’t meal plan), it’s times like this when having options like frozen chicken in the freezer can be your best friend.
So, I dug in, found a package of frozen chicken breasts and some sliced almonds and thought, This could make for an interesting meal…
Typically you can find a good deal on a package of chicken breasts at the local grocery store (or even via local farmers at the farmers’ market) every couple of weeks. When I see those lower prices I buy a couple packs and freeze them, two breasts to a bag.
Freezing in smaller quantities means it’s easier to thaw them, and your uses can be more versatile — two could be plenty for fajitas, but maybe four is what you need for grilling out. Sometimes even the packs that come with individually wrapped chicken breasts (talk about easy freezing!) are on sale for a dollar or two off. Buy them.
We’re talking about chicken breasts here, but I do this with chicken thighs, beef and pork roasts, pork chops, and ground meats, too.
Back to the current meal dilemma at hand. Almonds make for a nice crunchy coating without too overpowering of a nutty flavor. And if you have someone who needs to nix gluten from his or her life, try almond flour instead of the all-purpose I used during the dredge.
With cooking time under 15 fifteen minutes, chicken breasts are great for a busy weeknight (like you, I have SO many of those). These are a winner.
- 4 boneless chicken breasts (pat them dry with a paper towel)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds, crushed
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and dried parsley. Whisk the eggs and milk together in a bowl and set aside.
- Lightly coat both sides of the chicken breasts in flour, dip each in the egg mixture, and then gently coat both sides with the crushed almonds. Set them aside on a plate.
- Add the canola oil and butter to a large skillet set over medium to medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted and starts to look foamy, place the chicken breasts in the skillet. Let them cook for 4 minutes (don’t touch!), flip each, and then continue cooking the chicken breasts for another 4 minutes.
- Remove the seared almond chicken breasts and let them rest for 2 minutes before serving.
