Coconut & Almond Crusted Chicken

Who doesn’t love hot, crispy, golden-brown fried chicken? I definitely do enjoy this classic comfort food, but I love it even more when I know it hasn’t been deep fried in an unknown oil and doused in nutrient-lacking white flour.

 

Baking chicken in the oven with the right components can result in the same crispy coating we expect from frying. I’m not saying that covering chicken in almonds and coconut is exactly like the fried chicken we grew up with–but it’s crunchy, delicious, and way better for you. Plus, I double-dipped the chicken in an egg coating–which makes for double the crispy outer layer.

 

I think most people have come around to accepting nuts as a source of good-for-you fats, but I also believe that unsweetened coconut can be a healthy addition to a diet too. Coconut tends to get a bad reputation because of its high saturated fat content. But it’s mainly made of medium-chain triglycerides, which are metabolized differently than some other fats and doesn’t participate in the creation of cholesterol. If you get the kind coated in sugar, I wouldn’t make claims to it’s healthfulness, but I’d probably say that about most foods covered in sugar that also have a high fat content!

 

So here it is….oven-fried chicken that will make you forget that there exists another way to make hot and crispy chicken.

[print_this]

{Coconut & Almond Crusted Chicken}

This crunchy baked chicken is gluten-free, paleo-approved, diabetic-friendly, and overall just delicious (even if you aren’t following a particular diet). It tastes great dipped in a little honey mustard too.

 

Servings: 4

 

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breasts–boneless, skinless, with extra fat removed

3/4 cup almonds

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp chili powder

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

 

Directions

1. Cut chicken in 1 inch thick strips.

2. Combine almonds and spices in food processor and pulse until almonds are finely grated.

3. Set up 3 bowls for coating the chicken: 1 for the eggs, 1 for the coconut, and 1 for the almond spice mixture.

4. Dip each chicken strip first in the eggs, then coat with almonds, then re-dip in eggs, and finally coat with shredded coconut and place on a large greased cookie sheet. Double-dipping in the eggs makes for a super crispy crust!

5. Bake at 375 F for 30-40 minutes, flipping halfway through.

[/print_this]

 

 

Nutrition info per serving: 330 calories, 21 g fat (5 g sat fat), 32 g pro, 2 g carb, 4 g fiber