Paleo Almond Crusted Chicken

Lean proteins are an important part of the Paleo diet, but after a couple weeks eating chicken breasts can get a bit tiresome. Then inspiration stuck and I created Paleo Almond Crusted Chicken. The almonds provide this meal with extra protein, and they make the chicken extra crunchy. Charles said that it reminded him of fried chicken. It is more fun than the simply baked chicken breasts that many consider to be a staple of the Paleo diet.

I accidentally purchased chicken that was marinated in Italian dressing (these things happen when your neighborhood grocery store closes and you do your grocery shopping online), but it tasted great with the pecans. If you don’t have time, you can skip the step of marinating the chicken.

This chicken would be great on a salad. I would put this chicken on a spinach salad with goat cheese, dried cranberries, and a light vinaigrette dressing.

Serves: 2
Total Time: 45 minutes (plus marinate overnight)

You will need:
1 pound Chicken Breasts
1 cup Italian Marinade or Dressing
1 cup sliced raw Almonds
1 Egg
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Step 1:
Decide if you want to cook chicken breasts or make chicken tenders. If you would like to make chicken tenders, cut the chicken into strips. Place the chicken in a glass container, and pour the marinade over. Refrigerate overnight.

Step 2:
Take the chicken out of the fridge. Heat your oven to 300 degrees. Then place the almonds in a blender. Use the chop setting to turn the almonds into large crumbs.

Step 3:
Whisk the egg in a shallow bowl. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Pour the crushed almonds into a shallow bowl, season with a dash of salt and pepper. Roll the chicken in the almonds, then in the egg, and then back in the almonds. Then place the chicken in the skillet.

Step 4:
Once the first side has browned, flip it over, and add one more tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Once the second side of the chicken has browned, place it in a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Cook until the chicken reaches 170 degrees.