Simple and easy to make, these nut-crusted chicken tenders are a lovely weeknight meal. A fine crunchy coating is made with hazelnuts and almonds which is a lovely contrast to the tender juicy chicken and spinach.
You are going to love this dish. Chicken tenders are breaded in a delicious nut crust and pan-fried in coconut oil until perfectly crispy on the outside but still juicy on the inside. With a brief list of ingredients, you’ll have this meal on your table in less than 30 minutes.
While in classic recipes, you’ll always see flour listed in the ingredients, this recipe doesn’t require any flour. Simply coat the chicken tenders firstly with egg and then press them into the nut mixture. That helps the nuts stick to the meat and form those nice crunchy clusters.
Hazelnuts and almonds
Nut coating is simply a great alternative to the classic breadcrumbs. And, it is the best way how to get the maximum crunch. This crunch is a must-have. Trust me. It is made with hazelnuts and almonds, which are only shortly blended until rough pieces form.
Besides adding a lovely texture to the chicken, the crust is full of flavour, too. Almonds and hazelnuts are roughly grounded and the real flavour pops out only after being cooked to a golden crispy crust. So good. Of course, you can use any other nuts, such as cashews, pecans or macadamias. Moreover, they taste delicious also as a topping of a salad or any meat or fish. Check out this chickpea spinach stuffed mushroom recipe, as well.
Moreover, I pan-fried them. But, instead of frying oil and deep-frying them, I fried them in one spoon of coconut oil. As a result, they weren’t greasy at all. And, the nutty crust got very crunchy and flavourful. Yummy.
I like to serve chicken and meat in general along with some vegetables on a side. For instance, with steamed cauliflower or broccoli, asparagus, a simple lettuce salad or any roasted vegetables. However, feel free to pair it with roasted or mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes or pumpkin too. So delicious.
This time, I paired them with simple spinach, and quickly sautèed on some coconut oil. And, I added some chickpeas as well.
Ingredients for two portions of nut-crusted chicken tenders:
- 400 g fresh spinach
- coconut oil (1 tsp + 1 Tbsp)
- 2 Tbsp of chickpeas (canned)
- 100 g hazelnuts (skinless)
- 100 g almonds (skinless)
- sea salt
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 30 ml milk
- 400 g chicken tenders
To begin, rinse the spinach. In a pan, melt one teaspoon of coconut oil, add the spinach (you might add in multiple batches), cover with a lid and let it wilt. At the end, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, add the chickpeas and keep warm.
Furthermore, place hazelnuts and almonds in a food processor and pulse a couple of times until rough pieces form. Transfer them to a shallow plate and add a pinch of salt.
Afterwards, in a smaller bowl, beat one egg and stir in the milk. Then, dip each chicken tender into the beaten egg mixture, lay it on the nut mixture, coat it with it and press to make the nuts stick to it. Place on the side until you coated all of the pieces.
In a larger pan, melt one tablespoon of coconut oil. Once melted, lay in the chicken tenders, trying not to overcrowd. Cook, on medium-high, for 5-6 minutes on both sides or until golden brown. Sprinkle with sea salt.
Finally, serve the nut-crusted chicken tenders with spinach and chickpeas on the side. It makes a wonderful midweek lunch or dinner.
Enjoy.
