almond-crusted chicken breasts
This nut topping comes together in minutes and keeps roasted chicken breasts tender and juicy in the oven. Serve with a green vegetable steamed in the microwave , and your meal is ready in 20 minutes!Serves 4
½ cup unsalted almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¾ teaspoon dried rosemary
1 garlic clove
¼ teaspoon salt
4 (4 to 5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Preheat the oven to 425 *F
In the work bowl of a food processor, place the almonds, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, rosemary, garlic, and salt. Process until coarsely chopped; the mixture will be a thick paste.
Arrange the chicken breast halves in a baking dish. Divide the almond paste and spread on the breasts; pat down to cover each breast completely.
Roast in the oven until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer reads 165* to 170 *F, about 10 minutes. Loosely tent with foil and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Tips:
· Make sure poultry is plump and pliable.
· The skin should be opaque, not spotted.
· If purchasing frozen chicken, make sure it’s frozen solid and has no freezer burn. Avoid chicken that has frozen liquid in the package, which indicates it has been frozen, defrosted, and refrozen.
· You can cook it with the skin on so it remains moist, but- and you know this already- avoid eating the skin. It’s full of saturated fats and unwanted extra calories.
Calories: 293.3 kcal
Fat: 17.4g
Protein: 30.0g
Carbohydrates: 4.3g
Sodium: 194.2mg
