5-Ingredient Almond Chicken Recipe: From Mundane to Marvelous

Sneak Preview: This 5-Ingredient recipe for Almond Chicken features chicken tenderloins covered with sliced almonds and bread crumbs.  A quick trip through the oven adds crunchiness and color. 

Sliced Easy Breaded Almond Chicken tenders on a plate with silverwarePin

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Do you ever find yourself craving fried chicken, like I do? The delightful crunch of lightly fried almonds and breadcrumbs, paired with tender chicken, never fails to quench my guilty cravings.

Three Reasons Why You Will Appreciate This Recipe

  1. These oven-baked almond chicken tenders are fancy enough for company.
  2. If you don’t count the salt and pepper, there are only five ingredients, making this recipe uncomplicated and easy to put together.
  3. This is a good recipe to share with friends–nothing too unusual. I learned about it when a friend brought it to me.

Happy Cooks Speak Up

“This is a great way to enjoy chicken. Thanks for sharing!”KARINE

Recipe Inspiration

The directions for this boneless almond chicken came from my friend Scooter of Scooter’s Spaghetti fame (a popular baked spaghetti recipe on this blog).  Years ago, she showed up at my house with this special treat after I had been hospitalized for a few days.

I’ve never forgotten her visit. That memory reinforces my theory that sharing recipes and prepared food can be an enduring gift.


Ingredients and Substitutions

  • CHICKEN: Skinless and boneless chicken tenders are best for this recipe. They are easier to handle than a full tenderloin. Be careful not to overcook them.
  • FLOUR: Substitute whole wheat or bleached all-purpose flour for unbleached flour. If you want to go low-carb (often for me), you can leave out this first step in the breading process, but the bread crumbs will not adhere to the chicken tenders quite as well.
  • ALMONDS: Use blanched and slivered almonds or sliced almonds (with the brown skin barely visible on the edges. Leave them out for people who have allergies or don’t like almonds.
  • BREAD CRUMBS: My first choice would be soft bread crumbs you make with a loaf of bread (in a food processor or blender). You can also use Panko crumbs.
    • Substitute almond flour for the breadcrumbs if you cook for a low-carb, gluten-free, or Keto eater.

How To Make 5-Ingredient Almond Chicken

Flatten chicken filets
Place chicken pieces between wax paper or inside a plastic bag and pound with a mallet or your fist.
Preparing to bread chicken tenderloins
Beat two eggs and place them into a shallow bowl. Combine bread crumbs and sliced almonds and place them onto a flat plate or wax paper.
dipping chicken in eggs
Dip chicken tenderloin fillets into the egg mixture.
coating tenderloins with almond and bread crumb mixture
Coat chicken pieces with almond and bread-crumb (or almond meal) mixture.
Crispy Almond Chicken Tenderloins with Keto Option
Fry in a non-stick skillet for 2-3 minutes per side until the chicken is crispy and browned. Almonds burn easily, so watch the chicken carefully in this step.

Don’t crowd pieces. Chicken is done when pieces are golden brown and cooked through.

Crunchy Breaded Almond Chicken-ready to servePin
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

FAQ About Almond Chicken

How do I make the coating stick to the chicken?

1. Dredge with seasoned flour.
2. Dip in eggs
3. Coat each side of the tenders with the crumb and almond mixture.
4. Handle the tenders with care to avoid knocking off the almonds.

How can I tell when these tenders are done and ready to eat?

The internal temperature should reach 165˚F. Check with a quick-read thermometer(paid link) if you’re not sure. Remember that the temperature will continue to rise for a few minutes after you remove them from the oven.

What can I serve with chicken tenders?

Serve these easy chicken tenders with rice or small roasted potatoes, a green vegetable like broccoli or green beans, and our favorite homemade rolls.

Parting thoughts: I hope you will try this memorable chicken recipe the next time you want to share dinner with a friend–either at your house or take it to theirs. If you like breaded chicken tenders, be sure to check out my recipe for Pan-Fried Breaded Chicken Tenders with Rosemary and Parmesan.

Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.


Crispy Almond Chicken TenderloinsPin
Yield: 6 servings

5-Ingredient Almond Chicken Recipe

This 5-Ingredient recipe for Almond Chicken features chicken tenderloins covered with sliced almonds and bread crumbs.  A quick trip through the oven adds crunchiness and color. 

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Video

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 1-1/2 pounds (680 g) boneless,skinless, chicken breasts cut into serving size filets
  • cup (40 g) unbleached, all-purpose flour
  • 2 large (100 g) eggs
  • 1 cup (108 g) fresh bread crumbs
  • 1 cup (92 g) sliced almonds
  • 4 tablespoons (56 g) avocado oil or a mild vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • With a mallet, pound 1-1/2 pounds (680 g) boneless,skinless, chicken breasts between plastic wrap or wax paper to make them uniformly thin. I like using a zippered gallon-size plastic bag to avoid any projectile chicken pieces.
  • Set up a dipping operation. Put the 1/3 cup (40 g) unbleached, all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper into a shallow container.
  • Mix 2 large (100 g) eggs well with a fork and put them into another shallow container. Combine 1 cup (108 g) fresh bread crumbs and 1 cup (92 g) sliced almonds in a third shallow container.
  • Dredge each chicken tender in the flour mixture first, then the eggs. Finally, roll in the bread crumb/almond mixture.
  • Sauté in a frying pan with 4 tablespoons (56 g) avocado oil. Brown briefly for about 2-3 minutes per side. Do not crowd the pan for the best results. Better to do two batches, using the remaining oil for the second batch.
  • Place browned tenders into a greased baking dish large enough for all fillets to fit in one layer.
  • Bake at 375˚F (190˚C) for 15 minutes until baked through. (165˚F or 174˚C) internal temperature).

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 497kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 506mg | Potassium: 435mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 3mg

All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com

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12 Comments

  1. Ann Hastings says:

    I am going to have to make this soon, looks yummy!

  2. I think this would go great with your pumpkin biscuits. Talk about southern cooking. Thanks for reminding me of one of my favorite recipes and for making me sound like a great cook. 🙂

  3. That is a great way to enjoy chicken. Thanks for sharing!

  4. Kitchen Butterfly says:

    I love almond covered chicken. Usually, I flour and roll chicken strips in a mixture of ground almonds and dessicated coconut and the serve them on a bed of greens!

  5. Fresh Local and Best says:

    This is a great recipe, and I agree fancy and easy! I’m filing it away for the next time we have chicken, which will be soon!

  6. this looks yummy, as do all of your things. Kudos to you for doing a posting while out of town!

  7. COZY KITCHEN BY THE SEA says:

    OOOOOOO HOW COOL. I ADORE VINCE GILL !