Pistachio Crusted Chicken (with Bonus Sauce!)
This Pistachio Crusted Chicken is crispy and bursting with flavour. It's served with a super easy honey mustard cream sauce too!
Servings: 4
Cost: £3 / $4
Equipment
- 3 Large Shallow Dishes (for dredging)
- Food Processor (for pistachio crumb)
- Baking Tray & Wire Rack or Frying Pan & Tongs (for cooking)
- Small Pan or Pot (for sauce)
- Zester/Fine Grater (for lemon zest)
- Small Bowl (for combining honey/mustard)
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Ingredients
Pistachio Crusted Chicken
- 2 large Chicken Breasts, butterflied right through the centre to make 4 even sized breasts
- 1 cup / 120g Shelled Pistachios, preferably unsalted
- 1/3 cup / 70g Plain/All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup / 30g Panko Breadcrumbs (see notes)
- 1 small Lemon, zest only
- 1 sprig of Fresh Rosemary, leaves only
- 1 Egg, beaten
- Olive Oil (for frying, or oil spray for baking)
- Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
Honey Mustard Cream Sauce
- 1/2 cup / 120ml Heavy/Double Cream, at room temp
- 1/2 cup / 120ml Chicken Stock
- 2 tbsp EACH: Honey, Dijon Mustard
- 1 Shallot, finely diced
- 1 clove of Garlic, finely diced
- 1-2 sprigs of Fresh Thyme
- Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prep
- Honey Mustard: In a small pot combine 2 tbsp honey with 2 tbsp dijon mustard. Place to one side.
- Pistachio Crumb: In a food processor, add pistachios, rosemary and lemon zest. Pulse until a crumb like texture. Place to one side.
- Prep: Line up 3 large shallow dishes - the first is flour with a hefty pinch of salt and pepper, the second is beaten egg combined with 1 tbsp of the honey mustard mix, and the third is Panko mixed with the pistachio crumb and a hefty pinch of salt and pepper.
- Dredge: One by one, coat the chicken in the flour, then the egg, then finally into the pistachio crumb. Be sure to fully coat at each stage, namely the last one.
Cook
- Bake: Place chicken on a wire rack above a tray and bake in the oven at 200C/390F for 15-20mins, or until deep golden and piping hot through the centre. Timings will depend on the thickness of the chicken, just be vigilant if the crumb starts to char. If this happens just lower the heat slightly.
- Or Fry: Add a couple of tbsp of olive oil to a non-stick pan over medium heat. Place chicken in and fry both sides until deep golden and piping hot through the centre. You may need to do this in two batches.
Honey Mustard Cream Sauce
- Sauté shallots until translucent and fragrant. Add garlic and fry for a minute or so longer. Pour in the rest of the honey mustard mix, then stir in chicken stock, cream, thyme and salt & pepper. Reduce to a simmer until it thickens, stirring occasionally (5-7mins).
Video
Notes
a) Pistachios - I used a 200g bag of shelled unsalted pistachios from Tesco (UK) for £2, which for pistachios is very reasonable! It just means you have the slightly tedious task of de-shelling the pistachios. Most supermarkets will sell shelled pistachios, just a slightly higher price.
b) Panko Breadcrumbs - These are great because they're so big and airy, meaning they help the chicken crisp up. The pistachio crumbs fills in the gaps between the large crumbs so it works perfectly. You'll find them in most regular supermarkets in the Asian section.
c) Do I have to use Breadcrumbs? - I have made this without the breadcrumbs and it still works well, just not as crispy. You'll have to make up the 30g/1oz in pistachios.
d) What to serve with Pistachio Crusted Chicken - Roasted Baby Potatoes or Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Asparagus or Green Beans! Check out all my Sides for inspo :)
e) Calories - whole recipe (with sauce) divided by 4, assuming the breasts are baked:
Nutrition
Calories: 588kcal | Carbohydrates: 37.6g | Protein: 42.17g | Fat: 30.7g | Saturated Fat: 9.876g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.81g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12.163g | Trans Fat: 0.014g | Cholesterol: 181mg | Sodium: 274mg | Potassium: 887mg | Fiber: 4.5g | Sugar: 13.29g | Vitamin A: 673IU | Vitamin C: 7.1mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 3.27mg