Walnut Crusted Chicken is a healthier alternative to your typical fried chicken. This rosemary chicken recipe is packed full of flavor and crunch! The whole family will fall in love with this Walnut Crusted Chicken!
Walnut Crusted Chicken is a crunchy, oven-baked chicken with a zesty yogurt dipping sauce. Perfect for those craving crispy chicken cutlets, but without the fat.
A few weeks back, California Walnuts sent me a little note asking if I’d like to try their product and, of course, I accepted because I love walnuts! One interesting fact I learned before my burlap bag of walnuts arrived was that they actually stay fresh longer when refrigerated. I had no idea!
How many walnuts have sat on my pantry shelves in plastic baggies that may not have lived up to their full potential? Who knows!?
Walnuts are also rich with omega-3 fatty acids and have been linked to better brain functioning and lower risks of a variety of cancers.
Super simple to incorporate into any diet, they can be used in baked goods, tossed into salads or eaten plain by the handful! I had some fun perusing through the California Walnuts website to find other fun recipes and also see how walnuts are harvested.
Walnut Crusted Chicken is a “skinny” version of a classic chicken cutlet. Instead of using breadcrumbs and then pan frying in olive oil and butter, I opted for finely chopped walnuts with whole wheat panko crumbs and fresh rosemary. Then baked to perfection with no additional oils.
Paired together, rosemary and walnuts give the chicken a fresh and earthy flavor combination that no bread crumb will ever achieve. The other benefit is that walnuts do not get soggy, so your chicken will never lose the crunch factor, even if you are eating leftovers.
Although Walnut Crusted Chicken does not need much additional flavor, I added an “aioli” for a little but of intrigue and cream. Instead of using mayonnaise, I opted for plain Greek yogurt mixed with fresh lemon, salt and pepper. Simple and fresh.
Very basic, but very good, and it is great on a whole host of other foods such as roasted or grilled vegetables, turkey burgers and salmon. I even use it as a salad dressing.
More easy chicken recipes:
Chicken Marsala Recipe
Spatchcock Chicken Recipe
Pressure Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
Walnut Crusted Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
Walnut Crusted Chicken:
- 4 chicken breasts , boneless and skinless
- 1 3/4 cup walnuts , finely chopped
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs*
- 1/3 cup fresh rosemary , finely chopped
- 2 eggs , lightly beaten
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Cooking Spray
Lemon Yogurt Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
- Zest of one lemon
- Juice of one lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Dash of black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut each breast in half, then place on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap or wax paper. Beat with a meat mallet until 1/2 inch uniform thickness.
- Arrange three shallow bowls on the counter. In the first bowl, combine walnuts, rosemary and panko. In the second, lightly beaten eggs and the third, flour mixed with fine sea salt and pepper.
- Lightly dredge each breast halve in flour, then egg and finally walnut mixture. Pat in walnuts to make sure you get a good, even coat. Place in a single layer in prepared baking dishes. Repeat with all chicken.
- Bake chicken for approximately 20 minutes. For the last 2 minutes, change to a low broil to get a nice brown on top.
- While chicken is cooking, whisk together all ingredients for Lemon Yogurt Sauce in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Remove chicken from oven and serve immediately. Sauce can be served on the side or directly on top of the chicken.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was!
I adore walnuts baked into brownies.
I wish I had brownies with walnuts right now!
Honestly, I just like eating walnuts straight up as a quick easy healthy snack.
I agree. I keep a bag in my office desk.
his looks really good Jessica. I’ve used crushed pecans in breading, but not walnuts. The combination with the lemon sounds great. I’ll need to try this soon.
I love pecans in breading as well!
I love this recipe! Entered the giveaway, hope to win! <3
Great! Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks Aunt Bee!!!!
Great Recipe! Might try it with Fish too! Seems so versatile! Great Post!
Oh yes.. probably a heavy fish, like salmon or halibut. Walnuts are pretty heavy. I know for a fact that the lemon sauce is great on fish and shellfish!!!
I love walnuts on cheese balls 🙂
Good idea!!!
I like to put walnuts in quick breads, in salads, and right out of the bag.
Yummy!
I’ve been wanting to crust chicken with some kind of nut for a couple of weeks now. I’m leaning towards cashews, but walnuts could be tasty, too.
Cashews would also be a good choice! I might try mixing the ingredients with Asian spices, maybe some dried chile’s in the crust and Chinese Five Spice powder in the yogurt sauce?
I love walnuts toasted and on the top of salads. But I also like them in breads, cookies and brownies. They are my favorite nut
Me too! Any baked good is better with some walnut crunch!
I love walnuts anyway, usually eaten straight fro the bag!
It is a great, health snack!