This juicy chicken breast goes against the grain by being coated in crunchy pistachios. This chicken is nothing like you’d expect from a simple but boring boneless, skinless chicken breast recipe labeled “healthy.” This air fryer chicken is also whole 30, paleo, and gluten-free!
So, let’s start with this recipe.
Why Air Fryer Pistachio Crusted Chicken is healthier?
Because of the added nutrients, these pistachio-crusted chicken breasts are healthier than traditional breadcrumb-crusted chicken.
Pistachios have a lot of health benefits, including a lot of unsaturated fats, fiber, and protein. According to some studies, pistachios can reduce the amount of fat and sugar in your blood.
Furthermore, the crust in this dish is naturally gluten-free and low-carb, making it an excellent choice for those on a Keto, Paleo, or gluten-free diet.
How to make Pistachio Crusted Chicken in Air Fryer
This juicy and crispy pistachio chicken in the air fryer only requires four ingredients.
• Breast of Chicken: You can also use chicken cutlets, tenders, or thighs.
• Pistachios: Look for unshelled, raw, and unsalted varieties. Unshelled for easier preparation. Because you’ll season it to taste, it should be natural and unsalted.
• Mustard from Dijon: You can also use egg wash or mayonnaise. For the most flavor, I recommend Dijon mustard.
• Seasoning: Dried herbs and spices honey mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and S&P If you’re on a whole30/keto diet, this sauce is optional, but it’s a nice complement to the Dijon mustard in this chicken recipe. The honey mustard recipe is my favorite, but any kind will do.
Directions to make Pistachio Crusted Chicken in Air Fryer
• To begin, grind your pistachios into a fine powder. You don’t want it too fine because you want some texture, but you do want it coarsely ground. A food processor, smoothie blender, or high-powered blender can be used.
• In a pinch, you can crush your pistachios with a coffee grinder or a resealable bag and rolling pin.
• Stir the seasonings into the ground pistachios to combine.
• To save time when it’s dinnertime, prepare the first two steps 1-2 days ahead and store them in an airtight container.
• Brush chicken breasts with Dijon mustard (or egg wash or mayonnaise) and roll in seasoned ground pistachios.
• Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes to ensure that the coating adheres to the chicken and does not flake away.
• Cook for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees F, then flip and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
• Serve with your favorite side dish; I like a good side salad, Parmesan, asparagus, or simple roasted broccoli.
You can also check out the following video to know more about Air Fryer Pistachio Crusted Chicken.
Nutritional Information
| Calories | 332kcal |
| Fat | 31g |
| Protein | 58g |
| Fiber | 3g |
| Sodium | 672 mg |
| Potassium | 352 mg |
| Iron | 1 mg |
| Sugar | 3g |
How to Cook Pistachio-Crusted Chicken in an Oven?
If you don’t have an air fryer, this chicken breast can be easily made in the oven. You’ll do the same prep steps as before, but instead of using an air fryer, you’ll bake them.
• Preheat the oven to 425 °F. Cook the chicken for 16 to 20 minutes in the oven.
• When the temperature reaches 165 degrees F, remove from the oven.
Tips to make the best Pistachio Crusted Chicken
• This recipe calls for pistachios without shells. I’d suggest chopping them in a food processor. They won’t stick to the chicken breast if you chop them too thin. However, if you want to be able to tell you’re using pistachios and keep some of their green colors, don’t process them too finely.
• If you prefer any type of breadcrumb, feel free to use it. If you use plain breadcrumbs, consider adding more seasonings to your mix for a full-flavored breading.
• For this recipe, I prefer boneless skinless chicken breasts. Boneless chicken thighs would also work, but make sure to trim away any visible fat first.
• Cook in batches if making more than two chicken breasts to avoid overcrowding the air fryer.
How can you store Pistachio Crusted Chicken?
You can Refrigerate leftover chicken for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
To freeze: Air fryer pistachio-crusted chicken can also be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. All you would have to do is to thaw the chicken overnight in the refrigerator before reheating them.
To warm up: Warm leftovers in an air fryer or oven at 350 °F for 5 minutes.
Will the Pistachios stick to the Chicken in the absence of an egg?
Yes, the pistachios will still stick to chicken without any eggs.
Because this is a method I’ve used for years, using either nuts or breadcrumbs, and they stick perfectly without any additional help. It’s much lighter than using egg and flour.
When using this method, keep in mind that the crumbs must be dry, so avoid using any olive oil or oil of any kind, and don’t be tempted to add anything as it might add moistness to the crumbs.
If you do, you’ll need something to help the crumbs stick, such as lightly brushing the chicken with mustard first, which will also completely change the flavor.
Can Chicken breast be stacked in the Air fryer?
No, chicken breast cannot be stacked in the air fryer.
Stacking anything in the air fryer is not recommended. It prevents anything from becoming crispy or cooking correctly.
Is it necessary to flip Chicken breasts in the Air fryer?
Yes, it is necessary to flip the chicken breast in the air fryer for proper cooking.
After 10 minutes, you must flip them over to ensure that the chicken breasts are cooked evenly.
For how long to cook Chicken Breasts in an Air Fryer?
I cook my boneless, skinless chicken breasts for 10 minutes at 380 °F before flipping and cooking for another 5-6 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 °F.
Conclusion
- In this summary,
- Do not chop the pistachios too finely because they will not adhere to the chicken breast.
- Make sure that there is no moisture in the pistachio crumbs to make them stick nicely to the chicken pieces.
- Chicken should be cooked in the air fryer until its internal temperature reaches 165° F.
- Cook in batches if making more than two chicken breasts to avoid overcrowding the air fryer.
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