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This nut and seed chicken is encrusted with macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, and panko breadcrumbs. The macadamia sunflower-crusted chicken is shallow fried, resulting in a deliciously crisp cutlet. The nut and seed chicken is topped with an easy homemade honey mustard sauce, for one flavorful chicken dish.
Nut and seed crust
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For this nut and seed-crusted chicken, I used macadamia nuts and sunflower seeds. Add them to a food processor and pulse about 20 times until the nuts and seeds are finely chopped into a coarse meal.
After pulsing the nut and seeds, add them to a plate and add the panko breadcrumbs. The panko breadcrumbs in combination with the nut and seeds will give you the perfect coverage of breading on the chicken. The panko gets in between the larger nuts and seeds, for a more consistent breading.
Prepping the chicken
- Cut and separate the two chicken breasts . Using a sharp chef’s knife, press your hand on top of the breast to secure it, then cut down the middle.
- Repeat with second breast, so you should have 4 pieces of chicken breast total.
- Once the breasts have been cut in half, cover with saran wrap. Pound the chicken to even thinness, so it will cook evenly later.
- Season both sides of the chicken cutlets with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Breading station
Have your breading station set up: nut seed breading, flour, and beaten eggs. When breading chicken I always have a “dry” hand and a “wet” hand. Dry hand handles the chicken in the flour and breadcrumbs, the wet hand handles it in the egg wash. This way you don’t get a ton of breading stuck to your fingers.
- Place first chicken cutlet into the flour, ensuring it gets fully coated.
- Give it a light shake, so the excess flour can fall off. You want to avoid thick clumps of flour on the chicken.
- Next, add the floured chicken cutlet to the egg wash. Dip both sides so it completely covers the flour.
- After the egg wash, place the cutlet into the nut seed breadcrumb mixture.
- Use your fingers to gently press the breading into the cutlet, so it is fully covered and no open gaps appear. Flip and repeat on other side of cutlet.
- You should have a fully encrusted chicken cutlet. Repeat with remaining cutlets. Due to the egg wash and the nuts, if your breading mixture is becoming too damp, add some more panko to the mix.
Shallow frying chicken cutlets
When shallow frying, I typically use canola or peanut oil. You only need enough to cover half of the chicken cutlet, so it will depend on the size of your cooking vessel. I use a frying thermometer to bring the temperature to 350F, once to temperature, carefully add the chicken cutlet to the hot oil.
Shallow frying tips
- Shallow fry the chicken cutlet for about 2-3 minutes until golden brown, then flip and repeat on the other side. When shallow frying, always flip the chicken away from you so if the oil splashes accidentally, it doesn’t splash at you.
- Once the chicken cutlet is done frying, add to a rack or paper towel lined plate for excess oil to drain.
- The internal temperature should be 165F.
- Keep an eye on the temperature of the oil, as the oil dwindles, the temperature can get too hot and the nuts will burn. Lower or adjust oil as necessary during frying.
Baking the chicken
If you do not want to shallow fry, you can bake the chicken in the oven. Preheat oven to 425F, line the baking sheet with foil and insert a cooling rack sprayed with non-stick spray. Place the breaded nut and seed chicken on the rack and bake 15-20 min until 165F. If the nuts begin to burn in the oven, tent with foil until done cooking. I will say, the cutlet did not get as crisp as shallow frying.
Honey mustard sauce
Honey, dijon mustard, and lemon juice is all it takes to make homemade honey mustard. This honey mustard sauce is so easy and so flavorful. Add the ingredients to a bowl and whisk until fully combined. Store the honey mustard in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If there is separation, whisk again before serving.
Nut and seed chicken
To serve, drizzle the homemade honey mustard over the top of the nut and seed crusted chicken. I also serve additional honey mustard on the side, because it’s just that addicting.
If you are not serving right away, wait to drizzle the honey mustard on the chicken or the breading will get soggy. I hope you enjoy this nut and seed crusted chicken with homemade honey mustard sauce!
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Nut and Seed Chicken
Ingredients
Nut and Seed Chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast (cut into cutlets and pounded thin (see in post for cutting chicken))
- 1 cup macadamia nuts
- 1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup Italian panko breadcrumbs
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 3 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 2 cups peanut or canola oil for frying
Honey Mustard Sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
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Equipment
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Instructions
- In a food processor, add the macadamia nuts and sunflower seeds. Pulse about 20 times until nuts are finely chopped. Pour the chopped nut and seeds onto a plate and add the panko bread crumbs. Mix until fully combined.
- Once your chicken is cut into cutlets, cover with saran wrap and pound thin to even thickness, so they will cook evenly. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on each side.
- In a dutch oven or fry safe vessel, add the canola or peanut oil. You only need enough to cover half of the thickness of the chicken cutlet, so it will depend on the size of your cooking vessel. Over medium heat, bring the temperature to 350F using a fry safe thermometer.
- To bread the chicken, first place chicken cutlet into the flour, ensuring it gets fully coated on both sides. Give it a light shake, so the excess flour can fall off (you want to avoid thick clumps of flour on the chicken). Next, dip both sides into the egg wash, so it completely covers the flour. Allow it to drip the excess off for a few seconds, then into the nut and seed mixture. Use your fingers to gently press the breading into the cutlet, so it is fully covered and no open gaps appear. Flip and repeat on other side of cutlet. Repeat with remaining cutlets. Due to the egg wash and the nuts, if your breading mixture is becoming too damp, add some more panko to the mix.
- Once to temperature, carefully add the chicken cutlet to the hot oil. Shallow fry the chicken cutlet for about 2-3 minutes until golden brown, then flip and repeat on the other side. When shallow frying, always flip the chicken away from you so if the oil splashes accidentally, it doesn’t splash at you.
- Once the chicken cutlet is done frying, add to a rack or paper towel lined plate for excess oil to drain. The internal temperature should be 165F. Sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt on the chicken cutlet once it is done cooking. Repeat with remaining cutlets.
- For the honey mustard sauce, in a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until fully combined.
- To serve, drizzle the homemade honey mustard over the top of the nut and seed crusted chicken. I also serve additional sauce on the side to dip. If you are not serving right away, wait to drizzle the honey mustard on the chicken or the breading will get soggy.
Notes
Breading Chicken
- When breading chicken I always have a "dry" hand and a "wet" hand. Dry hand handles the chicken in the flour and breadcrumbs, the wet hand handles it in the egg wash. This way you don’t get a ton of breading stuck to your fingers.
Shallow Frying
- Keep an eye on the temperature of the oil, as the oil dwindles, the temperature can get too hot and the nuts will burn. Lower or adjust oil as necessary during frying.
Baking the chicken
If you do not want to shallow fry, you can bake the chicken in the oven. Preheat oven to 425F, line the baking sheet with foil and insert a cooling rack sprayed with non-stick spray. Place the breaded nut and seed chicken on the rack and bake 15-20 min until 165F. If the nuts begin to burn in the oven, tent with foil until done cooking. I will say, the cutlet did not get as crisp as shallow frying.Honey Mustard Sauce
- Store the honey mustard in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If there is separation, whisk again before serving.
We loved this recipe! Plan to make it again.
Great, easy chicken dish. Loved the crunch! Definitely a keeper. Served it with mashed potatoes, green beans with mushrooms and banana bread.
Hi Becky, I am so glad you enjoyed the chicken! That sounds like the perfect sides to go with it. Thanks for making it!