Fitness / February 24, 2022

Pistachio Crusted Chicken with Coriander Yogurt Sauce

This Pistachio Crusted Chicken is served with cilantro cauliflower rice with a spicy lime yogurt sauce…an easy, low carb and healthy dinner!

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I feel like crusting a chicken in nuts is a surefire way to make it feel SO fancy, but it’s SO STINKING EASY.

It worked in the almond crusted chicken bites and it sure as heck works here. Honestly may even be more partial to this recipe because like, HII pistachios, why are you so amazing!

This chicken is supremely crispy and crunchy on the outside AND the nutty coating protects the inside so it’s super moist and juicy and AMAZING.

And with that tangy coriander yogurt sauce?

I die.

Are Pistachios Healthy?

I am the kind of girl that goes NUTS for nuts! Ha ha ha… but it’s true. If you know me, you know I’m all about nuts as a snack, in nut butter like cookie dough almond butter and Vegan Cake Batter Cashew Butter, in baked goods like Caramel Apple Peanut Kettle Corn Bars AND now even with meat, like this Pistachio Chicken I’m going to show you today! BUT did you know that not only are nuts delicious, but are also healthy and nourishing for your body? Here are some health benefits of pistachios:

Nutrient Dense: Pistachios are loaded with fiber as well as important nutrients such as Potassium, Thiamine, Copper, Manganese and Vitamin B6 to keep your body nourished.
High in Antioxidants: Antioxidants are SO important to your overall well being because they fight disease and prevent cell damage.
Protein Rich: Pistachios are great because they’re low in calories, but high in protein!
Heart Healthy: Rich in vitamins, healthy fats and minerals, eating pistachios may also prevent heart disease by lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.

Pistachio Crusted Chicken Ingredients

Now that we’ve covered all the AMAZING health benefits of pistachios, I’m itching to show you this recipe because I think you’re going to be as obsessed as I am! Chicken with a light, crispy, bread crumb-free coating is so satisfying and delish. It’s a great meal to put into your weeknight dinner recipe rotation and it’s ALSO fancy enough to serve to guests at a dinner party! AND let’s not forget how easy it is- it only uses a few ingredients. BONUS! Here are the ingredients you will need (and may already have on hand):

Roasted Pistachios (or pecans if you want to make pecan crusted chicken!)
Salt
Large Egg White
2 Small Chicken Breasts (8oz)

Serving Suggestions

If you’re not into cauliflower rice, feel free to serve this paleo pistachio crusted chicken with whatever sides your heart desires! A side of healthy mashed potatoes or even purple mashed potatoes would pair beautifully, with a side of sauteed broccolini to finish it off!

Top Tips for making Pistachio Crusted Chicken

Don’t Skip the cooling rack: When baking your chicken, the cooling rack overtop of the baking sheet is vital, as it ensures the chicken will be nice and crispy all the way around!
Don’t process TOO much: When grinding down the pistachios, you will want to make sure that they are broken down quite well but still a little chunky! The chunks of pistachios will make your chicken nice and crispy.

How to Make Baked Chicken Crispy

I love cooking chicken. It’s a lean meat that can be spiced up in so many different ways, and it’s SO versatile! Chicken goes well in so many casseroles and stir fries like Cumin Healthy Chicken Stir Fry with Carrot Noodles, but it also can stand alone and be AMAZING all by itself.

When I’m making baked pistachio crusted chicken, I want to make sure the chicken is crispy, but not JUST on top-all the way around! If you want crispy chicken, I have a fool proof way: simply cook the prepared coated chicken breasts directly on the oven’s wire rack, or on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. This will allow the air to flow all the way around each chicken breast and the result? CRISPY GOODNESS.

Recipe Variations

I’m all about playing around with recipes and mixing things up to keep mealtimes fun and interesting! I guarantee you’re going to LOVE this tasty healthy pistachio crusted chicken recipe, but you’re also free to tweak it a bit and try something new if you want to spice it up a little! Although I haven’t tried it yet, I think that roasted almonds, peanuts, or cashews would also work GREAT as a crust in this recipe!

Other Healthy Chicken Dinners

Easy Moroccan Chicken

Mango Chicken with Coconut Cauliflower Rice

Keto Chicken Marinade for Grilled Chicken

Pistachio crusted chicken

This Pistachio Crusted Chicken is served with cilantro cauliflower rice with a spicy lime yogurt sauce…an easy, low carb and healthy dinner!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings People

Calories 409kcal

Author Taylor

Ingredients

For the chicken

1/2 Cup Roasted Pistachios
Salt
1 Large egg white
8 Oz Chicken (2 small breasts)

For the cauliflower rice

4 Cups Cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 Cup Cilantro, roughly chopped (extra for garnish)
Salt/pepper, to taste
Fresh lime juice, to taste

For the sauce

1/2 Cup Plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp Ground coriander
Juice of half a lime
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper*
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and place a
small cooling rack on top of a large baking sheet. Set aside.
In a small food processor, grind the pistachios and a pinch of salt until the pistachios are broken down, but are still a little chunky. This keeps the chicken crunchy. Pour the pistachios into a shallow plate with edges. Place the egg white into a medium bowl.
Pat the chicken dry and place into the egg whites, shaking off
any excess. Then, place into the pistachios and gently roll around until the
whole chicken is covered, lightly pressing to adhere the nuts to the chicken.
Place onto the rack and bake until the chicken is no longer pink inside, and
the outside is golden brown and crunchy, about 12-15 minutes.
While the chicken cooks, place the cauliflower
into a large food processor and process until it looks like rice
Place the cauliflower rice into a large bowl and microwave until
soft, about 3-4 minutes. Toss with the cilantro and season to taste with salt
pepper and fresh lime juice. Set aside
Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a
small bowl and serve over top of cauliflower rice and chicken.
Garnish with cilantro and DEVOUR