Hazelnut, Panko and Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Recently I’ve been in a bit of a rut when it comes to dinner.  When that happens I fall back on old recipes that can feed us for the better half of the week so I can cook less often or I really push for eating dinner out or ordering in.  This chicken dish was just what I needed, a quick a delicious dinner.  It’s simple, doesn’t have a lot of ingredients and is a lot more exciting than your typical crusted, baked chicken.

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The hazelnuts are a really nice surprise here and pair well with the rosemary and parmesan.  Coating the chicken with the mayo and mustard keeps the chicken moist.  Pounding the chicken out thin helps it to bake evenly without getting dry, a problem I often have with baked chicken.

Skinning the hazelnuts is by far the most time consuming (and frustrating! and messy!) part of this meal.  After toasting them for a few minutes in a 375 degree oven, place them in a large, clean dish towel and rub them together, pound them on the counter, etc to get the skins off.  Don’t worry if you don’t get all the skin off of every nut, though.  Your store sells blanched hazelnuts?!  By all means use those!  And send me some!  I am not a fan of skinning hazelnuts, and would love a little shortcut there.

I served this with steamed green beans and mashed sweet potatoes.  It made for a lovely, colorful and tasty plate of food and a meal I’d definitely like to have again.

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Hazelnut, Panko and Parmesan Crusted Chicken

From Fine Cooking

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

  • 3-4 chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pounds), pounded thin
  • 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1.75 ounces (about 1/3 cup) toasted, skinned hazelnuts, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper
  • cooking spray

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, then place a wire rack on top and spray with cooking spray.  Set aside.
  2. Heat a small skillet over medium heat.  Melt butter, then add in panko.  Stir and toss until panko begins to toast and become golden.
  3. Combine toasted panko with hazelnuts, parmesan, rosemary, garlic powder, 3/4 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper.
  4. Combine mayo and mustard in a shallow dish.
  5. Coat each chicken breast on both sides with mayo mixture then with panko mixture.
  6. Place on the wire rack and spray lightly with cooking spray.  Cook for 12-15 minutes.