Garlic Crusted Chicken

This is one of our all time favorite recipes! It comes from Dr. Alejandro Junger, M.D.’s New York Times Bestseller, Clean Eats, which is our favorite cookbook and we highly recommend it. Clean Eats contains over two hundred clean and delicious recipes aimed to reset your body’s natural balance. Our spouses, who are not as big fans of health-food as we are, love these recipes too, so they are great for the entire family. This recipe in particular is SUPER easy to make and requires very few ingredients (most of which you probably already have at home)! It is a healthier take on chicken nuggets or chicken fingers.  We like to pair it with a side of steamed or sautéed broccoli and some rice or potatoes. Enjoy!

Serves: 2 (LNON note:  you can easily double this recipe)

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 8 to 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 pasture-raised egg

  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut or almond milk

  • 1 cup almond meal (LNON note: we found it hard to find almond meal at a grocery store, so we replaced this with almond flour and it worked well!)

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon paprika or chili powder

  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

  • 1 large or 2 small pasture-raised boneless, skinless chicken breasts

  • ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • 5 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

  • Fresh parsley leaves for garnish (optional)

  • *You’ll need (or want) parchment paper

Instructions:

  • Preheat the oven to 425℉.

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and coconut or almond milk.

  • In a large plastic bag, combine the almond meal, garlic powder, paprika or chili powder, and sea salt. (LNON note: If you want to be environmentally friendly use a bowl instead of a plastic bag.) 

  • One by one, dip each chicken piece in the egg and milk mixture, then put it inside the plastic bag and shake each piece until it is well coated. Place the pieces on the baking sheet. When you have coated all the chicken, drizzle the pieces with ¼ cup of the olive oil and bake them for 8 to 10 minutes. (LNON note: we prefer our chicken nuggets crispy, so typically cook for around 20 minutes).

  • Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix the 3 tablespoons of olive oil with vinegar, garlic, and pepper. Set it aside to let the flavors combine. This is the sauce you’ll serve with the chicken. 

  • When the chicken is ready, remove it from the oven, and arrange it in a deep serving dish. Drizzle the garlic-pepper sauce over the pieces, tossing them to coat, and sprinkle them with parsley if you wish. 

Don’t be surprised when there aren’t any leftovers, but if by some chance there are, the chicken and sauce are equally delicious cold, in wraps, or on salads. (LNON note: We can attest to this!)

RecipesEliza Fraser