Baked Chicken Strips Recipe with Mustard, Almond, and Parmesan

Welcome to anyone who started the South Beach Diet yesterday, and now you're trying to think of something more interesting than lettuce to eat for phase one! These chicken strips coated with almond meal (ground almonds) and parmesan instead of bread crumbs are delicious, plus you can prep them the night before, marinate all day while you're at work, and cook them when you get home.

I do want to warn you though, if this chicken had been slightly less delicious I might never have posted the recipe. I tried two versions to try to get the coating to stick to the chicken better and not fall off when you turn it. (I didn't have that problem when I made Parmesan Chicken, but that recipe has breadcrumbs, which I didn't want for this.) In the end it turned out not to matter, because by the second time I made this I didn't care if some coating fell off in the pan, and even on the plate (you can see it in the picture!) This tasted so great, I gobbled it up both days I tested the recipe. Just be prepared with the thought that you'll have to use non-stick spray and turn these very carefully and even then some of the coating will fall off, but it will be OK. Trust me.

Cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts into strips about 1 inch side. I cut my chicken pieces crosswise for shorter strips.

Wisk together Dijon, Mayo, water, white balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning to make the marinade.

Marinate chicken strips (in a plastic bag, in the refrigerator) for 3-4 hours, or all day if you'd like.

When you're ready to cook the chicken, use food processor to finely grind together the parmesan, almond meal, poultry seasoning, and salt and pepper to make the coating.

Let chicken come to room temperature. Then dip each piece of chicken in the almond meal mixture, turning to coat both sides.

Be sure to spray pan with non-stick spray, then arrange chicken in a single layer. (Mine is too crowded, use a bigger pan!) Bake at 450 F until browned and cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Baked Chicken Strips with Mustard, Almond, and Parmesan
Makes 3-4 servings, but can easily be doubled. Recipe adapted from Cooking New American.

2 very large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

marinade:
2 T mayo (low fat is ok, but don't use fat free)
2 T Dijon mustard (or use any mustard that appeals to you)
1 T white balsamic vinegar (or use slightly less than 1 T white vinegar)
1 T water
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning

coating:
2 T parmesan cheese (freshly grated or coarsely grated, not the kind that comes in a can)
3/4 cup almond meal (you can also grind 3/4 cup almonds in the food processor, but the pre-ground almond meal is a bit more finely ground)
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (I didn't use much salt)

Trim any visible fat or tendons from chicken, then cut each piece into crosswise strips about 1 inch wide. Wisk together mayo, Dijon, white balsamic vinegar, water, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning. Place chicken strips and marinade in plastic bag and marinate in refrigerator for 3-4 hours or as long as all day.

When ready to cook, let marinated chicken come to room temperature while oven pre-heats to 450 F. Use a food processor to finely grind the almond meal, Parmesan, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper, and put coating in large flat bowl. Spray non-stick baking sheet well with non-stick spray. Dip each chicken piece into coating, turning to coat both sides, and arrange in single layer on baking sheet.

Bake without turning for 15-20 minutes, or until top side is quite browned and underneath is starting to brown. Then use metal turner and go under each piece of chicken to be sure it's not stuck to the pan, then carefully turn each piece. Some of the coating will fall off and possibly get too browned in the pan, so don't worry about it. Cook 10-15 minutes more until chicken is well browned and cooked through. Total cooking time will be 25-30 minutes, depending on your pan. Serve hot. (Edit: if you're reheating this in the microwave, be very careful not to overcook or it will get very dry. It is definitely best fresh from the oven.)

South Beach Suggestions:
The coating on this chicken is relatively high in fat for a South Beach friendly dish, but there's a minimal amount of Parmesan, and the mayo and almond meal both contain "good" fat. Be sure to consider the almond meal as your allowance of nuts for the day if you're eating this for phase one. I would serve this with a Perfect Green Salad and a roasted vegetable like Roasted Asparagus with Garlic or Garlic Roasted Green Beans with Shallots and Almonds.

More Phase One Dishes with Chicken:
Chicken Stuffed with Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Basil
Chicken and Asparagus with Three Cheeses
Thai Barbecue Chicken with Cilantro
Very Greek Grilled Chicken
Grilled Fusion Chicken
Pan Roasted Chicken with Mushrooms, Onions, and Rosemary
Roasted Chicken with Kalyn's Roast Chicken Seasoning Rub
Vietnamese Cabbage Salad with Chicken and Cilantro
Chicken Breasts with Cilantro and Red Thai Curry and Peanut Sauce
Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Warm Tomato-Tarragon Salsa

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There's a great way to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
It's easy to find out who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week.
There are actual rules for Weekend Herb Blogging.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Diabetes Friendly Recipes Phase One Recipes