Crispy Almond Chicken Breast
A copycat of Panda Express's version, this Crispy Almond Chicken Breast hits all the notes! Juicy, tender chicken breast is coated in a crispy and puffy rice coating that is satisfyingly crunchy yet light. It's smothered in a savory and tangy glaze, then tossed with almonds for the ultimate flavor combo!
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 2 inch pieces
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1½ cups crispy rice cereal
- Salt and pepper
- Frying oil
Sauce
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ inch knob ginger minced; about ½ tsp
- 2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1½ tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- ⅓ cup low sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- 1-2 green onion thinly sliced; for garnish
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Marinade the chicken. In a large bowl, whisk together egg, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add chicken, mix together, and let marinade for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
- Prepare the dredge. In another large bowl, combine almond flour, all purpose flour, rice cereal, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mix together.
- Batter the chicken in dredge. Once chicken is done marinating, take a chicken nugget and let excess marinade drip off. Roll and press into cereal mixture, then place onto a plate or baking sheet. Repeat until all the chicken is dredged.
- Fry the chicken. Pour 1-2 inches of frying oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot and heat to 350°F. Add a couple pieces of chicken, making sure to not overcrowd the pan. Bubbling is normal but adjust the heat as needed to maintain a frying temperature of 315-350°F. Fry for 3-4 minutes or until deeply golden brown with an internal temperature of 155°F. Transfer chicken to a cooling rack and option to lightly salt. Repeat with the rest of the chicken, frying in small batches.
- Toast the almonds. Add almonds to a skillet or wok over medium heat. Toast for 5 minutes, stirring often, until lightly golden and fragrant. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.
- Make the sauce. In a small bowl, add garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, corn starch, broth, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Whisk until homogenous, then pour into same skillet used for almonds. Simmer over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly, until dark and thickened.
- Assemble. If serving immediately, add chicken, almonds, sauce, and half the green onion to the wok or large bowl. Toss until chicken is evenly coated in sauce. Transfer to serving bowl, top with remaining green onion, and serve.
Notes
- If marinading for more than 2 hours, cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge. Let come to room temperature before frying.
- Almond flour has more moisture so once it hits the oil, it'll bubble a lot. Make sure to fry in small batches and carefully monitor the oil temperature so it doesn't rise above 350ºF.
- For best results, use a frying thermometer to monitor the oil temperature and a meat thermometer to know when the chicken is cooked.
- To make this in the air fryer, preheat the air fryer to 400ºF first. Then generously spray the basket with oil and add a single layer of chicken. Air fry for 6-8 minutes, shaking and spraying with more oil halfway, or until internal temperature is 155ºF.
- To bake, place a wire rack inside a foil-lined baking sheet. Generously spray the rack with oil and place breaded chicken on it, leaving space between each one. Spray the chicken with oil, then bake at 425ºF for 15-20 minutes. If you don't have a wire rack, bake it directly on a foil-lined baking sheet but spray the foil with oil and flip halfway.
- Substitutions:
- The original Panda Express recipe uses chicken breast, but feel free to use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead.
- Skip the almond flour and replace with an equal amount of all-purpose flour or corn starch.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 562mg | Potassium: 520mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 94IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg