Almond-crusted chicken parmesan

Chicken cutlets in an almond flour and parmesan crust, baked with homemade tomato sauce and mozzarella.

  • A proper home cook
  • Gluten-free
  • Italian
  • Dinner
  • Chicken
  • Keto
  • Low carb
  • High protein
Hands-on
25 min
Total time
53 min, show breakdown
  • Prep 15 min
  • Cook 28 min
  • Clean up 10 min
Pans
2
Ingredients
9
Cost/serving
$3.98

Per serving

Calories
584
Protein
62 g
Fiber
4.1 g
Net carbs
9.8 g
Fat
31 g

High in (% Daily Value per serving): Niacin (B3) 133%, Vitamin B6 114%, Selenium 110%, Riboflavin (B2) 57%, Vitamin E 47%, Vitamin B12 39%, Magnesium 31%, Zinc 31%, Calcium 30%, Potassium 26%, Thiamin (B1) 26%, Iron 20%

Full nutrition facts, vitamins and minerals. All nutrition is estimated; check your own labels.

Already gluten-free, soy-free.

Ingredients for 2

Tap an ingredient for other units and forms.

  • 2 breasts chicken breast, boneless skinless (400 g)
  • ¼ cup almond flour, blanched (28 g)

    Same amount as: 60 mL.

  • 2 tbsp parmesan, grated (10 g)

    Same amount as: 30 mL.

  • 1 large egg (50 g)

    Same amount as: about 1 medium, about 1 jumbo.

  • 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes (242 g)

    Same amount as: 240 mL, about ¼ can.

  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed (6 g)

    Same amount as: 2 tsp fresh minced garlic, 1 tsp jarred minced garlic, ¼ tsp garlic powder.

  • 1 tsp dried oregano (1 g)

    Same amount as: 5 mL.

  • 1½ tbsp olive oil (20 g)

    Same amount as: 20 mL.

  • ½ cup mozzarella, part-skim (56 g)

    Same amount as: 120 mL.

  • salt, to taste
  • black pepper, to taste

Find alternative ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings. Extra sauce keeps 5 days in the fridge. Use two sheet pans for more than 6 cutlets.

Nutrition Facts

2 servings per recipe

Serving size 1 plate (407 g raw)

NutrientPer serving% DV*Whole recipe
Calories584
Total fat31 g40%
Saturated fat7.6 g38%
Cholesterol260 mg87%
Sodium760 mg33%
Total carbohydrate14 g5%
Dietary fiber4.1 g15%
Total sugars6.3 g
Net carbs†9.8 g
Protein62 g124%
Vitamin D0.81 mcg4%
Calcium390 mg30%
Iron3.6 mg20%
Potassium1,205 mg26%
Vitamin A125 mcg14%
Vitamin C12 mg13%
Vitamin E7.1 mg47%
Vitamin K14 mcg11%
Thiamin (B1)0.32 mg26%
Riboflavin (B2)0.74 mg57%
Niacin (B3)21 mg133%
Vitamin B61.9 mg114%
Folate45 mcg11%
Vitamin B120.93 mcg39%
Magnesium129 mg31%
Zinc3.4 mg31%
Selenium60 mcg110%

Estimated, not verified. These numbers are calculated from typical ingredient data and haven't been checked against a lab or your brands. Check the labels of what you buy and confirm anything that matters to you, especially sodium, sugar and allergens.

* % Daily Value shows how much one serving adds to a 2,000-calorie day. † Net carbs is not on US labels; it is total carbs minus fiber, allulose, erythritol and half of other sugar alcohols. "To taste" amounts are counted as written. Counted items (eggs, cloves, spoons) use the rounded amount shown in the ingredient list. Vitamins and minerals are from raw ingredients; cooking lowers some, especially vitamin C and folate. How this is calculated.

Steps

  1. Heat the oven to 220 °C / 425 °F. Brush the sheet pan with 1 tbsp oil. Mince the garlic.

  2. Heat the rest of the oil in the pot on medium. Stir the garlic 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and oregano. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring now and then.

    Done looks like: Thicker and darker, no longer watery.
  3. Slice each breast in half through its side to make 2 thin cutlets. Pat dry. Salt and pepper both sides.

  4. Beat the egg in a shallow bowl. Mix the almond flour and parmesan on a plate. Dip each cutlet in egg, let it drip, then press into the crumbs on both sides.

    Done looks like: An even coat with no bare patches.
  5. Lay the cutlets on the sheet pan. Bake 8 minutes, flip with the spatula and bake 6 minutes more.

    Done looks like: Crust golden on both sides.
  6. Spoon 2 tbsp sauce onto each cutlet and top with mozzarella. Bake 5–7 minutes. Serve with the rest of the sauce.

    Done looks like: Cheese melted and bubbling. The thickest cutlet reads 74 °C / 165 °F.

Equipment

Medium pot with lid, about 2 L (2 qt) $15–35

What to look for

  • Lid that fits snugly
  • Thick base so it does not scorch

Skip: Glass lids that fog up are fine; copper is not needed.

Rimmed sheet pan (half sheet) $12–25

What to look for

  • Heavy aluminum that does not warp in a hot oven
  • Rim all the way round so juices stay in

Skip: Dark non-stick sheet pans; they burn the bottoms of vegetables.

Instant-read digital thermometer $10–30

What to look for

  • Reads in 5 seconds or less
  • Thin probe tip
  • Shows °C and °F

Skip: Dial thermometers that take 20+ seconds.

Silicone spatula $5–12

What to look for

  • One-piece (no seam where the head meets the handle)
  • Stiff enough to scrape, safe on non-stick

Skip: Wooden spatulas for non-stick pans; they work but do not scrape as cleanly.

Chef's knife, 20 cm (8 in) $15–50

What to look for

  • Comfortable handle that does not slip when wet
  • Blade you can sharpen, or a cheap one you replace every few years

Skip: Knife blocks with 12 knives. A chef's knife and a small paring knife cover almost everything.

Cutting board $10–30

What to look for

  • At least 30 × 40 cm (12 × 16 in), so food stays on it
  • Wood or plastic; plastic goes in the dishwasher

Skip: Glass or stone boards. They dull knives fast.

What goes wrong

WhatCauseFix
Soggy crustSauce spooned on before the crust had set, or too much sauce.Bake the cutlets until golden first. Use a spoonful on top and serve the rest on the side.
Crust burns before the chicken is doneAlmond flour browns faster than breadcrumbs, and thick cutlets take longer.Slice the cutlets 1 cm (½ in) thick. Bake on the middle shelf and check at 6 minutes.
Coating falls off in patchesWet chicken.Pat the cutlets dry before the egg.

Versions

VersionChangesPer serving
OriginalAs written. Hands-on 25 min, total 53 min.584 kcal
62 g protein
4.1 g fiber
9.8 g net carbs
31 g fat
Egg-freeYogurt instead of eggs. Hands-on 25 min, total 53 min.559 kcal
60 g protein
4.1 g fiber
10 g net carbs
29 g fat

Notes

Allergies: removing an allergen from the recipe does not remove it from your kitchen or from other products. Check labels for "may contain" warnings.

Pregnancy: Cook to at least 74 °C / 165 °F in the thickest part. Use pasteurized mozzarella.