Pistachio Crusted Chicken

I do love chicken, but I am constantly trying to find ways to keep it interesting. Well, HERE. WE. GO.  If you have kids, a picky eater, someone who loves chicken, or really just anyone... they will probably love this recipe! I had it for the first time at a dinner party and fell in love. After making it a couple of times, I found what version of it worked best for me. It pairs really well with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. Basically heaven on a plate. Give it a try and please do tell me what you think!

Pistachio Crusted Chicken

1 cup chopped/smashed Pistachios (or any pistachio blend) *no shells

½ cup of Bread Crumbs

½ cup of Olive Oil

¼ cup of Honey

*Some recipes call for 2 tablespoons of Dijon Mustard in the sauce - you are welcome to try that as well!

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 ½ pounds of Boneless Chicken Breast Tenderloins (Chicken Strips)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. For easy clean up, line your baking sheet with tin foil or lightly coat it with cooking spray.

Chop your pistachios, or I prefer to add them to a quart size plastic bag and smash them with a handy wine bottle. Mix together the pistachios and bread crumbs in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil, honey, salt and pepper together until smooth. Dip the chicken tenderloins into the olive oil mixture, and then coat it with the pistachio mixture. Place the tenderloins onto the baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet into the oven. Bake the chicken tenderloins until the chicken is no longer pink and the coating starts to turn golden brown. The cooking time takes anywhere from 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the tenderloins. Just keep a keen eye on ‘em! You’ll know. It will look a little something like this...

You really can't beat the mixture of salty (pistachio) and sweet (honey) flavor that comes packed into these chicken tenderloins. I recommend trying this recipe even if you are not a pistachio lover - you will be pleasantly surprised!