Chicken Almondine Tastes Fancy but Takes Just 25 Minutes To Make

My family is not a fan of chicken cutlets or boneless chicken in general. However, chicken almondine is an exception. The recipe is etched in my memory thanks to Xapai (my grandfather).  He would prepare it effortlessly in under 25 minutes when my family visited. He served it with roast potatoes and green beans. (As a child I avoided the beans but relished the chicken and potatoes.) 

These days, Mom prefers eating it with steamed herb rice, but Dad still loves it like Xapai made it, with potatoes and green beans. The beauty of this recipe is that it tastes elegant, but you most likely have all the ingredients needed to make it in your pantry. The chicken is buttery and tender and the almonds add a delicious crunch to every bite. It is the simplest, quickest, and most delicious way to level up chicken cutlets.

The Key Ingredients

Chicken almondine is all about the almonds. I always use flaked or sliced almonds for their delicate crunch, but you could use slivered almonds or finely chopped whole almonds instead.

I keep store-bought breaded chicken cutlets in my freezer (I buy Perdue breaded chicken cutlets) for whipping up dinner in a jiffy, but if you don’t have any and can’t find them, don’t stress. You can easily make them at home with chicken breasts. Pound the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap with a rolling pin to keep the mess minimal. 

Alternatively, slice the chicken breasts horizontally into two thinner pieces. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper on each side and coat in a mixture of flour and fine breadcrumbs. Using your hands, shake off the excess, but make sure the surface is well coated before pan-frying.

The Pan Sauce

This recipe makes a very simple pan sauce with chicken broth, lemon juice, and butter. This doesn’t sound like much, but the flavor is so delicious! I sometimes add a splash of white wine to step up the flavor profile. The nutty almonds, tart lemon juice, fresh lemon zest, herby rosemary, and aromatic green onion and garlic make the sauce taste like more than the sum of its parts. 

My family likes extra sauce, so I reduce the mixture for just three to five minutes, but if you want a more concentrated sauce, reduce it for eight minutes or until thickened into a glaze. If your chicken broth is already seasoned, avoid adding salt and pepper until the end as it may make the sauce too salty. 

How To Serve Chicken Almondine

My favorite way to serve chicken almondine is with steamed green beans and crusty bread. I like serving the chicken in the skillet I cooked it in, which saves dishes, keeps the chicken warm for longer, and allows you to mop up the sauce with bread right from the skillet.