This ultra crunchy oven-baked chicken recipe begins and ends with a very special, keto breaded crust. We use almond flour, chopped almonds, and a flaky spelt cereal to create a unique crunchy combo that adheres beautifully to little pieces of chicken. While many traditional crunchy chicken recipes use corn flakes, spelt flakes are lower in carbs and provide a toasted, nutty flavor.
Serve these bite-sized nuggets with a spicy chipotle aioli for the full craveable effect (and to get more fat).
Ingredients
For the popcorn chicken:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 cups Arrowhead Mills Organic Spelt Flakes cereal
1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour
1/2 cup almond slivers
Chosen Foods olive oil spray
Freshly ground black pepper
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For the chipotle aioli:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp tomato paste
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
How to Make It
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Place a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet.
- Season the chicken with chili powder and place in a large bowl. Pour the buttermilk over the chicken, cover the bowl, and marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.
- To prepare the breading, combine the spelt cereal, almond flour, and almonds in a food processor. Pulse until you get a coarse meal with some larger flakes of cereal. Place in a bowl.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, and press each piece into the breading on all sides. Place on the rack and spray with oil.
- Bake for 15 minutes, until the chicken is golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from the oven and season the chicken with salt and pepper while it’s still hot.
- To make the aioli, in a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, tomato paste, salt, garlic powder, and paprika. Stir to combine.
