This walnut crusted chicken checks all the boxes for a heart-healthy keto recipe. It’s tender and flavorful, and so easy to make. With plenty of good fats and less than 2g net carbs per serving, you can dig in guilt-free!
My obsession with walnuts leads me to believe that I was a squirrel in a past life. I love all sorts of nuts for their flavor and for the delicious crunch factor. And I have a propensity for hoarding them when I see them on sale.
Definitely squirrel-like behaviour, don’t you agree?
Really, I am ever so glad that they are low carb and keto-friendly. I tend to use walnuts mostly in sweet recipes, such as keto biscotti or keto coffee cake.
However, this walnut chicken recipe plays up their savory side to excellent advantage. The nuts add both crunch and flavor, turning baked chicken breasts into an easy gourmet meal.
Heart-healthy keto dinner recipe
I’ve had a lot of requests lately for recipes that are lower in saturated fat. While I don’t view saturated fat as an issue on a keto diet, I can also appreciate the desire to cut back on it.
The literature surrounding dietary fat, cholesterol, and heart health is confusing, to say the least! And it’s never a bad thing to vary the sources of fats and oils you consume, as long as you steer clear of inflammatory vegetable oils like canola and soybean.
Almost everyone agrees, however, that walnuts and walnut oil are healthy choices. They contain high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, so incorporating them into your diet is a smart way to shake things up a bit.
This walnut crusted chicken is actually one of the first keto dinner recipes I ever published on ADIDAF. It dates way back to June 2011 and I figured I should give it an update. It’s just as delicious as it ever was!
Ingredients
Walnut chicken is simple to make, with only a handful of ingredients. You will need:
- Chicken breasts
- Walnuts
- Garlic
- Rosemary
- Cayenne
- Walnut oil – or another oil of choice
- Salt and pepper
Brining chicken breast
Brining the chicken breasts is an optional step for this recipe, but I do recommend it. It makes the chicken juicier and more flavorful.
Chicken breasts tend to be on the dry side, and benefit tremendously from an hour in salt brine. The brine allows the meat to draw in more moisture before cooking, so it retains more juices during cooking. It also helps break down the protein fibers in advance, making the meat more tender.
Simply add about 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and 3 cups of water to a bowl and stir until the salt is mostly dissolved. Add the breasts to the bowl and refrigerate for one hour. Make sure to pat the chicken dry when you remove it from the brine.
How to make Walnut Crusted Chicken
- Brine the chicken: This step is optional but see my notes above!
- Split the breasts in half: I suggest this because most chicken breasts these days are very large and are far more than a serving. The three I used here added up to over 2 pounds. But if you can find smaller breasts of about 6 ounces each, feel free to leave them intact.
- Grind the walnuts: To make the walnut crust, you want finely ground nuts. They will stick to the chicken better that way.
- Combine the crust ingredients: Add the minced garlic, chopped rosemary, and a pinch of cayenne.
- Drizzle with oil: Grease a large baking dish and lay the chicken breast halves in a single layer for even cooking. Then drizzle on some walnut or avocado oil and brush to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Press with the walnut mixture: Sprinkle the top of the chicken generously with the walnut coating and press firmly to adhere.
- Bake until golden: I recommend an instant read thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked through. It should reach 165ºF but don’t take it much beyond that as it can dry out.
Frequently Asked Questions
This step is optional but I do recommend it. Please see the section entitled Brining Chicken Breasts to understand what brining does.
Absolutely! Pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts would be delicious too, albeit not quite as high in Omega-3 fatty acids.
I suggest walnut oil for this recipe to bring out the flavor and to increase the heart-healthy fats. But really, any good cooking oil will work. Even melted butter is fine!
Store the leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Rewarm them gently in the oven, and you can even turn on the broiler for a minute or so to crisp up the coating a bit.
What to serve with walnut crusted chicken
Try one of these delicious keto side dishes.
- Cauliflower Risotto
- Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash
- Caramelized Brussels Sprouts
- Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
- Zucchini Casserole
- Keto Focaccia Bread
Walnut Crusted Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon kosher sea salt
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- ⅛ tsp cayenne
- 3 large chicken breasts 1 ½ to 2 lbs total
- 2 tablespoon walnut oil or avocado oil or butter
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- To brine the chicken, fill a large bowl with cold water and stir in the kosher salt until mostly dissolved. Place the chicken in bowl and chill in refrigerator about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF and lightly grease a 9×13 inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
- In a food processor, grind the walnuts until the resemble coarse crumbs. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the garlic, rosemary, and cayenne.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the brine and pat dry with rags or paper towels. Carefully slice each breast horizontally through the center to make 6 cutlets.
- Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. Drizzle the chicken with the walnut oil and brush to coat, then season generously with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle the walnut mixture over the chicken and use a spoon to press firmly into the chicken. Bake until golden and the chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.
Kate@Diethood says
I, too, am nuts about nuts! 🙂 I would definitely enjoy this dish!
The Harried Cook says
This sounds like something that would make my husband very happy. I have to just mention that a particular recipe has walnuts and he is so excited 🙂 I am bookmarking this 🙂
Cooking Rookie says
Beautiful presentation!
All That's Left Are The Crumbs says
I think squirrels are kind of cute. Then again, we don't have them here so maybe this is why I think that they are so cute. I am also a fan of nuts, and walnuts are one of the healthiest you can eat. I will definitely try brining too, before making this dish.
The Mom Chef says
Even though I do enjoy nuts, I really can't stay that I'm nuts about them like you are. Maybe I was the tigress in a previous life because I'm all about the beef (and the rarer, the better).
I do love the idea of crusting a chicken breast in walnuts and chicken is always fantastic with rosemary. Wish it had been my idea. 🙂
Cassie @ Bake Your Day says
Sounds lovely, I love rosemary with chicken and I imagine walnuts add a whole other dimension!
Erin says
This looks great! I love the walnuts and rosemary together. Saving for use later!! Thanks, have a great weekend!
Jennifer says
Carolyn, I enjoyed your story. Very entertaining! I'm also nuts about nuts! Nice easy chicken dish and great that the kids all enjoyed it. Good idea to leave out the bit about the walnuts. 😉
Maris (In Good taste) says
This looks like a very special dish reserved for special occasions!
Carrie says
Oh wow, this truly looks fantastic! Very elegant, and I love that the crust is made from walnuts. Yum.
Susie Bee on Maui says
I do something similar with pecans but walnuts sound good so will give that a try. Thanks for the brining tip!
savorysweetseduction says
Yummy!
Paula @ Cookware Cooking says
Us squirrels must stick together (I say as I nibble on my handful of walnuts!). This is a must make and it's a bonus it's gluten-free!
Dionne says
I am going to make this this week!
Dee says
Ha! I love that you just said "Chicken". I have to do that on occasion. Even though my kids will eat anything it seems that if you tell them the name of the recipe I sometimes get a groan. I have yet to put nuts in my savory's. This is inspiring!
Katrina {In Katrina's Kitchen} says
Mmm! This looks amazing! i bet the flavor was delicious. I make a rosemary pecan crusted chicken – but I think I may be on the search for some walnuts now…
Becky says
Carolyn,
Love this chicken dish, and we love nuts, of any kind. the nuts and rosemary give the chicken an earthy flavor. I can't wait to try it.
The Slow Roasted Italian says
This looks absolutely amazing. Can't wait to try it.
The Slow Roasted Italian says
So, if you must be a squirrel. Be the best squirrel and smartest squirrel you can be. Well, then again… You moved on to this life, so either you were not a smart squirrel and ended up under a tire. Or you were extraordinarily smart and knew in this life you could cook up the most amazing dishes with your stockpile of nuts. Sounds like a win win!
The chicken looks amazing, I eat a lot of chicken and have not ever brined. I definitely have to give this one a shot! It looks amazing.
Pretend Chef says
My question is, after finding your kids eat said food do you end up telling them what they just ate? I will wait until my toddler is done eating it and then exclaim, "You just ate (insert food) and you liked it!" This sounds like a perfect main dish for this house. We are nuts about nuts. Yummy!