Crispy Quinoa Crusted Chicken W/ Pesto Rosso Mayo
Crispy chicken breast just got even better! This Crispy Quinoa Crusted Chicken is sure to be a big hit! It’s a fun twist on a classic crispy chicken breast, with a pesto Rosso mayo dipping sauce that is oh so addictive!
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Crispy Quinoa!?!
Quinoa is very versatile and it’s time we start talking about it. First and foremost, quinoa technically is not a grain. It’s a seed! I know it’s trendy right now and often gets looped in as an “ancient grain.” Quinoa is cooked very similarly to most grains, which is why it gets looped into the grain family by accident. Either way, quinoa is a blank canvas and can be used far beyond a simple side dish, salad, or grain bowl. Crispy Quinoa is delicious, you’ll be wondering why you never thought of this before now. This Crispy Quinoa Crusted Chicken might blow your mind with how good it is! You can also easily make this gluten-free by subbing out the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free flour or starch.
Crispy Quinoa Chicken Goes with Anything
If there’s one thing I think is important when it comes to anything shallow fried or deep-fried, is that when it’s done cooking, placing it on a rack to drain off the excess oil yields the best and crispest results when it’s time to serve. It allows for airflow while the chicken is resting so that the heat doesn’t make the bottom soggy. You can drain the chicken on a paper towel-lined pan if you don’t have a cooling rack, but the chicken will be slightly less crisp. So if you don’t have a cooling rack already, I highly recommend getting one. This is the one I currently use and it’s so helpful. I wish I had purchased one sooner. I love that it’s oven-safe up to 450 degrees so I can use it for both roasting and cooling.
Can This Crispy Quinoa Chicken Be Oven-Baked!?
The short answer to this is maybe, but I’m still testing the oven-baked instructions. So I don’t recommend oven baking this just yet. I will update the recipe as soon as I have perfected the oven cooking instructions. You’re welcome to try it yourself if you just simply can’t wait. I can’t give you any advice on temp or how long to bake it for until I’ve tested it myself to my satisfaction. I also can’t guarantee this recipe will come out just as delicious if you bake it. My goal is always for you to be able to make my recipes perfectly every time at home. With that being said, testing various cooking methods takes time. Please bear with me. I’m working on it and will report back on it soon. In the meantime, try this oven-baked Sweet Potato Chip Crusted Chicken! I promise you won’t be disappointed!
Pesto Rosso Mayo
The sauce I chose to serve with this Crispy Quinoa Crusted Chicken is a Pesto Rosso Mayo. I wanted something a little different, that isn’t sweet or spicy, but is also easy to make. This Pesto Rosso Mayo is an elevated sun-dried tomato mayo. If you’re not familiar with pesto Rosso or red pesto, simply put, it’s a pesto made from sun-dried tomatoes. It also contains cheese and nuts, etc just as typical pesto does. You can find Pesto Rosso at the grocery store where the jarred pesto is kept. If you’re just really not a fan of sun-dried tomatoes, then you can just serve this chicken with any sauce of your choice.
I hope you make and love this recipe! Don’t forget to leave a comment below and let me know what you think! Happy Cooking!
Crispy Quinoa Crusted Chicken W/ Pesto Rosso Mayo
Ingredients
Crispy Quinoa Chicken
- 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- 2 1/2 cups of cooked Quinoa cooled (see notes)
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup All-Purpose Flour
- Vegetable Cooking Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder optional
- Onion Powder optional
Pesto Rosso Mayo
- ¼ cup of Mayo
- ¼ cup of Pesto Rosso
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the Pesto Rosso Mayo:
- In a small bowl, combine mayo, Pesto Rosso, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mix well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Transfer sauce to an air-tight container and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
Prep the Chicken:
- Pat each chicken breast dry on all sides with paper towels. One at a time, slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise creating two halves. You want the chicken to have an even thickness all around. If necessary, cover each piece of chicken with plastic wrap and lightly pound with a meat mallet to achieve an even thickness all around.
- Set them aside and repeat with the remaining chicken breast.
- Once you have four even chicken breasts, lightly season the chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder if using. Set aside while you prepare the dredging station.
Prep and Dredge the chicken:
- In a large shallow dish, and ¼ cup of flour and a pinch of salt & pepper. Mix well to combine and set aside.
- In another shallow dish, whisk together two large eggs with a pinch of salt & pepper. Set aside.
- In one more large dish, add quinoa, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste. Mix well to combine. Now assemble your station in order of chicken, flour, egg, quinoa, and a plate/tray to put the breaded chicken on.
- One at a time, using your hands or a set of tongs, coat the chicken in the flour mixture, making sure to shake off any excess flour.
- Next, coat the chicken in the egg mixture, being sure to let the excess drip off. Finally, place the chicken into the quinoa, being sure to press the quinoa on firmly so it adheres nicely to the chicken. Once the chicken is fully coated, gently transfer the chicken to a plate/baking sheet. Repeat steps until all four pieces of chicken are nicely breaded.
- In a large skillet, add ¼ inch of frying oil of your choice and heat over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken to the pan and cook on one side for 4 minutes. Be sure to check halfway through in case you have a hotspot in your pan and need to move the chicken a bit to keep the quinoa from burning. Depending on the size of the pan, it may be best to work in batches. I like to cook chicken two at a time.
- After 4 minutes, the quinoa should be nice and browned and the chicken is ready to flip. Cook the chicken on the second side for an additional 4 minutes. Once the chicken is nicely browned and cooked through (165 degrees), remove it from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack lined baking sheet to cool and drain off any excess oil. If working in batches, repeat with the next batch of chicken until all chicken is cooked through.
Serve & Enjoy
- Serve the chicken with a side of Pesto Rosso Mayo for dipping & side dishes of your choice! The remaining chicken can be refrigerated for up to 4 days and reheated in a 325-degree oven for 15 minutes.