Pistachio-Crusted Chicken with Honey Drizzle
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This is your sign: it’s time to mix things up with your regular chicken dinner! You absolutely won’t regret it if you swap in this crispy, crunchy, sweet-and-salty pistachio chicken. It tastes amazing, plus it’s so simple to make — you could serve pistachio-crusted chicken any day of the week or for a dinner party!
This pistachio-crusted chicken is one of those recipes that feels a little special without requiring much effort at all. The chicken bakes up juicy and tender inside while the pistachio coating turns crisp, salty, and deeply savory around the edges. Finished with a drizzle of honey, the whole thing hits that perfect sweet-salty-crunchy balance that makes dinner feel genuinely exciting.
What I love most about this recipe is how simple the ingredient list is. Crushed pistachios become the entire coating, bringing tons of flavor and texture without needing breadcrumbs or a long list of seasonings. A quick blast under the broiler at the end helps the pistachios crisp up beautifully and gives the chicken those golden, crunchy bits that are impossible to resist.
It’s also surprisingly practical for a weeknight dinner. The prep takes barely any time, chicken thighs stay wonderfully juicy and affordable, and the recipe feels just fancy enough to make an ordinary dinner feel a little elevated. Serve it with a salad, roasted vegetables, or potatoes, and you’ve got a seriously good meal with very little fuss.
What to serve with pistachio chicken
Pistachio chicken goes well with so many dishes! Here are a couple of side dish options that will pair well with your centerpiece:
- Salad: You can slice the chicken and serve it over the salad as a great lunch option or you can serve salad on the side. Try pistachio chicken with my roasted winter green salad or arugula and wild rice salad.
- Veggies: This chicken dinner is excellent with some garlic butter asparagus or pan seared brussels sprouts.
- Starch: Mmm — you could go with rice, potatoes, or pasta! Try pistachio chicken with this garlic butter rice or crispy roasted potatoes. If you want to serve your chicken over pasta, try this simple garlic butter pasta.
Pistachio-Crusted Chicken with Honey Drizzle
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup shelled pistachios (ground in your food processor – some chunks are ok)
- 8 boneless chicken thighs (or 4 small chicken breasts)
- ½ teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Cooking spray oil
- ¼ cup honey
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the shelled pistachios to your food processor and blend until they're mostly ground – a few chunks are ok.⅓ cup shelled pistachios
- Dry the chicken with paper towels and then season them with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil.8 boneless chicken thighs, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper
- Place the ground pistachios into a shallow bowl. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, bread the chicken with the ground pistachios.
- Move the breaded chicken to the baking dish. Press any remaining pistachios onto the tops of the chicken and then spray the chicken with cooking oil.Cooking spray oil
- Bake the chicken for 15-18 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the chicken is cooked, drizzle the honey over the top and serve right away.¼ cup honey
Video
Nutrition
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Looks amazing but would I be able to use chicken breast instead?
Sure! You’ll just need to adjust the cooking time. Chicken breasts take about 20 minutes to cook.
This looks delicious! I’m going to try making it for dinner tonight.
Thanks, Shareba! I hope you love it as much as I do!
Oh my word this sounds like prime comfort food! Pinning for future deliciousness.
Hope you and the bambino are doing well. I think you are in the home stretch?!?!?!
It totally is!
Yes, we are in the home stretch … one more month to go!!