Not your average chicken parm. Parmesan, flax, and vegetable root chips come together to make a delicious and healthy parmesan crusted baked chicken! Grain-Free
This recipe is an HH classic recipe from 2014 that I’m updating today! Back in 2014, I didn’t realize what I created was a healthy baked chicken parmesan recipe. So back in my baby blogging days, I called it vegetable chip-flax crusted chicken because it was born out of love for the vegetable root chips from Trader Joe’s.
This chicken recipe is juicy and full of flavor, but it desperately needed updated photos, so I’m resharing it today in hopes of sparking your dinner inspiration! Not only is this recipe healthy, but it also tastes fantastic, and it only requires five ingredients! Okay, well, you have salt, pepper, and garlic powder already, right? I thought so.
I also included this recipe in my 7 days healthy Trader Joe’s Meal Plan, so make sure you check that out!
How to Make Healthy Parmesan Crusted Chicken
There are two crucial steps you don’t want to miss when you make this recipe. First, DO NOT SKIP TENDERIZING your chicken. Seriously, take the extra one minute it takes to pound the heck out of your chicken.
I usually put mine in a ziplock bag and then use my meat tenderizer.
When I remade this recipe, I tested it with regular chicken breast and one with tenderized chicken breast. The tenderized chicken breast flattens out, so it has more surface area to be covered by the yummy crust. It also takes less time to bake, which yields a much more juicy result, no dried out chicken breast!
Make sure you pound the heck out of that chicken, mmkay?
Next, it’s time to fill up your food processor with some root vegetable chips! If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you, then you can find them at most “health/natural food” stores like Sprouts Farmers Market. I’ve even seen them at Costco! If you can’t find them, sweet potato chips would be a great substitute.
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Next, you’ll add your parmesan and flax. Then, you want to PULSE, PULSE, PULSE, do not just turn it on! Flax and parmesan both have oils they can release. If you let it process too long, the oils will release and turn this dry crust into wet mush. So, just 3-5 tiny baby pulses are all you need!
Now, once you have your parmesan mixture, it’s time to coat the chicken in it. Put the crust mixture in a shallow bowl or plate. You’ll need some egg mixture. You can do whole eggs or egg whites mixed with one tablespoon of water.
You’ll want to dry your chicken breast off, dip it in the eggs, and then shake it of excess liquid. Then dredge both sides of the chicken breast in the crust mixture. Once it’s fully coated, move it to a sheet pan.
It takes about 20-25 minutes to bake on the sheet pan, and then it’s ready! It goes great with just about any vegetable. Since you are turning on the oven anyway, add some veggies to another sheet pan and roast them up! Whatever your family loves or whatever your favorite is!
Healthy Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 8 ounce chicken breasts
- 1 cup Vegetable Root Chips
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/3 cup egg whites
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F and line a shallow baking pan with aluminum foil, coat with cooking spray.
- Tenderize chicken breasts by placing them in individual zip lock bags or between saran wrap then beat them on each side with a meat tenderizer. DON'T SKIP THIS STEP! I know you are tempted, but just do it!
- Add all dry ingredients to a food processor and pulse 3-5 times. NOTE DO NOT OVERPROCESS, JUST PULSE. You don't want too many oils from the ground flax to be released, which will make your mixture not usable.
- Mix wet ingredients in another small shallow dish.
- Coat one breast in egg white-water mix and dredge one side in the mixture. Set aside and repeat with the second breast.
- Pour half of the crushed chips mixture into the dry ingredients dish and dredge both sides of one chicken breast in the mixture. Add the rest of the chip mixture and repeat with the other breast. Place vegetable chip side up on the baking pan. Cover any bare spots with leftover chip mixture.
- Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes until chicken is fully cooked throughout and reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
Nutrition
So yummy! I love coating chicken in fun crunchy toppings like nuts and the like!