Macadamia Nut–Crusted Chicken Cutlets with Wilted Spinach–Pineapple Salad
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 large eggs 1 ¼ teaspoons grated lime zest from 1 lime, zested lime cut into 4 wedges1 cup macadamia nuts, processed into fine crumbs in the food processor½ cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (5 to 6 ounces), dried thoroughly with paper towels½ cup vegetable oil 5 ounces baby spinach (about 6 cups)2 cups pineapple, fresh, cut into ¾ inch dice1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
Before You Begin
If starting with chicken breasts, follow instructions below. Buy peeled and cored pineapple at the supermarket to save time. Round out the meal with white rice.
Instructions
- Lightly beat the eggs, 1 teaspoon lime zest, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in a shallow dish. Mix the macadamia nuts and panko in a separate shallow dish. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip the chicken into the egg mixture using tongs, turning to coat well and allowing excess to drip off. Drop the chicken into the nut mixture and press the nuts into the chicken with your fingers. Transfer the breaded chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 200 degrees.
- Heat 6 tablespoons oil in a heavy-bottomed, 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place the chicken in the skillet gently and cook until golden brown and crisp on the first side, about 2½ minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken; reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook until the meat feels firm when pressed gently, the second side is deep golden brown and crisp, and the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate and place the plate in the oven. Discard the oil in the skillet and, using tongs and paper towels, wipe the skillet clean.
- Place the spinach in a large bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the cleaned skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add the diced pineapple and cook until lightly browned around the edges for to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, shallot, remaining ¼ teaspoon zest, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and allow residual heat to soften the shallot, 30 seconds. Pour the warm dressing with the pineapples over the spinach and toss gently to wilt. Remove the chicken from the oven and serve it immediately with the salad.
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 ¼ teaspoons grated lime zest from 1 lime, zested lime cut into 4 wedges
1 cup macadamia nuts, processed into fine crumbs in the food processor
½ cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (5 to 6 ounces), dried thoroughly with paper towels
½ cup vegetable oil
5 ounces baby spinach (about 6 cups)
2 cups pineapple, fresh, cut into ¾ inch dice
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 ¼ teaspoons grated lime zest from 1 lime, zested lime cut into 4 wedges
1 cup macadamia nuts, processed into fine crumbs in the food processor
½ cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (5 to 6 ounces), dried thoroughly with paper towels
½ cup vegetable oil
5 ounces baby spinach (about 6 cups)
2 cups pineapple, fresh, cut into ¾ inch dice
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 ¼ teaspoons grated lime zest from 1 lime, zested lime cut into 4 wedges
1 cup macadamia nuts, processed into fine crumbs in the food processor
½ cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (5 to 6 ounces), dried thoroughly with paper towels
½ cup vegetable oil
5 ounces baby spinach (about 6 cups)
2 cups pineapple, fresh, cut into ¾ inch dice
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
When leafy greens are paired with sautéed chicken, a simple salad becomes a satisfying, one-dish meal. We wanted to create an easy recipe for such a dish and thought incorporating nuts in the coating of the chicken would make for a heartier, more elegant meal. We started by pounding store-bought chicken breasts to the same thickness to ensure that they would cook evenly. Ground macadamia paired with panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs) created a rich-tasting crust that was both light and crisp. After dipping the chicken breasts in eggs and the nut and panko mixture, we let them sit for a few minutes so the coating could set. Much like regular breaded chicken, the breasts had to be pan-fried in a fair amount of oil. Pan-frying can make a mess in a traditional skillet, so we used a nonstick pan. To make a quick salad with bright flavors, we heated pineapple chunks to create a dressing in the skillet, then used the hot dressing to wilt the spinach.
Before You Begin
If starting with chicken breasts, follow instructions below. Buy peeled and cored pineapple at the supermarket to save time. Round out the meal with white rice.
Instructions
- Lightly beat the eggs, 1 teaspoon lime zest, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in a shallow dish. Mix the macadamia nuts and panko in a separate shallow dish. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip the chicken into the egg mixture using tongs, turning to coat well and allowing excess to drip off. Drop the chicken into the nut mixture and press the nuts into the chicken with your fingers. Transfer the breaded chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 200 degrees.
- Heat 6 tablespoons oil in a heavy-bottomed, 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place the chicken in the skillet gently and cook until golden brown and crisp on the first side, about 2½ minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken; reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook until the meat feels firm when pressed gently, the second side is deep golden brown and crisp, and the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate and place the plate in the oven. Discard the oil in the skillet and, using tongs and paper towels, wipe the skillet clean.
- Place the spinach in a large bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the cleaned skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add the diced pineapple and cook until lightly browned around the edges for to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, shallot, remaining ¼ teaspoon zest, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and allow residual heat to soften the shallot, 30 seconds. Pour the warm dressing with the pineapples over the spinach and toss gently to wilt. Remove the chicken from the oven and serve it immediately with the salad.
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