Almond Dijon Chicken Bake

Simple four ingredient bariatric friendly recipe with almonds and dijon on baked chicken

Keeping baked chicken moist

In the day and age of Air Fryers and Instant Pots, sometimes a baked chicken recipe gets overlooked. Don’t overlook this Almond Dijon Chicken Bake! 🙂

Don’t get me wrong, I love all the ways to cook food! Some days I still find it nice to grab a casserole dish and throw a few ingredients on some chicken breast and put in the oven, then get back to whatever else I am doing while it cooks.

Baked chicken can become dry quickly, especially for weight loss surgery patients. I find that coating the chicken in mustard or even Greek yogurt will help trap the moisture in the chicken. That being said, it’s also KEY to keep bites tiny for chicken to not feel like it’s hitting heavy or feel dry. 

Aw nuts, why so high calorie?

When we cut carbs and focus on protein, patients of think of nuts as being a good snack choice. It really isn’t.

Why? They are so incredibly calorie dense because of the heart healthy fats. This means a very small portion packs a lot of calories. In fact, if a patient is losing weight faster than they want or are trying to keep from losing too much, I have them add in nuts!

So why is it okay in this recipe?

It’s paired with a protein and used for texture and flavor – but not the primary focus of the meal and easier to stay portioned. I might sprinkle nuts in with green beans or coat fish or chicken with them, but otherwise I don’t use them for snacks.

More baked chicken ideas on Bariatric Food Coach

Recipes from right to left (click to view recipe) – Baked Blackened Chicken, Sun Dried Tomato Baked Chicken, Buffalo Chicken Oven Bake

Almond Dijon Chicken Bake

Course: Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 216kcal

Author: Steph Wagner

Cost: $2.05 per serving

Simple four ingredient recipe for dijon and almond encrusted baked chicken. Full of protein with great moisture for bariatric surgery patients.

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Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 cup dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt plain, 0% fat
• 1/4 cup almonds chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375. Using kitchen shears, remove any unwanted parts of chicken and cut in half if very thick (shortens cooking time).
• In a medium bowl combine Greek yogurt and Dijon chicken. Dip each chicken breast into the mixture and move to a baking dish. Repeat until all are coated.
• Sprinkle almonds over each chicken breast. Use the back of a spoon to press down slightly.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until internal temp reads 165F. 

Nutrition

Serving: 3oz | Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 494mg | Potassium: 561mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 56IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1mg