Best Chicken Breasts With Pumpkin Seed Crust Recipes

CHICKEN TENDERS WITH PUMPKIN, SESAME AND POPPY SEED BREADING

Steps:

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Line a separate large baking sheet with paper towels and a wire rack.
• Combine the garlic powder, paprika, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Mix the flour with 2 teaspoons of the seasoned salt in a large shallow bowl and set aside. Whisk the egg in a large shallow bowl and set aside. Combine the panko, pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds and sesame seeds in a large shallow bowl and set aside.
• Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (it should be about 1 inch deep) until it registers 375 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.
• While the oil is heating up, bread the chicken in small batches. First, place the chicken in the flour mixture, coating each tender evenly and dusting off any excess flour. Then place the chicken in the egg wash, making sure each tender is covered. Place the tenders in the panko mixture, rolling the chicken so each tender has a nice coating. Be sure not to overcrowd the bowls with chicken, as you want each tender properly coated. Place the breaded chicken on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Cook the chicken until golden brown and an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, 4 to 6 minutes on each side. If the chicken is browning too fast, lower the heat. Place the cooked chicken on the wire rack and serve hot.

BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH PARMESAN CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Mix the mustard, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the cayenne in a medium bowl. Add the chicken breasts and turn to coat completely; set aside. In a medium shallow bowl, combine the parmesan and panko. Dredge the chicken pieces in the panko mixture, coating evenly and heavily, and pressing the coating into the meat. Put the chicken on a rack set over a baking sheet, spray with a quick burst of cooking spray and put the sheet in the middle of the oven. Bake until the chicken is golden and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before cutting or serving.
• Photograph by Charles Masters

PUMPKIN SEED-CRUSTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Toast the pumpkin seeds and ancho powder in a saute pan on medium high heat. Remove, crush in a mortar and pestle, and place in a large bowl. Add salt, pepper, and fresh thyme.
• Stuff the goat cheese underneath the chicken skin of the breast, then dredge the chicken on both sides in the mixture and remove. Heat a saute pan on medium heat, add olive oil. Place the chicken, skin side down into the pan.
• When it becomes golden, flip the chicken and place into the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with a green salad or favorite vegetables.

PUMPKIN SEED-CRUSTED PORK TENDERLOIN ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Season pork with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne.
• Heat vegetable oil in an oven-proof pan over high heat. Sear pork in the hot oil until well-browned on all sides. Turn off the heat, and transfer to a plate.
• Mix mustard, maple syrup, and cumin together in a small bowl. Use a spoon to spread mustard mixture all over the surface of the pork, getting as thick a layer as possible.
• Transfer the pumpkin seeds on top of the mustard mixture in a thick layer, and lightly press down into the surface. Press pumpkin seeds into the sides as well.
• Transfer pork back into the pan and add 1/2 cup of broth.
• Roast in the preheated oven until pork is slightly pink in the center, about 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Remove pork to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
• Place the same pan back over medium-high heat and add remaining 1/2 cup of broth, rice vinegar, and balsamic vinegar. Stir with a spoon and bring to a boil.
• Cook until liquid has reduced by half, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and stir in butter. Taste for seasoning and serve over sliced pork.

SPICY GRILLED CHICKEN WITH PUMPKIN-SEED SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeno; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add pumpkin seeds; cook, stirring often, until puffed, about 5 minutes. Add lettuce, vinegar, and 1 cup water; season with 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until lettuce is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer mixture to a blender; add cilantro. Blend on high speed until sauce is very smooth, about 3 minutes. Thin sauce with 2 to 4 tablespoons more water, if needed (it should be pourable).
• Meanwhile, heat grill to medium high; oil grates. Rub chicken with remaining tablespoon oil; season generously with salt and pepper. Grill, turning once, until browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Serve with sauce.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH HORSERADISH-SCALLION CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• In a small bowl whisk together mustard and mayonnaise until combined well.
• Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown chicken, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a shallow baking dish and pour off all but about 2 teaspoons oil from skillet.
• Add scallion to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds.
• Remove skillet from heat and stir in bread crumbs, horseradish, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread mayonnaise mixture on skin side of each chicken breast and top evenly with bread crumb mixture. Bake chicken in middle of oven 10 minutes, or until cooked through, and let stand 5 minutes.

PUMPKIN-SEED PIECRUST

Steps:

• Place pepitas in a food processor; pulse until chopped. Add flour, salt, and sugar; pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some blueberrysize clumps. Add ice water and pulse until incorporated, about 10 times more. Squeeze a small amount of dough to make sure it holds together. If dough is too dry, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap, forming each into 1 disk. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days. Dough can be frozen up to 1 month.
• Roll out 1 disk of dough to just under 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface and fit into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Trim excess, leaving a 1-inch overhang; fold edges under and set aside. Roll out remaining disk of dough to just under 1/4 inch thick, cut out small leaf shapes, and mark veins with a knife, if desired. Brush edges of piecrust with egg wash and apply leaves. Freeze at least 1 hour or up to 1 week.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush pastry leaves with more egg wash. Line piecrust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges are lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights and bake until entire crust is golden, about 10 minutes more. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH PUMPKIN SEED CRUST

Steps:

• 1. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing and stirring, until they have a wonderful toasty smell, start to brown, and pop around in the pan, about 2 to 3 minutes. When the seeds are completely cool, put them in a food processor and pulse until chopped into small pieces, or put them in a plastic bag, and pound them lightly with a rolling pin. Put the chopped pumpkin seeds in a pie plate. Add the cumin, mix, and reserve. 2. Put each chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound them with the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin, one at a time, to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper, and rub about 1/2 teaspoon of oil over each breast. Coat the smooth side of each chicken breast with the chopped pumpkin seeds, and place seed side up on a plate. Press the seeds firmly with the palm of your hand to help them adhere to the chicken. 3. Heat the remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet, over medium heat, and cook the chicken breasts, seed sides down, until the meat appears white all around the outside edges, about 4 minutes. Turn the chicken carefully with a spatula and cook until no longer pink in the thickest part, 2 to 3 minutes more. Serve hot.From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

GINGER PUMPKIN PIE WITH PUMPKIN SEED CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and toast for 5 to 8 minutes, until you hear them start to pop.
• Chop 1/2 cup of the pumpkin seeds by pulsing in a food processor. Mix with the graham cracker crumbs, ground ginger and granulated sugar. Stir in the melted butter. Pat this mixture firmly into the bottom and sides of a 10-inch pie pan and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Bake the crust for 15 minutes and remove from oven. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.
• Mix the pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolks, cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Stir in the crystallized ginger and mix until smooth. Pour into the baked graham-cracker crust and bake about an hour, until the filling is set.
• Remove pie from oven and scatter remaining pumpkin seeds on top. Cool to room temperature before serving.

CRISPY CHICKEN BREASTS WITH SPINACH-AND-GREEN-PUMPKIN-SEED SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the sauce: Bring a large kettle 2/3 full of lightly salted water to a boil and add the spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Immediately drain and plunge the spinach into a large bowl of cold water to stop cooking. When cool, drain the spinach and squeeze it with your hands to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer to a blender and add the seeds, tarragon, parsley, garlic, zest and stock. Season with salt and pepper and process until very smooth. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Set aside.
• To make the chicken, halve each breast. Using a sharp knife, score the skin of each in 3 places and sprinkle each breast with a pinch of red-pepper flakes and salt and pepper.
• Heat 2 large, heavy skillets, preferably cast iron, over high heat until very hot. Spray or brush skin side of each breast with olive oil and place skin-side down in one of the skillets. Spray the top of the breasts with oil and place the second skillet on top of the breasts, weighing it down with a foil-covered brick or a similar weight. Lower the heat to medium and cook until cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes depending on thickness.
• To serve, gently heat the sauce over low heat. Pour a pool of sauce on each of 4 dinner plates. Slice the chicken breasts on the bias and fan the slices over the sauce and serve immediately with mashed beans or mashed potatoes.