Best Pumpkin Seed Crusted Chicken Recipes

PUMPKIN SEED CRUSTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Chop the pumpkin seeds finely or add to a food processor with salt, parmesan, oregano, and paprika. Transfer to a plate.
• Brush or rub roughly 1 tablespoon of oil on each chicken breast. Coat the chicken in the pumpkin seed mixture, pressing to adhere. Place the crusted chicken onto a plate. Repeat for all the chicken breasts.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, doing in batches if too crowded, cooking for 5 minutes on each side, or until fully cooked depending on the thickness of chicken.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate and serve immediately.

CHICKEN IN PUMPKIN SEED SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the chicken in a pot with just enough water to cover. Sprinkle with salt, and add the peppercorns, bay leaves, quartered onion and herb bundle. Bring to a low boil, and then reduce the heat and poach the chicken until cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the chicken, straining the stock, and then wipe the pot clean and return to the heat. Peel the skin off the chicken breasts and cover to keep warm until the sauce is ready. Dry toast the pumpkin seeds over medium heat until puffed and toasted, 4 to 5 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of the toasted seeds for garnish. Puree the remaining seeds in a blender or food processor with 1 cup of the stock, the chopped onion, EVOO, cumin, epazote, if using, cinnamon, tomatillos, lettuce, garlic and chiles. Transfer the pumpkin seed puree to the pot with 2 1/2 to 3 cups of the reserved chicken stock and simmer to develop flavor and thicken, 20 minutes. Adjust the seasonings. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnishreserved toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve with warm corn tortillas, for wrapping, and minced red onion, for topping. If you would like to serve with a vegetable, steamed or sauteed zucchini is perfect.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH PUMPKIN SEED SALSA

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Combine 2 tablespoons of the oil with the cumin, coriander, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spiced oil all over the chicken pieces and place on a foil-lined shallow-rimmed baking sheet. Roast until the chicken is golden brown and crisp and a thermometer inserted into the thickest parts registers 165 degrees F, about 45 minutes.
• 2. Meanwhile, toast the pepitas in a large dry skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Cool and coarsely chop. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the cilantro, lime juice, chiles, onions, remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 3/4 teaspoon salt and toss together.
• 3. Arrange the chicken pieces on a platter and serve with the bowl of salsa on the side, accompanied by Mexican rice and black beans.

PUMPKIN SEED BATTERED 'CHICKEN' WITH CRANBERRY CABERNET SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the sauce. In a sauté pan over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add shallot and sauté for 3 minutes. Add thyme and cranberries and sauté for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add wine and scrape the bottom of the pan, then cook until the liquid is reduced by half.
• Add vegetable stock and reduce by half again. In a small bowl, combine arrowroot and water. Add the arrowroot mixture to the pan, stir well, and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and whisk in margarine, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove thyme stems before serving.
• To make the cutlets, use a food processor to combine sage, pumpkin seeds, paprika, breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper until well incorporated.
• Dredge each cutlet in flour, dip into soy milk, and then into seasoned breadcrumbs.
• Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan. Using medium-high heat, sauté cutlets on each side until browned and crisp. Serve with the cranberry Cabernet sauce.

PUMPKIN SEED CHICKEN MOLE

Steps:

• In a dry cast-iron skillet toast pumpkin seeds, cumin seeds, pepper and oregano over a low heat, shaking the pan occasionally. Heat until aromas are released, about 5 minutes. Remove before seeds begin to brown and set aside to cool. In a blender grind mixture until a powder forms. In blender or food processor puree tomatillos, serrano chile, garlic, lettuce, cinnamon, cilantro, radish tops, onion and salt until smooth. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan heat olive oil over a high heat. Carefully, pour in pureed tomatillo mixture, and let sizzle for 30 seconds. Stir in stock. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn up the heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir in ground nut mixture and remove from the heat. Puree in a food processor or blender, in batches, if necessary. Pass through a fine strainer, pressing with the back of a ladle to extract all the juices, into a 13 x 10-inch flameproof baking dish. Place the chicken breasts in the sauce and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Serve the chicken and sauce over a bed of white rice. Sprinkle radish slices over the top.

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.