The Chef-Approved Air-Fryer Chicken Dish With A Unique Crust

Chicken in the air fryer isn't exactly uncommon, whether it's a bag of frozen chicken nuggets to feed the kids or preparing a full-course weeknight dinner. It should come as no surprise that, given the popularity of fried chicken, the idea of being able to "fry" a chicken until it's crispy and golden without having to deal with leftover oil or grease would be very appealing to chefs across the country. When you also add in that the air fryer works much faster than the standard oven, you'll have people who'll be using their air fryer to fry up a chicken in ways you've never heard of.

While there are some people who prefer air-frying their chicken in the "traditional" way by dredging it in flour, there are those who prefer using things like crushed cereal or even crushed-up kettle-cooked potato chips to get a crunchier breading. Some chefs skip the idea of conventionally thicker breading altogether and fry their chicken in a combination of mayonnaise, breadcrumbs, and cheese to make a relatively light crust. It seems that, so long as chicken can be dredged in it, people will fry their chicken up in anything they can find.

One recipe we'll discuss may sound unconventional at first glance. But, when examined closer, it'll turn out that this unique choice in crust is actually a popular choice in the world of chicken dishes in many restaurants across the country.

Aefa Mulholland, a chef from the United Kingdom, detailed to Insider her favorite things to make when using their air fryer. Among the dishes of fried shrimp, cauliflower wings, and grilled cheese, one dish in particular seemed to stand out: nut-crusted chicken. According to Mulholland, these uniquely-breaded chicken filets seem to be perfect for a quick and easy dinner, stating that the filets come out "moist, delicious, and with a perfect crust in just 20 minutes."

While Mulholland didn't give an exact recipe on the chicken itself, she did state that she adapted it from another existing recipe for fried chicken. The original recipe simply calls for the chicken to be dredged in flour, a mayonnaise-and-egg-wash, and breadcrumbs, and Mulholland claims that she added in a mixture of half-crushed nuts and half-panko breadcrumbs, along with smoked paprika and Parmesan cheese. A good example of nuts on chicken would be something like crushed almonds or cashews mixed into the breading. You could even use pecans or peanuts for a saltier flavor.

Although nut-crusted chicken may sound surprising to some, chicken and nuts are actually somewhat common in cuisine, including one popular dish that has roots in Chinese-American culture. In fact, you've probably had such a dish before when you ordered take-out.

A very good example of how well chicken and nuts go together is the famous cashew chicken, a staple of most Chinese-American restaurants across the country. This dish, which combines chicken, vegetables, and cashews in a savory garlic sauce, is the invention of Chinese-American chef David Leong in the 1960s.

As the Springfield News-Leader explains, Leong came to Springfield, Missouri following the advice of Dr. John Tsang in 1955. Although Leong was a very skilled chef, he faced two problems: how to sell his cooking to people, and the discrimination of Asian citizens following World War II. Despite these obstacles, Leong was able to forge his way through the culinary world and open his own restaurant in 1963. It was in his own restaurant that Leong created cashew chicken to appeal to more American palettes, deep-frying the chicken before serving it with vegetables, brown sauce, and cashews. The result was an instant hit, and Leong's dish has now become a staple of Chinese restaurants across the country.

While Mulholland's nut-crusted chicken is different than Leong's famed dish, both dishes showcase the surprisingly delicious combination of poultry and nuts, even if such a combination is not as common as tempura or flour and buttermilk on fried chicken. Nuts also pair well with seafood, with a prime example being pecan-crusted salmon with a cranberry-apple sauce.