This Air Fryer Pistachio Chicken takes plain ol’ chicken and turns it into one flavorful and juicy, easy chicken dish!

Coated in crunchy pistachios, this juicy chicken breast goes against the grain – so to speak. This chicken is nothing like you imagine an easy but boring boneless, skinless chicken breast recipe would be when deemed, “healthy”. And this air fryer chicken is whole30, paleo and gluten-free!
Just like my air fryer chicken meatballs, chicken parmesan and chicken tenders, it’s all about the seasonings, bby.

Ingredients for Pistachio Crusted Chicken
You only need 4-ingredients to make this juicy and crispy pistachio chicken in the air fryer (here is the one I have).
- Chicken breast. Or you can use chicken cutlets, tenders or chicken thighs.
- Pistachios. Look for unshelled, raw and unsalted. Unshelled for less prep. Raw and unsalted because you’ll use your own seasonings to taste.
- Dijon mustard. Or you can use egg wash or mayo. I do suggest Dijon for the most flavor.
- dried spices. garlic powder, onion powder, a dash of cayenne and some S&P.
- honey mustard. optional if you’re on a whole30/keto but a nice sauce that compliments the dijon mustard in this chicken recipe.


How to make pistachio chicken
- First, you want to grind your pistachios into almost a flour. Not too fine because you want some texture but just coarsely ground. You can use a food processor, smoothie blender or high powered blender. In a pinch, you can even use a coffee grinder or a resealable bag and rolling pin to crush your pistachios.
- Mix your seasonings into the ground pistachios and stir to combine. You can easily prep the first two steps 1-2 days in advance and store in an airtight container to save time when it’s dinnertime.
- Brush your chicken breasts with Dijon mustard (or egg wash or mayo) and dip into seasoned ground pistachios.
- Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes to ensure coating sticks to chicken and does not flake off.
- Cook 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees F, flip and cook for 4-5 more minutes.
- Serve with your favorite side; I love a solid side salad, parmesan asparagus or easy roasted broccoli.


How to make in the oven
If you don’t have an air fryer, you can easily make this pistachio chicken in the oven. You’ll follow the same prep steps as above but instead of using the air fryer, you’ll bake
- Preheat oven at 425 degrees F.
- Bake the chicken for 16 to 20 minutes.
- Remove once done at 165 degrees F.
How to store
- To Store. Refrigerate leftover chicken in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. Warm leftovers in the air fryer or oven at 350 degrees F for 5ish minutes.
- To Freeze. Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3-months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Pistachio Crusted Chicken in the air fryer or oven
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts - at approx 4 oz each
- 3/4 cup pistachios
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- a dash of cayenne
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- honey mustard - to dip (optional)
Instructions
Air Fryer Method
- First, you want to grind your pistachios into almost a flour. Not too fine because you want some texture but just coarsely ground. You can use a food processor, smoothie blender or high powered blender. In a pinch, you can even use a coffee grinder or a resealable bag and rolling pin to crush pistachios.
- Add garlic powder, onion powder, a dash of cayenne (if using), salt and pepper to pistachio mix and combine. Add to a plate shallow enough to dredge chicken. Brush chicken breasts with Dijon mustard and roll both sides in pistachio spice mix. Once chicken is breaded, refrigerate for 10-minutes before cooking.
- Spray air fryer basket with nonstick spray. Cook for 8-10 minutes on 350F, flip and cook for 5 more minutes until done at 165 degrees F.
Oven method
- First, you want to grind your pistachios into almost a flour. Not too fine because you want some texture but just coarsely ground. You can use a food processor, smoothie blender or high powered blender. In a pinch, you can even use a coffee grinder or a resealable bag and rolling pin to crush pistachios.
- Add garlic powder, onion powder, a dash of cayenne (if using), salt and pepper to pistachio mix and combine. Add to a plate shallow enough to dredge chicken. Brush chicken breasts with Dijon mustard and roll both sides in pistachio spice mix. Once chicken is breaded, refrigerate for 10-minutes before cooking.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. To a shallow baking dish or parchment lined baking sheet, bake chicken 16-20 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Notes
- To Store. Refrigerate leftover chicken in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. Warm leftovers in the air fryer or oven at 350 degrees F for 5ish minutes.
- To Freeze. Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3-months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
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This looks so good! I can’t wait to try it
Thanks Pam! I hope you enjoy – let me know if you try it!