Community recipe
Mustard-Crusted Chicken with Lemon Lentils and Smoky Carrots
Juicy oven-crisp chicken cutlets meet tender smoked-paprika carrots and warm, lemony lentils with spinach. Buttery toasted crumbs add a final crunch.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- medium
Get ready
Ingredients
- 300 g carrots, peeled and sliced into ½-inch pieces
- 100 g spinach, washed and dried
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 400 g cooked brown lentils, drained and rinsed if packed in liquid
- 600 g boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into four even cutlets
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp butter
- 60 g panko, for toasting
- 45 g all-purpose flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- 80 g panko, for coating
- 30 g parmesan cheeses, finely grated
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp dijon mustards
- 60 ml chicken broths
- 2 tsp honeies
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Make it
Instructions
- 01
Set up and prep
Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Wash, peel, and slice 300 g carrot into ½-inch (1-cm) pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry 100 g spinach. Scrub 1 lemon, zest it, then squeeze its juice into a small bowl; keep the zest separate. Drain and rinse 400 g cooked brown lentil if packed in liquid. Pat 600 g boneless skinless chicken breast dry with paper towels; slice horizontally into four even cutlets, about 150 g each, and wash your hands and sanitize any surfaces that touched the raw chicken. Measure 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper; reserve half of each for the carrots and half for the chicken. | Why: Even pieces roast together, and dry chicken takes a crisp coating more readily.
- 02
Roast the carrots and toast the crumbs
Toss the carrots with 1 tbsp olive oil, 0.5 tsp smoked paprika, and the reserved half of the measured salt and pepper. Spread on one lined baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 1 tbsp butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in 60 g panko and toast for 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden and crisp; transfer to a plate so it does not keep browning. | Why: Giving the carrots a head start makes them tender when the chicken is done; separately toasted crumbs stay crunchy for serving.
- 03
Coat the chicken
While the carrots roast, arrange three shallow bowls. Put 45 g all-purpose flour in the first. Beat 1 egg with 2 tbsp Dijon mustard in the second until smooth. Mix 80 g panko, 30 g Parmesan cheese, and 0.5 tsp garlic powder in the third. Season the cutlets on both sides with the remaining measured salt and pepper. Dredge each in flour, dip in the egg mixture, then press firmly into the seasoned panko. Space the cutlets apart on the second lined baking sheet; discard leftover raw-chicken coating. | Why: The flour and egg mixture anchor the flavorful crumb coating for an even crust.
- 04
Finish roasting the carrots and chicken
After the carrots have roasted for 10 minutes, put the chicken sheet in the 425°F (220°C) oven alongside them. Roast for 18–22 minutes, swapping the sheets' rack positions and stirring the carrots halfway through. Remove the carrots when browned at the edges and easily pierced with a fork. Remove the chicken when its coating is golden and the center of the thickest cutlet reaches 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes while you warm the lentils. | Why: A thermometer confirms the chicken is safely cooked without drying it out, and resting keeps it juicy.
- 05
Warm the lentils and make the dressing
During the chicken's last few minutes in the oven, add the drained lentils and 60 ml chicken broth to a clean medium skillet. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and stir for 3–4 minutes, until the lentils are hot and most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the spinach and stir for 1–2 minutes, until wilted. Turn off the heat. In the small bowl of lemon juice, whisk 2 tsp honey with 1 tbsp olive oil and the reserved lemon zest. Fold the dressing into the warm lentils; taste and adjust with an extra squeeze of lemon if any remains. | Why: A brief simmer heats the lentils without making them mushy, while lemon added off the heat tastes fresh.
- 06
Plate and serve
Divide the warm lemon-spinach lentils and smoky carrots among four plates. Add a rested chicken cutlet to each, scatter the reserved toasted crumbs over the top, and serve immediately while the coating is crisp. | Why: Adding the toasted crumbs at the table keeps their contrast with the tender lentils and carrots.
