Hummus Crusted Chicken

Hummus. It's delicious, right? But it's not just for dipping pita chips, carrots and celery sticks. No, this protein-packed, flavorful side-dish can be used as a delicious coating for chicken (basically upping the protein content to ridiculous heights!).

This is one of those dinner options that you make when you want it to look like you spent a long time preparing a meal, but you really only had time to slap the chicken in the oven and wait for it to cook. It's easy, it's fast, the flavors are not boring, and  this is definitely not to be mistaken for your regular chicken recipe. It happens often, when trying to eat healthy, that we get stuck in a rut of the same recipes, day in and day out. So, having quick "recipe hacks" for some of your staple meals makes it much more enjoyable to stick with your healthy diet.

This recipe pairs well with grilled or roasted vegetables, a healthy rice pilaf, or a traditional Middle-Eastern tabbouleh salad. (Lucky for you, all of those things are simple to make too!)

Gather:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup hummus of your choice (play around with different flavors. Sundried tomato, olive, original, garlic, etc)
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp red chili powder
1 lemon

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Spray a medium baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or coat with coconut oil
2. Place the chicken breasts in the dish. Using a spoon, scoop the ½ cup hummus into a measuring cup to avoid contaminating the rest of the hummus from the raw chicken. Put the remaining hummus away, and spoon hummus from the measuring cup on the chicken. Spread it around until the breasts are evenly coated.
3. Sprinkle the minced garlic, smoked paprika, and red chili powder on top of the chicken. Squeeze a half of a lemon over each breast.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the hummus has crisped. Serve immediately.

with different flavors of hummus really switches up the taste of this dish, so don't let your diet get boring! This recipe also works with fish, so try it out if you're feeling daring. (Or just hungry)