These Hemp Seed Crusted Baked Chicken Thighs are so good and so easy to make. This PCOS-friendly dinner recipe uses chicken thighs and a super savory and perfectly spiced hemp seed crust all baked in the oven for a healthy, satisfying and delicious meal.
Keep reading for how to make this gluten-free, dairy-free and no-added-sugar chicken recipe perfect for dinner tonight…
MAKING EATING FOR PCOS EASY AND DELICIOUS WITH HEMP SEED CRUSTED BAKED CHICKEN THIGHS…
Welcome to my new favourite way to eat chicken.
Because who couldn’t use more quick, easy and DELICIOUS chicken recipes perfect for any night of the week?
With just a few simple pantry ingredients this recipe quickly transforms ho-hum chicken thighs into fantastically delicious chicken thighs in just about 30 minutes.
And what I love most is how easy (yet so, so, SO tasty!) this hemp-crusted chicken is to make while still being gluten-free, dairy-free AND PCOS-friendly. It’s all things super juicy chicken, deliciously savoury (from the blend of herbs and spices used to season the hemp seeds) and with just a little kick of heat (from the Dijon or brown mustard).
Hemp Seed Crusted Chicken Thighs
- Total Time: 35
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
For the Hemp Seed Crust:
- 1/4 cup Hemp Seeds
- 3/4 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Paprika (optional)
- 1/8 tsp Salt
For the Chicken:
- 4 large Chicken Thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
- Salt and Black Pepper (to taste)
- 4 tsp Dijon Mustard
Instructions
For the Hemp Seed Crust:
- In a shallow bowl (or on a plate) combine the hemp seed and spices.
For the Chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF (205ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Trim the chicken thighs of any excess skin or fat and pat dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.
- Smear the Dijon mustard equally over top of the skin-side of the chicken. Press the mustard-coated side of the chicken into the hemp seed mixture (ensure the top and sides are well coated with the mixture) then place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken thighs. (Discard any excess hemp seed mixture or use a spoon to press additional hemp seed crust onto the tops of the chicken.)
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until the chicken thighs are cooked through and the hemp seed crust is just browned. Serve with roasted or steamed vegetables, salad, rice, quinoa or mashed sweet potato and enjoy!
Keywords: chicken, dinner, chicken thighs, crusted chicken, baked chicken, hemp seeds
HOW TO MAKE THIS PCOS-FRIENDLY HEMP SEED CRUSTED CHICKEN RECIPE…
I always use bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs (for this recipe and others) for many reasons: 1. Thighs are a super flavourful (and moist) cut of chicken (sure, they are not as lean as chicken breast but I’ve suffered through some dangerously dry white meat to know that chicken thighs are so worth it regardless of anything else), and 2. The bone-in, skin-on thighs are often SO MUCH CHEAPER than the average chicken breast or even boneless/skinless thigh.
I haven’t tested this with boneless/skinless thighs before but I did make it with chicken breasts once before and they turned out good but the bone-in thigh will be my chicken of choice for these more times than not.
It’s best to trim (cut off) your chicken thighs of any excess skin or fat before patting dry and smearing with the mustard.
The Dijon mustard is a must here (you could use brown mustard if that’s more familiar to you). It’s the mustard that makes the hemp seeds stick to the chicken. It also gives each bite of chicken this savoury and bright taste. As the recipe notes say, I use a generous teaspoon per chicken thigh usually (so anywhere between 1-2 teaspoons) any more than that, though, and the Dijon totally takes over the flavour of the hemp seed crust (which in my opinion is the best part!). I don’t think yellow mustard would work as well here.
The hemp seeds (just your standard hulled hemp heart, as they are also called) are seasoned with a few staple pantry spices – garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and Italian spice blend. I wouldn’t use real onions or garlic here as they would take away from the consistency of the hemp coated (and probably burn in the oven) but a simple garlic powder and onion powder combination with paprika and dried herbs and salt is just really perfect here.
HEALTHY CRUSTED BAKED CHICKEN RECIPE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS…
What to serve with Hemp Seed Crusted Chicken?
These hemp seed crusted chicken thighs come out of the oven golden brown and just slightly crisp and are perfect beside steamed or roasted vegetables, rice, quinoa, mashed sweet potatoes or salad. You could make this recipe to reheat for lunches for a couple days but please note that the hemp seed coated will get a little soft so it is best straight from the oven.
Can you freeze Hemp Seed Crusted Chicken?
No. This recipe would not be freezer friendly.
I don’t have chicken thighs, can I still make this recipe?
This hemp seed crust would be delicious on just about anything so try a chicken breast or fillet of salmon if you don’t have chicken thighs. Be sure to adjust cooking times accordingly.
Is crusted chicken baked chicken PCOS-friendly?
Not all crusted chicken recipes are PCOS-friendly so if you’re pursuing Google or Pinterest looking for a dinner recipe make sure to read through the ingredients list – my PCOS-Friendly Foods Cheat Sheet can be so helpful in determining whether a recipe is PCOS-friendly or not.
This Hemp Seed Crusted Chicken recipe is, however, very much PCOS-friendly – chicken and hemp seeds (the main ingredients here) are great additions to a PCOS-friendly lifestyle.
MORE ABOUT THIS RECIPE FOR PCOS-FRIENDLY BAKED CHICKEN THIGHS…
This is seriously my new favourite way to cook chicken thighs… and really any chicken in general. It’s fancy but not too fancy for a random Tuesday and the flavours are just so good. But also fancy enough to serve to dinner guests or to make for a more special occasion.
I’m also serious when I say you HAVE to try this spiced hemp seed chicken!
Sure, in the diet/wellness/’health’ world, chicken thighs (or any part of the chicken that’s not the breast) kind of has a reputation for being fatty/unhealthy/not-all-that-great-for-you, and to be honest, I couldn’t disagree more.
Yes, of course, the thighs are not going to be as lean as chicken breast BUT chicken thighs can be incredibly juicy and flavourful and super satisfying (not to mention much more affordable than chicken breast on most days). And while I do enjoy a good chicken breast (don’t get me wrong) every part of the chicken can definitely be enjoyed while eating to manage PCOS, thighs included.
One thing that I’ve really come to learn on my journey to PCOS Freedom and Success over the last 4+ years is that…
In order to stick with a PCOS-friendly lifestyle long-term and be able to successfully make changes to your food and nutrition (and totally lifestyle for that matter) is that you have to enjoy what you are eating.
It has to taste good. You have to want to eat it and look forward to your next PCOS-friendly meal.
Temptations will always be there (they get easier to get past with time, of course, but they will always still be there) and it’s much easier to stay compliant and in line with your health goals when your PCOS-friendly food tastes just as good (if not better!) than what you may have chosen to eat before.
SIDE NOTE: This is definitely a core philosophy of mine when it comes to eating for PCOS. You can read more about it here.
This is exactly why I love creating recipes so much and why I love spending time cooking and why I’ve created this blog and the resources that I have…
Because it is possible to get a handle on your PCOS naturally through food and lifestyle shifts (because if I can do it, you can do it too).
And with recipes like hemp-seed crusted chicken thighs, you definitely won’t feel like you’re missing out.
YUM!
I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS RECIPE AS MUCH AS I DO! IF YOU GIVE THIS HEMP SEED CRUSTED CHICKEN THIGHS RECIPE A TRY LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW AND BE SURE TO SHARE A PICTURE ON INSTAGRAM USING THE TAGS @ALWAYSNOURISHED. I LOVE TO SEE WHAT YOU’RE COOKING!
This Hemp Seed Crusted Chicken Thighs recipe was originally published in January 2016. The recipe and photos were updated in May 2022. Thank you for supporting Always Nourished and making recipes like this one possible! You can view the original recipe here.
Rebecca Dwyre is the holistic nutritionist, recipe creator and photographer behind Always Nourished. Being diagnosed with PCOS in 2018 was unexpected and devastating for her. Since then she’s been on her own PCOS Freedom journey and has learned so much about managing Polycystic Ovary Syndrome with food and lifestyle that she’s made it her mission to share what she has learned so that other women with PCOS don’t have to struggle like she did. 
I bought hemp hearts today for the first time, and this is the first recipe in which I’ve used them. This was really good! Hubby liked it too. Will definitely make it again.
★★★★★