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The Melting Pot
Almond Chicken hero image coming soon
1900s-present - Chinese American restaurant cooks in Detroit
Crisp boneless chicken served over lettuce with brown gravy, scallions, and toasted almonds.
Difficulty
Moderate
Prep time
25 minutes
Cook time
25 minutes
Total time
50 minutes
Servings
4
Region
Detroit and the Upper Midwest
Era introduced
1900s-present
Introduced by
Chinese American restaurant cooks in Detroit
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Almond boneless chicken, often shortened to ABC in Michigan, is a regional Chinese-American restaurant dish with a devoted Detroit-area following. Its exact origin is debated, which is part of the story: like many American takeout classics, it grew through restaurant families, migration, local tastes, and repetition. The usual plate is crisp boneless chicken over iceberg lettuce, covered with savory brown gravy and scattered with almonds and scallions.
Drafted with regional background from Mashed (https://www.mashed.com/1570882/murky-history-almond-chicken/), Detroit Chinese-American context from Eater Detroit (https://detroit.eater.com/maps/best-chinese-restaurants-detroit), recipe structure from Savory Experiments (https://www.savoryexperiments.com/detroit-style-almond-chicken/), and USDA/FSIS chicken safety guidance.
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