35-Minute Pecan Crusted Chicken (That Crunch!)

Table of Contents show all

1. Ingredients For Pecan Crusted Chicken

2. How To Make Breaded Chicken

3. Stove Top vs. Oven Baked

4. Tips For The Best Breaded Chicken

5. For more easy weeknight recipes, check out the following:

6. 35-Minute Pecan Crusted Chicken (That Crunch!)

Ingredients For Pecan Crusted Chicken

For the breaded chicken cutlets

• Chicken cutlets
• Pecans, finely ground
• Panko breadcrumbs
• All-purpose flour
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Onion salt (you can use regular onion powder, just make sure to add a touch more Kosher salt to the mix!)
• Parsley, for serving

Yes, you can chop the pecans finely, but we love to pulse them in a food processor. You want them to be roughly the same size as the panko!

For the honey mustard sauce

• Dijon mustard
• Honey
• Mayonnaise

Feel free to substitute Greek yogurt, sour cream, or crème fraîche for the mayo in a pinch!

We love this simple honey mustard sauce! It serves as both the glue for the pecan and panko breading, but it also adds so much flavor to the chicken. Keeps it moist, too!

You’ll end up using about ½ cup of sauce when coating the chicken. There should be ~¼ cup leftover if you want to dip the pecan chicken in at the end! It doesn’t need it, though, just a squeeze of lemon is my preference!

How To Make Breaded Chicken

First, and perhaps most importantly, this method works beautifully with both chicken breasts, chicken cutlets, and chicken tenders. So whatever you’ve got on hand, you can make delicious pecan crusted chicken!

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine finely ground pecans and panko in a large bowl. (Pro tip: grind the pecans in a food processor to make this quick and all the pieces uniform!)
2. Dredge the chicken in flour. Combine flour, onion salt, and black pepper in a large Ziploc bag. Add chicken cutlets, seal, then shake to thoroughly coat.
3. Brush with honey mustard. Combine Dijon, honey, and mayonnaise in a small bowl, then whisk to combine. Brush the honey mustard on one side of each chicken cutlet, then press mixture of ground pecans and panko breadcrumbs on top. Turn chicken over and repeat until all are coated on both sides.
4. Heat the skillet. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add butter and oil. When hot, add 2 chicken cutlets and cook for 3-4 minutes. Carefully flip, then cook chicken an additional 3 minutes. Transfer pan seared chicken to a rimmed baking sheet, wipe out the pan (if needed, and possibly add a bit more oil), then cook remaining chicken cutlets.
5. Finish cooking in preheated oven. Place baking sheet with chicken in a warm oven and cook another 5-10 minutes.

Cook time is based on the thickness of the chicken. Breasts will take about 20 minutes total, while chicken cutlets and chicken tenders cook in about 10-15 minutes.

Chicken is fully cooked when an internal temperature of 165 F is reached. We recommend the Thermapen MK4 to check for doneness on all meats! Serve with lemon wedges, arugula micro greens (can substitute baby arugula or chopped fresh parsley), and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

Stove Top vs. Oven Baked

We recommend cooking breaded chicken cutlets or breasts on the stove top first. When you pan sear in oil and butter, you develop the most delicious crunch on the breaded chicken! But to ensure you don’t burn the panko breadcrumb and pecan breading, be sure to finish the chicken in the oven.

You can absolutely cook the chicken solely in the oven, but it is likely to be less crunchy than chicken that starts on the stove top.

Tips For The Best Breaded Chicken

• Make sure to pound the chicken into roughly even thickness so it’s cooked evenly throughout.
• For maximum flavor, brush the chicken cutlets or chicken breasts in our simple homemade honey mustard sauce instead of a beaten egg. An egg will certainly work, but you won’t develop the same depth of flavor.
• Use panko breadcrumbs instead of traditional breadcrumbs. The coarser texture means more crunch!
• Give the fully cooked breaded chicken a squeeze of fresh lemon just before serving. Lightens the whole dish right up! Don’t forget a sprinkle of flaky sea salt!
• Optional, but so dang delicious: serve your pecan crusted chicken with arugula micro greens! The pecans + honey mustard + arugula work so well together!

To freeze: allow fully cooked chicken to cool completely to room temperature. Place on a rimmed baking sheet, then freeze in a single layer until solid, about 1-2 hours. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or wrap well in aluminum foil and plastic wrap. Chicken will keep for 3 months.

To reheat from frozen: place frozen chicken cutlets on a rimmed baking sheet that’s been drizzled with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Cook in a preheated oven at 350 F until crispy and warm throughout, about 10 minutes. 

Love this chicken recipe? You’ve gotta check out Chicken Milanese, which follows a similar cooking method, but is topped with a light fennel salad. A weeknight staple in the Well Seasoned house!

If you make this Pecan Crusted Chicken recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!

And make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook for more Well Seasoned recipes! DON’T FORGET to tag us on social channels when you make a recipe at #wellseasonedstudio !! We LOVE seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!

For more easy weeknight recipes, check out the following:

• Salmon piccata
• Deconstructed falafel sandwich
• Skillet chicken with white beans
• Veal saltimbocca
• Roasted shallots

Print Recipe

5 from 12 reviews

35-Minute Pecan Crusted Chicken (That Crunch!)

Crispy on the outside, yet still tender and juicy throughout, this Panko Crusted Chicken is our new favorite dinner recipe! Chicken cutlets are brushed with a homemade honey mustard sauce made with Dijon, honey, and mayonnaise, then coated in finely ground pecans and panko breadcrumbs. Will pair well with practically everything!

Prep15 minutes mins

Cook20 minutes mins

Total35 minutes mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: breaded chicken, honey mustard sauce

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 366kcal

Author: Ari Laing

Video

Ingredients

For the honey mustard sauce

• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise

For the pecan chicken

• 4 chicken cutlets
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 1 heaping Tbsp onion salt see note
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ cup pecans finely ground, we recommend doing this in a food processor fitted with blade attachment.
• ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
• Lemon wedges for serving
• Arugula micro greens or parsley for serving
• Flaky sea salt for serving

Instructions

• Make the honey mustard sauce. Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine Dijon, honey, and mayonnaise in a small bowl, then whisk to combine. Set aside.
• Dredge the chicken in flour. Combine flour, onion salt, and black pepper in a large Ziploc bag. Add chicken cutlets, seal, then shake to thoroughly coat.
• Brush with honey mustard. Brush the honey mustard on one side of each chicken cutlet. Combine finely ground pecans and panko breadcrumbs in a large bowl, then stir to mix well. Pour half of the breadcrumb coating on top of chicken, pressing down gently to ensure it sticks. Turn chicken over and repeat until all cutlets are coated on both sides.
• Heat the skillet. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add butter and oil. When hot, add 2 chicken cutlets and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. Carefully flip, then cook chicken an additional 3 minutes. Transfer seared chicken to a rimmed baking sheet, wipe out the pan (if needed, and possibly add a bit more oil), then cook remaining chicken cutlets.
• Finish cooking in preheated oven. Place baking sheet with chicken in a warm oven and cook another 5-10 minutes. Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. Serve with lemon wedges, arugula micro greens (optional, but recommended!), and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

Notes

• For maximum flavor, brush the chicken cutlets or chicken breasts in our simple homemade honey mustard sauce instead of a beaten egg. An egg will certainly work, but you won’t develop the same depth of flavor.
• Use panko breadcrumbs instead of traditional breadcrumbs. The coarser texture means more crunch!
• Don’t have arugula micro greens? Substitute with baby arugula or fresh parsley, finely chopped.
• To freeze: allow fully cooked chicken to cool completely to room temperature. Place on a rimmed baking sheet, then freeze in a single layer until solid, about 1-2 hours. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or wrap well in aluminum foil and plastic wrap. Chicken will keep for 3 months.
• To reheat from frozen: place frozen chicken cutlets on a rimmed baking sheet that’s been drizzled with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Cook in a preheated oven at 350 F until crispy and warm throughout, about 10 minutes. 

Nutrition

Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 384mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 177IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg

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