Holy shit, this pecan crusted chicken is so much better than we anticipated. Like we already knew that breaded chicken cutlets were delicious (we are such major fans of chicken milanese!), but this chicken recipe is over-the-top good.
Here’s what sets it apart:
- Before coating, the chicken cutlets (or breasts) get brushed in a homemade honey mustard sauce, giving it the most wonderful tangy flavor.
- We use a mix of finely ground pecans and panko breadcrumbs, instead of traditional breadcrumbs.
- While the chicken cutlets begin on a stove top, then finish cooking in a preheated oven. The result is succulent, juicy, tender chicken.
With each bite, we kept looking at each other in disbelief over how amazingly delicious these were. You have got to try them!!

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!
- 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!)
- 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. 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.
- 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.
- 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!
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For more easy weeknight recipes, check out the following:
- Salmon piccata
- Deconstructed falafel sandwich
- Skillet chicken with white beans
- Veal saltimbocca
- Roasted shallots
35-Minute Pecan Crusted Chicken (That Crunch!)
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.
Hello! This sounds delicious, what would you think of making this in an air fryer?
I think that is a fabulous idea!! I do not own an air fryer, so can’t speak to the instructions, but my understanding is that things that are pan fried generally hold up very well in an air fryer. I would Google some recipes to read the cook time and temperature for similar dishes, then try it out! Let me know what you think! xo, Ari
Great recipe! We used chicken thighs and it worked just fine. This will definitely become one of the go to chicken dishes in our house.
Chicken thighs for the win!! We def make this one a lot too! xo, Ari
I tried this at home and will honestly do it again and recommend !! It was so good! Even managed to impress my boyfriend (who is a head chef) thank you for this! 😅
That’s amazing, yay! Love the crunch on this chicken! xo, Ari
This is DELICIOUS!!! So much more flavour than regular crumbed chicken. I made it with fresh gluten free breadcrumbs along with the pecans and it worked really well. Great recipe thanks Ari!
Seriously could NOT agree more!!! We love that crunch and the flavor from both the honey mustard and the pecans!! Best ever chicken! xo, Ari
This recipe is unbelievably delicious! I generally don’t enjoy making chicken but this will make its way to being one of our regular family favorites. Thanks for the recipe!
Katie, we could not agree more!! It takes pan fried breaded chicken cutlets to the NEXT level! Thanks for the great feedback! xo, Ari
This chicken is so so delicious. So flavorful. Will definitely make again!
It is loved by all!! That crust is just the best. Thanks for the review! xo, Ari