Name: Pecan Crusted Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thinly-sliced chicken cutlets); ¼ cup mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1 ½ teaspoons honey; 1 cup dry breadcrumbs; 1 cup pecan halves, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning the meat; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 2 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil

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Serve a plate of baked Pecan Crusted Chicken for a flavorful, easy dinner that's ready for the oven in just 15 minutes! The chicken breasts are coated in a mayonnaise and honey mustard sauce, then dredged in a crunchy toasted pecan and breadcrumb mixture so that they're crispy on the outside, but tender and juicy on the inside. Serve the flavorful chicken on top of salad, tucked inside a sandwich, or with a side of coleslaw, cornbread, green beans or rice!

Close up side shot of a platter full of oven baked pecan crusted chicken

Honey Pecan Crusted Chicken Breast

Crispy chicken that's baked and not fried?! Sign me up! It's just an added bonus that this honey pecan crusted chicken comes together easily with only a handful of pantry staples. The flavorful chicken breast is slathered in a mayonnaise and honey mustard sauce, then coated in seasoned breadcrumbs and pecans. With so many layers of flavor and texture, you know it's bound to be delicious!

Ingredients

This is a quick overview of the simple ingredients that you'll need to make pecan chicken breast. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

Chicken breast: pounded flat to an even thickness.
Mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and honey: the creamy honey mustard sauce that you'll brush onto the chicken for added flavor and moisture, and to help the breading adhere.
Breadcrumbs: I prefer regular breadcrumbs (rather than Panko-style breadcrumbs) because the finer texture coats the chicken more evenly and fills in any gaps that the pecans might leave behind.
Pecans: start with pecan halves and use a food processor (or just a large knife) to chop them into fine pieces. You want the nuts small enough to adhere to the meat, but you don't want to grind them into a fine powder or you'll miss that great crunchy texture.
Paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt and pepper: seasoning for the breadcrumb coating.
Oil: stir a neutral oil like canola oil or vegetable oil into the breadcrumb mixture to coat completely. This will help the chicken brown nicely and get extra crispy in the oven. It's my "secret" ingredient for any oven-fried chicken or pork recipe.

Ingredients for baked pecan crusted chicken breast

How to Cook Pecan Crusted Chicken

This baked pecan crusted chicken breast comes together quickly and easily with handful of basic ingredients!

Place the chicken between plastic wrap and pound the breast to an even ½-inch thickness. This helps the meat cook evenly so that it doesn't dry out, and it also shortens the total baking time so that the pecan crust doesn't burn before the meat is cooked through.
Whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and honey in a medium bowl.
Stir together the seasoned breadcrumb and pecan mixture in a separate shallow dish.
Drizzle the breadcrumb mixture with oil, then use a fork to make sure that the oil is completely incorporated. The mixture should look like wet sand.
Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
Brush each piece of chicken on all sides with the mayonnaise mixture, then dredge in the pecan mixture.
Arrange the coated chicken on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
Bake in a 350° F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° F.

Overhead image of a platter full of honey mustard pecan crusted chicken

What to Serve with Pecan Crusted Chicken

This baked chicken goes well with just about any of the classic Southern sides. Here are some of our favorites:

And don't forget some extra honey mustard sauce for dipping on the side!

Close overhead image of a sliced pecan chicken breast on a plate with cornbread and green beans

Preparation and Storage Tips

Prep Ahead! You can assemble the chicken in advance and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to bake. Allow the chicken to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before baking.
Leftover pecan-crusted chicken breast will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Reheat the pecan chicken in the oven (or in a toaster oven) at 325° F until warmed through (about 10 minutes).

Recipe Variations

If you don't want to bother with pounding the chicken flat, purchase "thinly-sliced chicken breast" or "chicken cutlets" at the store. In this case, the butcher has already done the work for you!
Swap out the Dijon mustard for regular yellow mustard.
Make maple pecan crusted chicken by substituting maple syrup for the honey.
If you don't like the flavor of honey mustard pecan crusted chicken, you can brush the chicken with plain mayonnaise.
Make a pecan crusted chicken salad by slicing the chicken and serving it on top of a big salad -- just like you would with fried chicken tenders. The salad would be delicious with bacon, tomatoes, blue cheese, cucumber and either honey mustard dressing or my homemade buttermilk ranch dressing!
Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders: use chicken tenderloins or cut the chicken breast into long, thin strips. Bake the chicken tenders at 350° F for 25-30 minutes, since they tend to be a bit thicker than pounded cutlets.

Overhead image of pecan crusted chicken with mayonnaise and honey mustard sauce

Tips for the Best Pecan Crusted Chicken Recipe

Cooking Just for Two? You can easily cut the ingredients in half and just prepare 1 lb. of chicken breast.
Pound the Chicken: by flattening the chicken breasts to about ½-inch thickness, you not only tenderize the meat, but you also ensure a quick, even cooking time.
Chop the pecans into small pieces so that they adhere easily to the chicken; however, don't process them into a fine powder or you'll lose that great crunchy texture. I pulse the nuts in a food processor to make this step quick and easy.
Since the pecans are crunchy, I prefer regular breadcrumbs (rather than Panko breadcrumbs) for this recipe. The finer breadcrumbs coat the chicken more evenly and fill in any gaps that the nuts leave behind.
The oil in the breading helps the chicken turn crispy and golden brown in the oven -- no frying necessary! Don't skip the oil, or the end result won't be nearly as good.
If the crust starts to get too dark before the inside of the chicken is cooked through, tent loosely with foil. This will prevent the nuts from burning.
Prepare some extra mayonnaise honey mustard sauce to serve for dipping on the side.
Use an instant-read thermometer to know when the chicken is done. It's ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 165° F.

Side shot of a serving tray with baked pecan crusted chicken

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