Pecan Chicken is an easy delicious protein to make for a busy weeknight meal. It takes only 35 minutes from start to finish and packs a lot of flavor with minimal prep.
If you find yourself making the same chicken dish over and over again I invite you to try my recipe for Pecan Chicken. This is definitely much more then just baked chicken strips or even my cornflake baked chicken recipe.
I was introduced to this recipe years ago, when I was a newlywed. I worked for a recipe prep company to make some extra money on the side from my day job. Basically, we prepped all the meals, and then busy parents and adults came in and decided what meals they wanted to make. One of our staple recipes that we always had on rotation was this recipe for Pecan Chicken. The ingredients seem like an odd pairing together. However, trust me it’s delicious.
One evening, I finally gave this recipe a try. My husband was skeptical but tried it and surprise, he absolutely loved it. I then started to entertain with it. Each and every time I made it for a new friend or family member they absolutely LOVED it! Even the pickiest eaters in my family ate it, asked for seconds, and then the recipe.
When they learned about the ingredients in the chicken breast recipe they were always thrown off. How the heck does dijon mustard and cumin go well together? Then, add in the brown sugar and the sweet and savory just blends so perfectly together! If you want to really mix it up for dinner give this easy chicken recipe a try.
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Why this Recipe Works
Minimal Ingredients – This pecan chicken has minimal ingredients yet packs a delicious punch full of so much flavor. Don’t change the ingredients, try it the first time–they sound like an odd pairing together but they are delicious.
Easy Make Ahead Meal – Want to get ahead for the week and prep a few dinners before hand? You can make the mustard glaze to the chicken and spread it on the chicken. Then make the topping and store in a bag until your ready to top and bake the chicken.
Family Favorite – I promise this chicken dish will become a new family favorite once you make it. My kids ask for it often!
Great for Entertaining – This pecan chicken is great for entertaining. If you are looking for an elevated main dish this is not your average plain chicken. It’s full of so much flavor–your guest will be asking for the recipe.
Ingredients
Chicken – I like to use boneless skinless chicken breast.
Mustard – The secret ingredient of this dish is the dijon mustard sauce. Sounds odd. but please try it.
Cumin – The cumin lends a mild smokiness to the mustard.
Lemon – A small squeeze of lemon juice will add natural salt to the dish and thin out the dijon mustard.
Pecans – I use whole pecans that I then crush in the food processor.
Panko – I like to use panko breadcrumbs for this recipe since it gives a nice crunch.
Brown Sugar – I like to use dark brown sugar but light brown sugar will work, too. This sugar is needed to balance out the acidity from the dijon mustard sauce.
Olive Oil – I use the olive oil as a binder for the panko, pecans, and brown sugar mix. Plus it will help turn the panko golden in color.
Directions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a small mixing bowl combine the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and ground cumin. Mix until well incorporated and set to the side.
- In another mixing bowl add finely chopped pecans, panko bread crumbs, brown sugar, and olive oil. Mix until well incorporated.
- Lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Place the chicken breast on the baking sheet. YES! No dipping and dredging. The toppings only go on the top of the chicken. Spread the mustard mixture over the chicken and then top with the pecan topping.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Carefully, remove from the oven and divide evenly among plates.
Recipe FAQS
It takes between 30-35 minutes to bake chicken at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees when stuck into the thickest part of the chicken.
There are about 369 calories in one piece of pecan crusted chicken.
Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 20g
Whether you simply don’t like Dijon mustard or maybe you’re out of it you can’t really substitute the Dijon mustard. It really makes the chicken breast flavors come together. You could possibly use yellow mustard but just know that the taste will have a more pungent mustard taste.
For this pecan chicken recipe I only coat the top of the chicken. It sounds odd, but if you coat both sides it will become soggy.
Tips & Tricks
Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks when making this recipe.
- Food Processor – A food processor will be your best friend for this recipe allowing you to quickly crush the nuts in seconds. Don’t worry–you can chop them by hand it will just take more time.
- Chicken – You want to make sure that all chicken breast are equal in size. This will ensure they all cook evenly. You can place the chicken breast between a piece of parchment paper and pound until equal in size.
- Nuts – If you don’t have pecans or maybe you don’t like pecans you can always use walnuts. Just know that walnuts will give the recipe a slightly different taste. Same would go for cashews, almonds, or even peanuts.
Side Dishes for Chicken
Are you looking for some side dishes for chicken? Here are just a few of my favorite sides to serve along the pecan chicken.
This is a great recipe to entertain with, a quick weeknight dinner, or even for a special date night. I’ve served this Pecan Chicken to the pickiest of eaters, and they’ve come back for second and thirds! I promise you this recipe will not disappoint. It’s kid tested and both of my kids loved the chicken and ate it without any dip. Which says a lot when they smother everything they ever eat with a sauce to mask the taste.
If you make this pecan crusted chicken recipe, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a ⭐ star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!
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Pecan Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Sheet Pan
- 1 Oven
- 2 Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breast
- ¼ cup Dijon Mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ cup pecans finely chopped
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Non-Stick Cooking Spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a small mixing bowl combine the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and ground cumin. Mix until well incorporated and set to the side.¼ cup Dijon Mustard, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- In another mixing bowl add finely chopped pecans, panko bread crumbs, brown sugar, and olive oil. Mix until well incorporated.½ cup pecans, ½ cup panko bread crumbs, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Place the chicken breast on the baking sheet, and spread mustard mixture on top of the chicken, then top with the pecan topping. Repeat until all the chicken breast are coated with both.4 boneless skinless chicken breast, Non-Stick Cooking Spray
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Carefully, remove from the oven and divide evenly among plates.
Notes
- Food Processor – A food processor will be your best friend for this recipe allowing you to quickly crush the nuts in seconds. Don’t worry–you can chop them by hand it will just take more time.
- Chicken – You want to make sure that all chicken breast are equal in size. This will ensure they all cook evenly. You can place the chicken breast between a piece of parchment paper and pound until equal in size.
- Nuts – If you don’t have pecans or maybe you don’t like pecans you can always use walnuts. Just know that walnuts will give the recipe a slightly different taste. Same would go for cashews, almonds, or even peanuts.
Sherilee
This was so nice. I didn’t have any Dijon mustard so I used wholegrain mustard. I will make this again with the correct mustard.
Katie
Hi Sherilee, thank you for taking the time to leave a 5 star review. So happy you enjoyed this.
Kristi Halas
Made the pecan chicken tonight with a small change – we used curry powder instead of cummin because that was what we had – and it was a huge hit!! Duane couldn't stop raving about it and loved the flavor profiles. He thinks that this is by far the best of the blog recipes that I have cooked thus far.
Katie
If you want an easy night in the kitchen this is the best recipe to go to! The sweet and savory pair so well together! My brother in-law who is a "meat and potato" guy had 2 helpings of this when I made it, and I thought he was going to hate it! When ever he hears I'm making it–he always wants an invite over for dinner!
PenLight
This recipe is heaven!