Honey Mustard Pecan-Crusted Chicken
Honey Mustard Pecan-Crusted Chicken – tender chicken breasts are coated with a crispy panko pecan mixture, oven baked, then finished with a fair drizzling of honey mustard glaze. So delicious in every way!
A New Exciting Chicken Recipe!
How many chicken recipes do you have? You can never have too many right? Especially when they are as good as this honey mustard and pecan chicken!
Right now as we are home cooking our meals it’s nice to turn to pantry staple ingredients and make something with the basics that is is still so flavorful and a dinner everyone in the family can agree on.
This recipe is made using my favorite – Fisher Pecan Halves. They are a ingredient I always have on hand since they are nutritious and super versatile.
I know we may often think of them for snacking, adding to a bowl of oatmeal, tossing in a side salad or throwing into a dessert but they also make delicious savory dinner recipes as well. This chicken is proof of that!
The buttery flavor and crunchy texture of the pecans works wonders here!
A simple dish made with everyday ingredients that packs a whole lot of satisfying flavor!
And during this stay at home time (and as always) Fisher nuts are available for purchase online for your convenience through Amazon so you can have them delivered to your door.
Honey Mustard and Pecan Chicken Ingredients and Substitutions
- Fisher Pecans: Walnuts would be another great option.
- Panko bread crumbs: If you don’t have panko breadcrumbs you can use standard breadcrumbs, the coating just won’t be quite as crisp.
- Paprika: This spice adds great flavor and color to the chicken breading. Just use sweet paprika not smoked.
- Garlic powder: For extra flavor you can also add in 3/4 tsp onion powder. 1 or 2 cloves fresh garlic could be used in the honey mustard coating instead.
- Dijon mustard: If you aren’t a fan of dijon you could just use standard prepared yellow mustard.
- Mayonnaise: If you’d prefer low-fat mayonnaise will work fine too.
- Honey: The honey is really what makes this dish sing. I love that balance of tangy and sweet. If there’s an allergy you could try real maple syrup.
- Salt and pepper: Sprinkle the salt on after brushing on the honey mustard mixture to evenly distribute.
Scroll below for ingredient amounts and full directions.
How to Make Honey Mustard Pecan-Crusted Chicken
- Preheat oven, prepare baking sheet and wire rack.
- Chop pecans and toss with panko and seasoning in shallow dish.
- Mix a portion of the dijon, mayo and honey.
- Pound chicken to help even thicker portions. Dab dry with paper towels then brush top with honey mustard mixture and season with salt.
- Turn and coat honey mustard brushed side in pecan mixture, press well to adhere.
- Brush opposite side of chicken with honey mustard mixture, season with salt, then turn and press into pecan mixture. Coat well.
- Transfer to wire rack on baking sheet, repeat with all chicken pieces.
- Bake until cooked through.
- Meanwhile whisk remaining dijon, mayo and honey in a clean bowl. Drizzle over chicken before serving.
How to Make a Lighter Honey Mustard Sauce
If you are looking to cut calories in the sauce you can use plain Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise.
Tips for the Best Honey Mustard Pecan Chicken
- Don’t skip the step of pounding the chicken, this helps it to bake more evenly so it’s not dry in areas.
- Chop pecans very small, but not into a powder or there won’t be any texture and crunch left.
- Coat the chicken breasts well for maximum flavor and crisp exterior. You should have used up most of the pecan coating by the time you’re done dredging (then excess can be sprinkled and pressed over).
- Don’t forget to tent chicken with foil as needed, you don’t want the pecans to burn.
- Use a digital instant read thermometer to test temperature of chicken for proper doneness. If it reaches temps past 165 degrees chicken will start to dry out.
What to Serve with Honey Mustard Pecan-Crusted Chicken?
- side salad
- steamed vegetables or roasted vegetables
- baked potatoes or mashed potatoes
- oven baked french fries
- sweet potato fries