Oven Baked Pecan Crusted Chicken
This easy recipe for oven baked Pecan Crusted Chicken is a great way to put a comforting spin on chicken cutlets and can be made with chicken tenders or chicken breasts. The pecan mixture is made up of simple ingredients and then baked until they are crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. They are great for those following a Whole30, Keto or Paleo diet and can be used in so many weeknight dinners!
A chicken cutlet is a thin piece of chicken that’s been pounded down then coated in an egg mixture then dredged in flour or panko then cooked.
This unique spin on chicken cutlets uses a “breadcrumb” made out of pulsed pecans mixed with some spices to make a delicious chicken dinner that the whole family will love.
💗Why You Should Make This Chicken
They cook in 30 minutes making it perfect for a busy family.
The pecan crumbs are simply seasoned and can be changed up to your liking.
Great for someone following a Whole30, Paleo or Keto diet.
It’s a great gluten free protein option.
You can use chicken tenders, or thighs if you prefer them.
They are healthier than the Whole Foods or Hello Fresh recipes.
🍗Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken Breast: This recipe uses two large chicken breasts or three medium sized. About 1.5 pounds is needed. You could also use the same amount of chicken tenderloins or chicken thighs.
Pecans: You can buy these whole but they do need to be pulsed in a food processor or high speed blender until they resemble small crumbles but not flour.
Italian Seasoning: I love adding this to the pecan crumbles because it pairs well with the flavor of chicken. You could add any seasoning you prefer.
Salt, Pepper & Garlic Powder: This simple seasoning is added to the pecan mixture to help bring out all of the flavors.
Eggs: The chicken gets dipped in beaten eggs before it is coated in the pecan mixture. This will help the pecans stick and will help the chicken get crispy on the outside.
🔪Equipment
- Food Processor or High Speed Blender
- Rimmed Sheet Pan
- Wire Rack
📖How To Make Oven Baked Pecan Crusted Chicken Breast
1️⃣ Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
2️⃣ Filet your chicken breasts by cutting it down the middle until one chicken breast makes 2 even sized pieces that are about ½ inch thick. Pat dry with a paper towel and set aside. Do the same if you are using chicken thighs.
3️⃣ Prepare your pecan crumbs by pulsing them in a food processor or high speed blender. You’ll only need to pulse a few times to get the correct coarse crumbles. Do not over mix and turn into a flour. Transfer pecan crumbles to a bowl and stir in Italian Seasoning, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Transfer mixture to a large plate.
4️⃣ In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 eggs until they are fully beaten together. Take each piece of chicken breast and dip in eggs until fully coated. Then place on pecan crumb mixture and press down until the chicken breast is coated in crumbs. Repeat on the other side then transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with a wire rack. Repeat this process until all chicken breasts are coated.
5️⃣ Bake for 30 minutes flipping halfway through or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. If you notice that the pecan topping is getting too brown, cover with foil in the last 10-15 minutes.
6️⃣ Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving hot.
🍳Air Fryer Pecan Crusted Chicken
You can air fry this chicken using your favorite air fryer or Ninja Foodi.
You’ll need to cut your chicken breasts into tenders by cutting them long ways in 3-4 pieces depending on the size of the chicken. You can use tenderloins if you’d like to skip that step.
Repeat all the steps of the recipe except when it’s time to cook, set your air fryer to 350 and cook for 12-15 minutes flipping halfway through.
You may need more or less time depending on your specific air fryer so it’s important to check on the chicken as needed.
🔀Variations & Substitutes
Instead of dipping in egg, dip in honey mustard dressing before dredging in pecan crumble mixture.
Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the pecan mix for a spicy chicken.
To add some salty flavor, stir in ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese to the crumble.
If you would like an extra nutty flavor, split the amount of nuts and add some walnuts or almonds to the mixture.
Cut your chicken into smaller shapes to make chicken nuggets. Great for kids!
🍽How To Serve Pecan Crusted Chicken
- Toss in with some buttered tortellini and parmesan cheese.
- Make a classic Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad
- Serve with a side of Sous Vide Baby Carrots
- Drizzle with honey and serve with a side of veggies.
- Add on top of a waffle and drizzle with maple syrup for Pecan Chicken and Waffles.
- Great with Air Fryer Broccoli.
- Serve with a delicious brown gravy and Sous Vide Mashed Potatoes.
- Make it a sheet pan dinner by adding vegetables like carrots, onions, potatoes and broccoli
- Dip in fun sauces like Habanero Ranch Sauce or Thousand Island Dressing.
👩🏻🍳Chef’s Tips
It’s important to use a wire rack in this recipe to make sure that the air circulates under the chicken. If not the chicken may become soggy as the juices will saturate the pecan crumbles.
Make sure when you are processing your pecans that they don’t turn into a powder or flour as this will change the texture of the chicken. If you don’t have a food processor you can chop with a knife until desired consistency is reached.
Pecans contain oils that can burn if they are cooked too long. If after 15 minutes you see the pecans browning too fast in the oven, remove and tent them with foil then return to the oven to finish cooking.
🧊 Storing & Freezing
Storage: You can store cooked chicken in the fridge for up to 5 days if it’s in an airtight container.
Freezing: Cooked chicken can be frozen and cooked straight from frozen in the air fryer or oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through. Chicken will last up to 3 months in a sealed air tight container in your freezer.
More Healthy Chicken Recipes
- Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken
- Healthy Chicken Pot Pie
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Chicken Breast Egg Roll In A Bowl
- Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Veggies
- Air Fryer Homemade Popcorn Chicken
Oven Baked Pecan Crusted Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds Chicken Breast
- 1 ½ cups Pecans
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Filet your chicken breasts by cutting it down the middle until one chicken breast makes 2 even sized pieces that are about ½ inch thick. Pat dry with a paper towel and set aside. Do the same if you are using chicken thighs.
- Prepare your pecan crumbs by pulsing them in a food processor or high speed blender. You’ll only need to pulse a few times to get the correct coarse crumbles. Do not over mix and turn into a flour. Transfer pecan crumbles to a bowl and stir in Italian Seasoning, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Transfer mixture to a large plate.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 eggs until they are fully beaten together. Take each piece of chicken breast and dip in eggs until fully coated. Then place on pecan crumb mixture and press down until the chicken breast is coated in crumbs. Repeat on the other side then transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with a wire rack. Repeat this process until all chicken breasts are coated.
- Bake for 30 minutes flipping halfway through or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. If you notice that the pecan topping is getting too brown, cover with foil in the last 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving hot.
Notes
- It’s important to use a wire rack in this recipe to make sure that the air circulates under the chicken. If not the chicken may become soggy as the juices will saturate the pecan crumbles.
- Make sure when you are processing your pecans that they don’t turn into a powder or flour as this will change the texture of the chicken. If you don’t have a food processor you can chop with a knife until desired consistency is reached.
- Pecans contain oils that can burn if they are cooked too long. If after 15 minutes you see the pecans browning too fast in the oven, remove and tent them with foil then return to the oven to finish cooking.
- Storage: You can store cooked chicken in the fridge for up to 5 days if it’s in an airtight container.
- Freezing: Cooked chicken can be frozen and cooked straight from frozen in the air fryer or oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through. Chicken will last up to 3 months in a sealed air tight container in your freezer.
