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!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 394kcal
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
How To Make In The Air Fryer:
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.
Important 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 394kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 158mg | Sodium: 284mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g