With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, sometimes getting in the kitchen can feel like the last thing on your mind. However, when dinner duty calls, this recipe answers.
Our festive pecan-crusted chicken is a quick and easy favorite that celebrates seasonal flavors without turning you in The Grinch Who’s Stuck in the Kitchen. Turn on your favorite holiday tunes and whip up this delicious dinner in a little under 30 minutes.
Helpful Tips
Look at your pecans. You’ll want whole, shelled pecans for this recipe, which can usually be found for cheapest in your grocery store’s bulk bins. Be sure that you are getting the roasted, unsalted variety–raw pecans won’t have as deep of a flavor, and salted will turn your whole dish into a briny mess.
Get out the tenderizer. If you are in a pinch for time (or maybe just looking to relieve some aggression), try pounding the chicken with a tenderizer until it’s about ½ inch thick. This will reduce the cooking time by about five minutes.
Make it a meal. We recommend serving this with some rosemary roasted potatoes and brussels sprouts. Bonus: since everything is made in the oven, you may be able to cook two dishes at once.
Get creative. We recommend serving the chicken with some cranberry sauce (not cranberry jelly) for a tart pop of seasonal flavor. If you prefer to skip, leave it off. If you are looking for other flavors, applesauce, leftover gravy or extra dijon mustard would also be delicious.
Pecan Crusted Chicken Recipe
Course: MainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes15
minutesThis Pecan Chicken Recipe is a tasty quick & healthy dish you effortlessly create!
Ingredients
1 cup whole unsalted roasted pecans
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 Tbsp. rosemary leaves
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Cranberry sauce, for serving
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- To a food processor, add pecans, garlic and rosemary leaves. Pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Remove to a wide, shallow bowl or dish, then stir in breadcrumbs until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
- Rub the chicken breasts with dijon mustard, then dip into the pecan mixture until liberally coated. Transfer chicken to a nonstick baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the oven until the chicken is golden brown and the juices are running clear, between 15 and 20 minutes.
- Serve with cranberry sauce.