This pecan crusted chicken is a family favorite and it’s so simple! Plus it is a gluten-free recipe, whole 30 approved recipe, and a dairy-free recipe so it’s perfect for entertaining almost any guest!
A few weeks ago I received a copy of Southern Living’s Comfort Food Made Easy and spotted this recipe for Pecan Crusted Chicken. I knew I had to make it for dinner and finally got it on the table this week. It was a huge hit and will definitely be on our meal rotation because it is so easy!
I love how simple this recipe is…dip the chicken pieces in a whisked egg, then into the pecans and cook in a pan with a bit of olive oil or coconut oil. That’s it!
I accidentally misread the recipe and ended up using big chicken breasts instead of the little chicken cutlets that they specified. I realized this after I noticed the exterior was finished cooking but the interior was still completely raw. Oops.
Not to worry though, I gently transferred them to a cookie sheet and popped them in the oven at 350 degrees until they were cooked through. If you do use the chicken cutlets or chicken tenders which I did once I realized my mistake, they quite literally take 5 minutes to cook!
I really loved that Comfort Food Made Easy put in tons of great tips and tricks for making classic dishes like Chicken Fried Steak, Mac and Cheese and Apple Pie on the table with less work. I was a little nervous with the name of the cookbook that it would be 100% heavy fatty foods, but not so! There are lots really bright and fresh flavors in many of their dishes like Shrimp Kabobs with Watermelon, Fresh Tomato Pie, and beautiful Stir Fries that are perfect for summer!
Helene Dujardin is the senior photographer at Oxmoor House (Southern Living’s publishing company) and her work in this cookbook didn’t disappoint! Bright colorful photos accompany each and every recipe in the book. While I understand that this adds extra cost to a cookbook it is something that I am a big advocate for. It is hard for me to feel as excited about a recipe when it doesn’t have a photo with it.
Overall I loved the pecan crusted chicken and the cookbook!
Pecan Crusted Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts or cutlets
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4-1 1/2 cups FINELY chopped pecans cutlets use less than breasts
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
Instructions
- For chicken breasts: preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
- Place pecans in a shallow bowl and egg in an additional shallow bowl.
- Dip chicken in egg and then into pecans, pressing firmly to adhere. If pecans are too large they will not adhere properly.
- Cook chicken in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- For chicken breasts: cook until exterior is nicely browned and then transfer to cookie sheet in oven. Cook until flesh is white and any juices run clear (165 internal temperature) this took 10 minutes for me.
- For cutlets: cook until done, approximately 2-3 minutes per side.
This looks wonderful, thank you for your recipe! I trust your taste after reading your story about being a picky eater lol! It’s always a good thing to find non-gluten recipes, using nutritious ingredients!
I love everything about this! I love pecans, quick dinners, and everything Helene touches!
This looks so good! I’m always looking for ways to jazz up chicken – I’m excited to try this!
I LOVE how simple this recipe is but it gives me all the ingredients I love AND it is so quick. Well I know what will be on my menu for tomorrow night !!! Your photo’s came out great as well 😉
Thanks! That looks delicious!