Pecan Crusted Chicken
"This chicken is nice and crunchy with just a tiny little bite from the cayenne. Enjoy it alone, topped with honey-mustard dressing or atop a salad (See Recipe #145067). Cooking time includes the 20-30 minutes chicken dries between breading and cooking. This recipe is from Cuisine at Home magazine."
photo by gailanng
- Ready In:
- 55mins
- Ingredients:
- 15
- Serves:
-
4-6
ingredients
- 2 -3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6-8 ounce)
- 2 egg whites
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1⁄2 lemon, juice of
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Bread Crumb Mixture
- 1 cup coarse dry breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 lemon, zest of, minced
- 3⁄4 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika
- 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne
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Saute in
- 3 -4 tablespoons olive oil
directions
- Prepare chicken breasts into cutlets, cutting into thirds and gently pounding to an even thickness of 1/2 inch (easier and cleaner if done between two layers of plastic wrap).
- Blend egg whites, cornstarch, and lemon juice with a fork in a wide, shallow dish; set aside.
- Combine bread crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, zest, pecans, and seasonings in another wide shallow dish.
- Crust chicken breasts by dipping both sides of prepared chicken into egg white mixture. Then applying crumbs to both sides, patting them on as much as possible. Transfer to a cookie rack to air-dry on both sides for 20-30 minutes. (This will set crust so it will stay on chicken and crisp up nicely).
- Sauté chicken in oil in a large, nonstick, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp on bottom. Turn carefully with a spatula and transfer the skillet to the oven to finish cooking. This should take about 8 more minutes. Don't overcook, you don't want it to dry out.
Questions & Replies
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What oven temperature? -
I must be doing something wrong.. when I flipped them over with the spatula, all of the crumbs fell off the bottom. :( I wish I hadn't flipped them, because they looked so beautiful up until then... Help!
Reviews
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I just used 2 lbs of chicken tenders and didn't bother pounding them flat. i left out the lemon juice and lemon peel in the recipe because i wasn't in the mood for lemony chicken. Instead, replace the lemon juice with 2 tbsp of maple syrup to compliment the pecans a little better IMO. i also used the whole 2 eggs. For the coating, i added 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, and doubled the amount of oregano and thyme. (as a number of the comments suggested) I skipped the parsley because i didn't have it but it would have been good. I added and extra 1/2 cup of bread crumbs to the mixture. I used the recommended amount of everything else. The idea of having them sit out for 20 min worked like magic. Nothing fell off when cooking! And I tried to use a mixture of coarse and small pieces of pecans so it would look substantial. Worked just fine. Note, I sprayed the cookie racks with non-stick olive oil spray so the tenders wouldn't stick while air-drying. I am not sure if it was necessary but it worked great for me. Cooked in veggie oil instead until browned lightly on each side. (about 3 min a side) Placed them on parchment paper and baked at 350 degrees for 20 min. Served with honey to drizzle. This combination of spices was a knockout and the chicken was moist and super crispy. Family approved! -
I can feel the seams of my shorts straining...hear that? Can you hear that? It's the threads...they're going to let go any... -
Loved the flavor--cooked it in the oven instead of in a pan, using 1 tbsp oil in pan, one in "liguid dip" and one spritzed over the top after they were rolled in the crust. Due to lack of ingredients I used lime juice instead of lemon, omitted salt, and used a whole egg rather than two whites. Very good! It baked at 350 about 23 minutes to perfection.
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What a great way to get tons of flavor and tenderness into those boneless, skinless chicken breasts! The lemon zest and juice add a wonderful fresh zing. The other be spices come through as well. My husband says this is now part of the permanent "rotation" of meals. Thanks so much.
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This is genius and delicious
see 6 more reviews
Tweaks
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Replaced lemon juice maple syrup and skipped the ground lemon peel in the coating. Added 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Increased the breadcrumbs by 1/2 cup. Doubled the oregano and thyme. Pan fried 3 min on each side and then baked on parchment paper for 20 min @350 degrees.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Sharlene~W
Campbell, California
I live in the San Francisco area and love it here. I discovered Recipezaar (then Food.com..Genius Kitchen) in 2001 and have been so happy to have my favorite recipes stored safely here. I am mother to 7 and grandmother to 7.
I love to knit, smock, sew, etc., but my favorite hobby of the moment is traditional rug hooking. This is a sample of what I do.? It's called "November".? I dyed most of the wool myself. It is made from wool flannel, cut into strips a little less than 1/4" and then worked into a linen backing. This is my 3rd rug.
