Pecan Cornmeal Crusted Chicken is a simple and delicious dinner for weeknights. Lean chicken breasts are coated in cornmeal and pecans, then served with a homemade honey mustard sauce.

Cornmeal and Pecan Crusted Chicken Breast - With Honey Mustard Sauce and Brussels Sprouts on White Plate
This is one of the most satisfying dishes I have made in a while, and it kind of came about by accident.  Catfish was on sale for $3.99 the other day and I originally made the pecan cornmeal crust for that, but when I had some leftover, I decided to try it with one package of the 10 pounds of chicken breast I had in the fridge as well (it was $1.99/pound for boneless skinless chicken breasts!!!  I couldn’t help myself!!!)  When I tasted the pecan and cornmeal crusted chicken, I decided I liked it better than the catfish, but there was something missing.  It needed some sort of sauce.

Breading Chicken Breast with Cornmeal and Pecan Mixture

I made a cream sauce with what I had on hand, but no, it didn’t work.  Too rich.  I needed something tangy.  Balsamic reduction maybe?  No.  Then it hit me…HONEY MUSTARD SAUCE.  Honey mustard sauce goes very well with chicken to begin with, but honey and pecans also go beautifully together.  The whole thing is just a match made in heaven, and this has got to be one of my favorite ways to make chicken.

Cornmeal and Pecan Crusted Chicken Breast - With Honey Mustard Sauce and Brussels Sprouts on White Plate

Pecan and Cornmeal Crusted Chicken with Honey Mustard Sauce

Pecan Cornmeal Crusted Chicken is a simple and delicious dinner for weeknights. Lean chicken breasts are coated in cornmeal and pecans, then served with a homemade honey mustard sauce.
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Ingredients

For the chicken:

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup pecans
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 egg
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil

For the honey mustard sauce:

  • 1/3 cup dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Get your pecans chopped up into small pieces either by using a knife and cutting board or taking them for a spin in the food processor. Make sure the pieces are pretty small, as bigger pieces will have a hard time sticking. Place the pecans into a breading bowl, and whisk in the cornmeal and cayenne pepper to combine.
  • Trim any excess fat or skin off the chicken breast. Beat the egg with a fork until the yolk and egg white have blended, then dip the chicken in the egg wash. Season the chicken with salt and pepper (and plenty of it), then coat them with the pecan cornmeal mixture.
  • Drizzle a little olive oil over the tops, and bake the chicken breasts on a sheet pan for somewhere between 20-35 minutes, since baking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken breasts. Cook them to 155 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.
  • For the Honey Mustard Sauce: Whisk together the mustards, olive oil, and honey, and season with salt and pepper. Now taste it. Is it too sweet for your liking? Add more mustard. Is it too tangy? Add more honey. Drizzle over your chicken, and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 828kcal, Carbohydrates: 73g, Protein: 59g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 206mg, Sodium: 882mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 37g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.