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 Honey Pecan Chicken is an easy weeknight dinner that’s sweet and slightly spicy with crunchy pecans for texture. It’s one dish your family will love! Pair it with a vegetable or rice side to create a balanced meal. This one-pan meal is ready in under 20 minutes.

Honey Pecan Chicken

This honey pecan chicken recipe is made with boneless skinless chicken breasts, rubbed with spices, fried in a pan, and drizzled with honey and pecans. The chicken is wonderfully glazed with the caramelized honey and the pecans become toasted and coated in the honey as well. These complex flavors are simple to achieve and make this meal stand out! 

Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally through the width of the breast.

Place each chicken breast under waxed paper or plastic wrap and pound to about ½ inch thickness.

Mix together dry seasonings and sprinkle over chicken breasts on both sides.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Place chicken breasts (3 at a time) in skillet and brown (2 to 3 minutes) on one side before flipping.

When chicken is brown on both sides, remove but keep warm. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

Deglaze skillet with water, scraping to remove and stuck pieces.

Place all chicken breast in the large skillet and cover with lid.

Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove lid and pour honey and pecans over chicken.

Cook, uncovered, until chicken is glazed.

What to serve with Honey Pecan Chicken:

Pecan chicken breasts can be eaten as a meal by themselves and also go well with other side dishes. If you want to keep it easy, try these Slow Cooker Loaded Mashed Potatoes. They go into the slow cooker in the morning and are ready with the chicken in the evening. 

These Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes with bacon are a perfect complement to honey pecan chicken. The bacon and pecans go together wonderfully and the sweet potatoes are a great balance to the chicken. 

Roasted Green Beans are easy to throw together and are baked in the oven while the chicken is cooking. These crunchy green beans are a great side for the pecan-crusted chicken.

Tips for success/variations:

This is a wonderful recipe as it is, but if you have other ingredients on hand or want to change it up, here are some ideas. You can use maple syrup instead of honey for a keto-friendly meal. 

Try using walnuts instead of pecans if you have some on hand. The flavor will be slightly different and still delicious! 

If you’d like to use the oven instead of cooking it entirely on the stovetop, you can do this as well. Sear both sides of the chicken quickly, deglaze the pan, cover, and put it in the oven for 5 – 7 minutes or until cooked through to 165 degrees. 

Overcooked chicken will dry out and become tough. Make sure to check the temperature with a digital read thermometer often. Pull the chicken out when it reaches 160 degrees, cover with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 5 minutes. It will continue to cook the rest of the way and letting it rest will allow the juices to circulate back through the chicken and make it incredibly juicy. 

How to store pecan-crusted chicken:

Store the leftover chicken in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat it, heat it in the microwave in 30-second increments until it’s warm all the way through. It should reach 165 degrees. You can also eat chicken cold, straight from the refrigerator. 

Chicken freezes well, too. Cut it in slices, wrap it in plastic wrap, place it in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Double wrapping helps prevent freezer burn. To eat the chicken, allow it to thaw in the fridge or defrost it in the microwave using the defrost setting.

FAQs:

Can you use chicken tenderloins instead of breasts? 

Yes, you can use tenders instead of breasts for this dish. Tenders are the long, thin part of the breasts that are packaged and sold separately. It may be more cost-effective to buy the breasts instead of the tenderloins, though. Compare the prices at the grocery store. 

Can you fry honey pecan chicken? 

Yes and no. You can pan-fry chicken and then add the honey to the pan to create a glaze. If you want to fry the chicken in a large pot of oil, it’s a good idea to bread the chicken first and add the honey to the breading beforehand. 

What can you do with leftover honey pecan chicken? 

There are so many ways you can use this chicken. Slice it and place it on top of a strawberry and greens salad and drizzle with a vinaigrette or green goddess dressing. Layer it in a pita with baby greens for lunch the next day. The options to pair it are endless.