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About This Recipe
I’m always looking for ways to make regular chicken more exciting and these pecan crusted chicken tenders do just that! Quick and simple to make and seriously so good. They’re easily one of my favorite ways to jazz up chicken!
The pecans give these tender chicken strips the best crunch and the honey compliments them both so beautifully!
They’re so versatile, which also makes this one of my favorite dinner recipes! We love serving these pecan-crusted chicken tenders up with whatever healthy side dishes we have in the fridge or are feeling. My easy go-to is to make some sweet potato wedges or air fryer green beans to pair them with.
And I love adding these pecan crusted chicken tenders on top of a salad, especially when the salad has sweet potatoes like this fall harvest salad!
These tenders are perfect for meal prep because they’re a great protein source to have on hand for the week. Then you can use it for all the things, from wraps to salads to a classic finger food plate!
And please, don’t forget the honey!! Or a least another sauce. I may be a sauce girl but I really think some sort of flavor packed sauce like honey or a honey mustard really take these pecan chicken tenders to a whole new level!
You could try a honey mustard dressing or Chick-fil-A honey roasted BBQ sauce or any other of my lightened up, healthy sauces. Classic ketchup, yellow mustard, dijon mustard or ranch all pair beautifully as well!
Why You’ll Love These Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders
- Deliciously tender chicken with a crunchy pecan crust! These tenders have the all the texture and flavor elements.
- Made with simple ingredients & pantry staples.
- No excess oil like you’d get from fried chicken tenders (but you do get some healthy fats from the pecans!)
- Perfect finger food. The whole family will love & devour!
- Great high protein source and a good change up from plain ole chicken breast.
- They hold up great in the fridge & work great for meal prep!
- Chicken – I used chicken tenderloins. You could also do this with boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
- Egg – the egg will help keep the crunchy pecan crust on the chicken. If you need egg free, you can use milk or buttermilk, Greek yogurt or mayonnaise to coat the chicken instead.
- Milk – I used unsweetened almond milk. Any dairy or non dairy milk work. Instead of milk, you can use another egg or mayonnaise.
- Pecans – we are going to ground pecans fine in a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, you can add pecans to a ziplock bag and use something firm to crush pecans completely.
- Panko breadcrumbs – make sure you use panko breadcrumbs! Panko = crispy. Normal Italian breadcrumbs don’t crisp up as well. You could also do crushed cornflakes, they work great in place of Panko.
- Honey – This pairs amazing with the pecans! You could also use maple syrup if you still wanted that sweet touch. Or skip completely and use your favorite sauce instead!
- Seasonings: Grab some garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Chicken nuggets: Instead of using chicken tenderloins, cut chicken into 1-inch cubes to make pecan chicken nuggets.
- Make it spicy: skip the milk and beat hot sauce with the egg instead
- Make gluten-free: use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs.
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Trim tendons from tenderloins if desired. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Whisk the egg and milk together in a small bowl.
2. To a food processor, add the pecans, panko bread crumbs, garlic powder and paprika. Pulse until you have fine crumbs (alternatively you can crush in a large ziploc bag).
3. Move the crumbs to a shallow bowl. Coat chicken with egg mixture then dredge through the pecan crumbs. Use your hands to press the crumbs onto the chicken so it stays.
4. Preheat the air fryer to 375F. Spray air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place chicken in a single layer and spray the top with cooking spray. Cook for 7-8 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until chicken is cooked through and a light golden brown.
5. Let the chicken strips rest on a plate for 5 minutes before slicing.
6. Drizzle the honey over the chicken right before serving.
Using Chicken Breast Instead of Tenderloins
Make your own chicken strips with regular chicken breasts!
Pound chicken breast to even thickness using a meat mallet. This helps ensure the chicken cooks evenly and helps prevent overcooking.
If the chicken breast is really thick, butterfly and cut in half horizontally. Thinner chicken is easier to cook more even without it drying out.
- Grill method: Set grill to medium heat (~450°F). Grease grill. Add the chicken and spray the top with cooking spray. Cook chicken for 3 minutes, then flip, and grill for another 2-3 minutes or until cooked through (155°F internal temperature*).Let the chicken rest on a plate for 5 minutes before slicing. Drizzle the honey over the chicken right before serving.
- Oven method: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Add an oven-safe wire metal rack on top of the large baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Place the chicken tenders on top of the rack. Bake for 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through (155°F internal temperature*).*carryover cooking will ensure your chicken reaches 165°F and prevents overcooking.
Store cooked chicken tenders in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
How To Freeze: Let cool completely first. Then transfer to a baking sheet or other flat freezer-friendly dish (we want the nuggets to stay separated to prevent them from sticking together). Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. They’ll stay good for 3-4 months.
How To Reheat
- Air Fryer: Spray bottom of the air fryer basket with cooking spray and heat your tenders in the air fryer at 350 degrees for about 5-6 minutes.
- Oven: Place the chicken tenders on a baking sheet and broil them on high for a couple of minutes until they’re heated through and crispy on the outside.
- Reheat From Frozen: On a prepared baking sheet, bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until nuggets are cooked through. For best results, bake nuggets on a wire rack placed on the baking sheet so they crisp up evenly.
Helpful Tips
- Don’t over-crowd. The air fryer needs to have enough room to circulate hot air all around the chicken for it to cook and crisp up properly.
- Use panko. Panko breadcrumbs crisp up way better than normal Italian breadcrumbs and work best for this recipe!
- Sub Corn Flakes. Don’t have panko breadcrumbs? No worries, crushed cornflakes also work great to get these tenders nice and crisped.
- Dry the chicken. Pat chicken dry well with a paper towel before adding to the egg mixture. Removing as much liquid on the chicken as possible allows the coating to stick better.
- Don’t overcook. Since these are tenders and tenders do cook faster than whole breast, we’ll want to watch them closely. Over-cooking chicken drys it out and we want to keep our chicken juicy!
- Honey! Don’t forget the honey! It really makes these tenders. If you don’t want honey, I highly recommend getting saucy with some honey mustard, ranch or your favorite dressing!
Can I use traditional breadcrumbs to make these chicken tenders?
For best results, stick with panko bread crumbs. They will give you the crispiest result! Normal breadcrumbs will work, the nuggets just won’t be as crispy.
How are these chicken tenders best served?
These pecan chicken tenders go great with just about anything. For a balanced meal I love serving them with a carb and a vegetable (and definitely honey or some kind of sauce for dipping!)
You could also use them as a protein to throw on top your favorite salad. The pecan crust gives the chicken more dimension and really brings regular plain ole chicken to life. I especially love this pecan chicken paired with sweet potatoes in a fall harvest salad!
Can I freeze these tenders?
Yes! I love to freeze them so I have some on hand in a pinch. See the directions above for information on how to freeze your nuggets.
Can I toast the pecans before adding them to the recipe?
Yes! Toasting the pecans before using them in this recipe adds additional nutty flavor and extra crunchy pecan goodness. Simply place the pecans on a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes. The cooking time may vary a little, but you will want them just lightly browned (without them burning).
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 2 lb. chicken tenderloins can also use chicken breasts
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp milk of choice (15g)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (60g)
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (56g)
- 1 tsp each: garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper
- 2 Tbsp honey (42g)
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Instructions
- Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and season with a little salt. Whisk the egg and milk in a bowl.
- To a food processor, add the pecans, panko bread crumbs, garlic powder and paprika. Pulse until you have fine crumbs (alternatively you can crush in a large ziploc bag). Move the crumbs to a shallow bowl.
- Coat chicken with egg mixture then dredge through the pecan crumbs. Use your hands to press the crumbs onto the chicken so it stays.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375F. Spray air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place chicken in a single layer and spray the top with cooking spray. Cook for 7-8 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature has reached 155F*)
- Drizzle the honey over the chicken right before serving and enjoy!See Recipe Notes below for additional cooking methods.
Notes
To make gluten-free: use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs.
To make dairy-free: use dairy-free milk. Oven method: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Add an oven-safe wire metal rack on top of the large baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Place the chicken tenders on top of the rack. Bake for 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Grill method: Set grill to medium heat (~450°F). Grease grill. Add the chicken and spray the top with cooking spray. Cook chicken for 5-6 minutes, flipping halfway, or until cooked through. Let the chicken rest on a plate for 5 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
