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Overhead view of a plate of 3 pecan crusted chicken cutlets with a drizzle of honey mustard sauce on a neutral plate.

Air Fryer Pecan Crusted Chicken with Honey Mustard Sauce

Quick and easy air fryer chicken gets a boost of crunch and crispiness thanks to a coating of breadcrumbs and crushed pecans. Served with an easy 3-ingredient honey mustard, this 20 minute recipe is sure to please!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 22 minutes
Yield:4 servings

Equipment

  • air fryer
  • Paper towels
  • Food processor
  • 2 shallow bowls
  • 2 whisks
  • Plate
  • Spray oil safe for air fryers
  • Small bowl
  • Spoon

Ingredients

For the Pecan-Crusted Chicken

  • 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts approximately 1-1 ½ pounds; cut in half lengthwise to create 4 chicken cutlets
  • salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup Diamond of California pecans halved, chopped, or finely diced
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 large egg

For the Honey Mustard Sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat air fryer to 360° Fahrenheit. Pat chicken cutlets completely dry with paper towels. Liberally season all sides of each cutlet with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
    4 chicken cutlets seasoned with salt and black pepper on a round white plate with blue trim.
  • Add pecans to food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, but don't overdo it. Transfer finely chopped pecans to one shallow bowl.
    Overhead view of finely chopped pecans in a food processor bowl on a white background.
  • Add breadcrumbs, paprika, and garlic powder to bowl with pecans. Stir well to combine. Set aside.
    Overhead view of the pecan and breadcrumb mixture for coating the chicken cutlets.
  • Crack egg into second shallow bowl and whisk until yolk and whites are fully combined.
  • Dip one cutlet in whisked egg, coating both sides of cutlet well. Let excess egg drip back into bowl, then place cutlet in pecan mixture. Flip cutlet in pecan breading until both sides of cutlet are well-coated, then transfer cutlet to plate and set aside. Repeat until all chicken cutlets have been coated in egg and pecan mixture.
    Overhead view of uncooked pecan-crusted chicken on a white plate with blue trim.
  • Lightly spray air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place chicken cutlets in air fryer basket in one even layer, being careful not to stack or overlap cutlets. Work in batches as needed. Spray tops of chicken cutlets lightly with spray oil then return basket to preheated air fryer.
  • Cook 6 minutes, then remove basket and flip cutlets over. Return basket to air fryer and cook another 6 minutes.
    Overhead view of 2 cooked pecan-crusted chicken cutlets in the air fryer basket.
  • While cutlets cook, stir together all ingredients for honey mustard sauce in small bowl. Once chicken is fully cooked, serve immediately with honey mustard sauce and desired sauce.
    Overhead view of a small bowl of honey mustard sauce with a white silicone spatula on a white background.

Notes

  • Make it Gluten Free: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
  • Make it Low Carb: Use almond meal instead of panko breadcrumbs.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1serving | Calories: 646kcal | Protein: 42g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 167mg | Sodium: 573mg | Potassium: 817mg | Total Carbs: 19g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Net Carbs: 15g | Vitamin A: 528IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 2mg
Recipe By:Sam Guarnieri