Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Sauce
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An irresistibly crispy coating makes these pecan-crusted chicken tenders a hit with kids and adults alike.
I’m always excited to share dinner recipes that appeal to both my kids and me, and this gourmet twist on fried chicken tenders is a definite winner. Coated in a crunchy blend of pecans and panko, the chicken is pan-fried to crispy perfection, then served with a creamy whole grain honey mustard sauce. Since the pecans in the coating are finely chopped, even kids who aren’t fans of nuts will try them, ask for seconds, and even sneak thirds when you’re not looking (you know who you are!).
“Just made for dinner tonight and everyone in the family was a fan. The pecans add a unique and yummy flavor. Don’t skip the mustard dipping sauce – such a good complement to the tenders.”
What You’ll Need To Make Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders
- Pecans: Provide a rich, nutty flavor and add a crunchy texture to the chicken tenders when used as a coating.
- Panko bread crumbs: Add extra crispiness and texture to the outer coating of the chicken tenders.
- Salt, sugar, cayenne pepper: Season the coating mixture, enhancing the overall flavor profile with a balance of saltiness, sweetness, and a hint of heat.
- Chicken tenderloins: Ideal for making tenders of any kind, this quick-cooking part of the chicken is naturally very tender, ensuring juicy and succulent chicken with every bite.
- Eggs: Act as a binding agent, helping the coating mixture adhere to the chicken.
- All-purpose flour: Used as the first layer in the breading process, creating a dry surface for the egg wash to stick to.
- Vegetable oil: Used for pan-frying the chicken tenders until they are golden brown and crispy.
- Mayonnaise: Forms the creamy base for the honey mustard sauce.
- Whole grain mustard: Provides a tangy and slightly spicy flavor to the honey mustard sauce, along with texture from the mustard seeds.
- Honey: Adds sweetness and balances the tanginess of the mustard in the honey mustard sauce.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by placing the pecans in a food processor.
Pulse until the nuts are finely ground. If they’re too big, they won’t adhere to the chicken. Just be careful not to over-mix—you don’t want a nut paste.
Add the panko, sugar, salt and cayenne pepper to the nuts.
Process until the mixture is well combined and the panko is broken down into slightly smaller flakes.
Set up a breading station with flour, beaten eggs and the pecan/panko mixture.
Season the chicken with salt. Working with one or two tenders at a time, dredge first in the flour, shaking off any excess.
Then dip in the eggs.
Then finally dredge in the pecan/panko mixture, turning and pressing on the chicken several times so that the mixture adheres. Try to use one hand for the dry breading (the flour and pecan/panko mixture) and one hand for the wet (the eggs) — otherwise, your hands will end up a gloppy mess.
Place the breaded tenders on a baking sheet.
Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, heat about 1/8-inch vegetable oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken tenders and cook on the first side until golden brown. Watch carefully and adjust the heat if necessary. Because there are nuts in the breading, the tenders can burn if the heat setting is too high.
Flip the tenders and cook for another few minutes until done.
Place cooked tenders on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
Meanwhile, make the honey mustard sauce by mixing the mayonnaise, whole grain mustard and honey in a small bowl. Easy!
Serve the pecan crusted tenders with the honey mustard sauce on the side. The recipe makes a fair amount but you’ll be glad to have extra; they go quickly and leftovers are delicious the next day served warm and crispy over a salad. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
I definitely prefer to pan-fry these chicken tenders, but you can also bake them for a healthier option. They don’t get quite as crispy and juicy, but they’re still good.
You can bread the chicken tenders up to 4 hours ahead of time. Once coated in the pecan-panko mixture, place them on a lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. When ready to serve, simply pan-fry the chicken tenders according to the recipe.
Yes, the cooked chicken tenders can be frozen for up to 3 months. No need to defrost them; simply put the chicken tenders on a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 350°F (175°C)-oven until heated through and crisp, about 25 minutes, flipping halfway through baking.
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Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Sauce
An irresistibly crispy coating makes these pecan-crusted chicken tenders a hit with kids and adults alike.
Ingredients
For Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders
- 1¼ cups pecans
- 1¼ cups panko bread crumbs
- 2¼ teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 pounds chicken tenderloins
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- Vegetable oil, for cooking
For Honey Mustard Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's
- ½ cup whole grain mustard
- ¼ cup honey
Instructions
- Place the pecans in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (go easy -- you don't want a paste). Add the panko, 1¼ teaspoon salt, sugar and cayenne pepper and pulse a few more times to combine. The panko should be broken down slightly but not finely ground.
- Set up three large shallow dishes in an assembly line. Place the flour in the first dish; beat the eggs in the second dish; and place the pecan/panko mixture in the third dish. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil to hold the breaded tenders, and place at the end of the assembly line.
- Season the chicken tenders with the remaining teaspoon salt. Working with one tender at a time: dredge first in the flour, shaking off any excess; dip in the egg to coat evenly; and then dredge in the pecan/panko mixture, pressing down to make the coating adhere. Try to use one hand for the dry breading (the flour and pecan/panko mixture) and one hand for the wet (the eggs) -- otherwise, your hands will end up a mess. Place the breaded tender on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining tenders.
- Heat about ⅛-inch of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. While the oil heats up, line another baking sheet with paper towels (this is for the finished tenders — the paper towels will absorb any excess oil).
- When the oil starts to shimmer, add half of the chicken tenders and cook for a few minutes on the first side until golden brown. Using tongs, flip the tenders and cook until the second side is also golden, 1-2 minutes Adjust the heat as necessary so the tenders don't burn. Transfer the cooked tenders to the prepared baking sheet. Discard the oil, wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel, and then repeat with the remaining tenders.
- Make the sauce by combining the mayonnaise, mustard and honey in a small bowl. Serve alongside chicken tenders.
- Note: Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately 2 tablespoons of oil is absorbed into the chicken tenders when frying.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: You can bread the chicken up to 4 hours ahead of time. Once coated in the pecan-panko mixture, place them on a lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. When ready to serve, pan-fry according to the recipe. The cooked chicken tenders can be frozen for up to 3 months. No need to defrost; put the chicken tenders on a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 350°F oven until heated through and crisp, about 25 minutes. (Flip the chicken halfway through baking.)
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 880
- Fat: 61 g
- Saturated fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 57 g
- Sugar: 16 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Sodium: 1,061 mg
- Cholesterol: 123 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I wasn’t totally thrilled with these to be honest. It may have been the lower heat needed to cook the pecan without burning; it may have been the panko with it’s porous texture, or it may have been the natural oiliness of nuts, but the finished product seemed a tad too oily for my liking. The sauce with it’s heavy component of mayo amped the experience. The flavor of the pecan didn’t really shine through as I though it would, though that may have been the fault of the nuts. I bought them from a good grocer, so not sure. This isn’t one I would recommend :/
I made these delicious tenders last night. My whole family loved them, including two very picky tweens. I will be adding this one to the rotation for sure. Thanks, Jenn!
thank you for sharing this recipe with us. Just looking at the pictures makes me hungry! I was wondering if i could bake the tenders instead of pan frying it.
Hi Fardusa, Yes, that would work…they won’t be quite as crispy but they will still be delicious.
If I use breast how thick or thin should they be?
Judy, If you are using boneless skinless chicken breasts, I would first pound them to a 1/2″ thickness, then cut them in 1-1/2″ strips.
I made these last night–baked, not fried. Awesome! Made a half batch from 2 chicken breasts (to feed 2 people). They came out crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside. I don’t have a food processor, so I just whacked some pecans in a ziplock bag with my rolling pin until they crumbled a bit. Baked for 12 minutes at 375, was prepared to turn them but didn’t have to. Yummy!
I just made these delicious tenders with your butternut squash soup and biscuits. My family raved….thx for all the wonderful recipes.
I followed recipe exactly, but my crust came off on some of the tenders. I’m making it again tonight because, truly, my 2 teens loved it! Please let me know what I can do to prevent nuts from coming off. Also, could you give general times to cook on each side? They were not done the first time I flipped.
Hi Cathy, Hmmm…You’ve stumped me! I have not had that happen. As long as you’re doing the three step breading method, the breading should adhere. I’d suggest trying to grind the nuts up a little finer. Also, when you’re coating the tenders in the bread crumb/panko mixture, press down firmly on the tenders and flatten them a bit. This will help the coating adhere and also help the tenders to cook faster. And I’d say it’s about 2 minutes per side. Hope that helps…please come back and let me know how they come out. Thanks!
Hi Jennifer!
I made these chicken tenders last night for my husband and daughter – they loved them along with the honey mustard sauce!! My 10 year old daughter doesn’t like nuts but she never knew I used pecans in the breading. My husband made himself a sandwich today for lunch with the leftovers. Your recipes are so easy to follow and come out perfect every time.
Jennifer
What are chicken ‘tenders’?
Chicken tenders are made from chicken tenderloins, which is the most tender part of the breast. They are usually sold separately. If you can’t find them, you can always use regular chicken breasts and slice them in strips.
I have 2 questions:
1. Will this work with another type of nut (such as almonds)?
2. How would you recommend baking these instead of frying?
Thanks! They look great!
Hi Eliana, I have never tried them with another type of nut but I think it will work best with pecans. To bake them, just put them on a foil lined baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.