Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Pecan Crusted Chicken Strips



One of the things I enjoy most is taking a recipe I love and converting it into a healthy, substantial meal. Fried chicken is one of those comfort foods everyone loves, but clearly coating chicken in white flour and frying it in oil isn’t the best choice. So how can we mimic the taste and crunch but eliminate the fat and calories? Aahhhh love a challenge.

Pecan Crusted Un-fried Chicken Strips
Fix Portions (per serving: 1 serving = 3 chicken strips): 1 yellow, 1 blue, 1 red

Ingredients
·         1 chicken breast
·         2 slices whole wheat bread
·         2 blue containers pecans
·         ¼ cup Dijon mustard
·         1 tsp honey

Directions
1.      In a food processor, finely chop bread and pecans (until you get the consistency of breadcrumbs)
2.      Slice chicken breast into 6 strips
3.      Combine Dijon mustard and honey in a shallow dish
4.      Coat each chicken strip in honey-mustard mixture, then roll in pecan-breadcrumb mixture
5.      Take a cooling rack (like that you would use to cool cookies) and place that inside a cookie sheet. Place chicken strips on rack and bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes
6.      Serve alongside vegetables or add to your favorite salad.




41 comments:

  1. This recipe was great!! Thanks

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  2. this looks so kid friendly! love it.

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  3. do you think this would work for fish sticks?

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  4. This recipe was awesome. thanks so much!

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  5. can anything else be used in place of the mustard??

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    1. The mustard acts as a binding agent to get the breading onto the chicken (since there is no egg batter here)... Maybe try something like plain nonfat greek yogurt- you could always season that up a little with garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. It will take on a different flavor profile than the original recipe but still be a healthy, baked chicken strip!

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  6. Could I use almonds instead of pecans?

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    1. I did! I've used both. The pecans give it a better flavor but the almonds weren't bad I mainly tasted the mustard! :)

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  7. Do I need to toast bread before putting it in a food processor?

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  8. I don't have a food processor. Do you think a blender would work?

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    Replies
    1. Yes! You could even use a ziploc bag- put the pecans in there and crush them with a mallet or rolling pin :)

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  9. I don't have a food processor. Do you think a blender would work?

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  10. I don't have a food processor. Do you think a blender would work?

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  11. I loved these - Week 5 on 21 day fix - down 14 pounds and 10 inches - first program that actually is working - I am SO excited. Thank you for these awesome recipes!

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  12. Does this recipe work with Peanuts. I am allergic to tree nuts.

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  13. This recipe looks simple and delicious.
    Can't wait to try it! Thanks for sharing :)

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  14. How many strips do you get from 1 chicken breast?

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    Replies
    1. About 3 or 4, depending on the size of the chicken breast. Alternatively, you could always buy the chicken pre-sliced as tenders and save some time :)

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  15. What brand of bread and type did you use? Sounds delicious!

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  16. Can you not use the pecans and just use bread crumbs?

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    1. Sure! If you eliminate the nuts, you wouldn't need to count a blue serving, but if you increase the amount of breadcrumbs, you might need to slightly adjust your yellow count. Hope that helps!

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  17. Just wanted to say that I have recently made a few of your recipes and they are wonderful! Thank you for posting them! Please keep posting more!! :)

    Thanks so much!!

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    Replies
    1. Aww thank you so much! I'm working on some new ones, so stay tuned!

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  18. Can you use egg white as the binder?

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  19. What is the measurement of one "blue" container? Can't wait to try this!

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  20. This recipe is a HUGE hit in my house! I made it as part of a Beachbody program but my husband is begging me to make these again! So easy and delicious and even good reheated!

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  21. This was delicious! To say my young boys loved it is an understatement!

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  22. I made these tonight with walnuts instead of pecans (it's what I had on-hand)...husband & I loved them! Thank you for a great recipe!!!

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  23. Made this exactly as written and they were absolutely delicious. The kids and husband loved them too! They are so filling I only had two! Can't wait to try more of your recipes, thank you!!!!

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  24. How many servings is this recipe?

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    Replies
    1. 1 chicken breast will give you 2 servings (cut the breast into 6 strips- 3 strips per serving)

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  25. Could I buy pre made breadcrumbs instead of making them? If so, how much would I need to measure out?

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  26. Thank you for sharing I read with pleasure
    We wrote the characteristics of chicken and Fizan chicken.
    Fizan tavuğu
    Zibrit

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