Bourbon Pecan Crusted Chicken

I was going over the recipes I recently created and realized about ⅓ of them have peaches in them. What can I say? I love my stone fruit. Last week was all about peaches and cream hand pies. Today it's all about the savory, or more specifically, bourbon pecan crusted chicken with caramelized peaches and sauteed corn. If this dish doesn't scream summer I don't know what will!

Recipe

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Bourbon Pecan Crusted Chicken

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken

Servings: 4

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Bourbon pecan crusted chicken

• 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
• 2 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon bourbon
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon butter melted
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup finely chopped pecans
• ½ cup panko
• 2 tablespoon oil

Caramelized peaches

• 3 yellow peaches ripe
• 2 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoon butter

Sauteed corn

• 2 ears corn
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
• ½ teaspoon lime zest
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Prepare the chicken. Combine dijon mustard with brown sugar, bourbon, lemon juice, butter, salt, and black pepper until well combined. Pour the marinade over the chicken, turning to coat both sides. Let sit for at least 30 minutes or in the fridge overnight.
• Combine the pecans with the breadcrumbs in a bowl. Remove the chicken from the marinade and coat in the pecan crumb mix. Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a large saute pan over medium and cook the chicken until browned on both sides and the juices run clear.
• While the chicken is cooking, prepare the peaches. Cut the peaches into wedges and gently toss with maple syrup, lemon juice, thyme, and a pinch of salt. Melt 2 tablespoon butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the peaches and cook until caramelized and golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.
• Shuck the corn. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat and saute the corn until lightly charred. Remove from heat and toss together with the basil, lime zest, salt, and pepper.
• Serve the chicken with the caramelized peaches along with its juices and sauteed corn.

**Helpful tips and common mistakes

Years ago whenever I wanted something simple but delicious, I used to throw some honey mustard on chicken or salmon and call it a day. It was always guaranteed to be delicious despite how simple it is. Today's bourbon pecan crusted chicken is a version of that simple honey mustard chicken but with a few special add-ins.

To make this meal, first, marinate the chicken. Combine the dijon mustard with brown sugar, bourbon, lemon juice, melted butter, salt, and pepper. Coat the chicken breasts with the marinade and let them sit for at least 30 minutes. If you're not a fan of bourbon, you can omit it from the marinade.

I used chicken breasts for this recipe but you can also use chicken thighs. Just be sure to use skinless boneless chicken no matter what cut you use. Alternatively, swap out the chicken entirely for salmon or a tender cut of pork like pork tenderloin.

While the chicken is marinating, prepare the crust. Finely chop raw pecans either by hand or with a food processor. You want them to be as small as breadcrumbs. Combine the nuts with the breadcrumbs and coat the chicken with the mixture.

Heat a saute pan with oil and cook the chicken until browned on both sides and the juices run clear. You don't want the heat to be too hot or else the outside will burn and the inside will still be raw.

I usually like to roast my chicken but because of the pecan crust, I recommend cooking them on the stovetop. The crust can get soggy and fall off in the oven.

While the chicken is cooking, caramelize the peaches. Gently toss sliced yellow peaches with maple syrup, lemon juice, thyme, and a pinch of salt. You don't have to bother peeling the skin unless you prefer it.

Melt butter in a pan and cook the peaches until they brown and soften. I could just eat the peaches alone they're so delicious!

Saute the corn until lightly charred and then plate everything together. Serve the bourbon pecan crusted chicken with the caramelized peaches and corn, drizzling some of the peach juices on top.

If you like honey mustard, I think you'll like this grown-up version just as much. The pecans add a lovely crunch to the chicken while the peaches and corn add sweetness to the dish. A great summer chicken weeknight dinner if I do say so myself!

For more peach inspiration, check out this peach raspberry pie bars with lemon curd recipe!