I originally published this recipe in 2017 and have since added new photos and made a few small updates to enhance the walnut coating.
Walnut-Crusted Chicken: What to Expect
Texture: Served warm out of the oven, you’ll enjoy crunchy chopped walnuts, tender juicy bites of chicken, and sticky sweet glaze with every delicious mouthful. If you crave texture, this recipe totally delivers. FYI: those browned crispy walnut bits at the bottom of the pan are the best part. Don’t leave them behind! Flavor: This is a balanced dish. The seasoned chicken, the nutty walnuts, and the tangy sweetness of the honey mustard glaze work so well together. The white wine in the chicken marinade adds depth of flavor, but if you’d like to skip the wine, you can replace it with chicken stock. And feel free to replace the walnuts with pecans. Ease: This is a recipe for cooks of any skill level. Marinate the chicken, coat it in the nut mixture, and then bake. Serve with a 2-ingredient glaze. Time: Set aside about 30 minutes for hands-on prep, plus at least 4 hours to overnight for marinating the chicken. For an even quicker chicken dish (no marinating required), try my skillet apple cider chicken.
Don’t Skip Marinating the Chicken
If you don’t want to use wine, you can substitute low-sodium chicken broth. After marinating, you’ll coat the chicken in walnuts, flour, salt, and pepper. Success Tip: The finer you chop the nuts, the more they’ll stick and stay on the chicken. Be sure to cut them up extra fine.
Sear & Bake the Walnut Chicken
Sear the chicken before baking it. Why are you doing this? First, it locks in the marinade’s flavor. It also helps ensure the walnuts stick to the chicken, and adds a delightful crunch, too. Transfer the seared chicken to the oven and bake. Success Tip: Make cleanup a breeze with an oven-safe skillet that can handle all the cooking, from searing to baking. I use an oven-safe skillet in the same way for lemon thyme chicken, cilantro lime chicken, and garlic chicken. While the chicken bakes, whip up the glaze by mixing Dijon mustard and honey together. If the walnut-crusted chicken were an ice cream sundae, the honey mustard glaze would be the very necessary whipped cream + cherry on top—it just completes the whole dish!
Serve With:
If you need ideas for side dishes that pair well with walnut-crusted chicken, here are some of my favorites: homemade biscuits or dinner rolls, artisan bread or asiago-crusted skillet bread, brown or wild rice, steamed vegetables such as asparagus, green beans, or broccoli, and/or a spring greens salad. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as our family has over the years. A familiar dish can remind you of home, but only the best can take you there.
More Favorite Dinner Recipes
Honey Teriyaki Chicken Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Crab Cakes Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Honey Garlic Soy Glazed Salmon Baked Chicken Meatballs Creamy Garlic Chicken
