This post brought to you in partnership with American Pecans.
We love any excuse to try a new chicken recipe, especially Hot Chicken! A few months ago, our friends at American Pecans hosted the #NotJustPie contest on Instagram and Twitter, asking fans to break pecans out of the pie shell and show off their best non-pie pecan recipes, and it’s clear why this Pecan-Crusted Nashville Hot Chicken came out on top.
We all have Crystal Schlueter of @HomeOnTheIronRange to thank for her creative Southern recipe, featuring creamy cornbread grits and a tangy collard greens pesto.
Of course, pecans, The Original SupernutTM, never disappoint — they’re versatile, nutritious and the only major tree nut indigenous to America. And — lucky us — they’re used in the pesto, the chicken coating and the hot oil here. We’ll be dreaming about this super crispy chicken for weeks to come, and have a feeling you’ll love it as much as we did!
Tips:
- The pesto can be made up to a week ahead and kept refrigerated.
- To toast the pecans, place in a single layer in a skillet over medium heat.
Shake pan often.Do not be tempted to just mix the honey right into the 1 cup of oil, as it will cause the spices to clump.If desired, use gluten free flour and gluten free cornbread mix; you may need to adjust the amount of liquid for the grits.
For more pecan recipes, visit americanpecan.com.
Ingredients
- For the Chicken Marinade:
- 2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup dill pickle brine
- 1/4 cup Louisiana-style hot sauce, like Louisiana Hot Sauce or Crystal Louisiana’s Pure Hot Sauce
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 24 ounces total), pounded to an even thickness
- For the Pesto:
- 1 cup collard greens, rinsed, trimmed of center ribs and roughly chopped, and firmly packed
- 1 cup thinly sliced green onions, green parts only, lightly packed
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped dill pickles
- 2/3 cup raw pecan pieces, toasted
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup dill pickle brine
- 1/4 cup pecan oil
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- For the Chicken Coating:
- 2 cups raw pecan pieces, toasted
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 4 large egg whites, lightly beaten
- Cooking spray
- For the Cornbread Grits:
- 2 batches prepared and cooled cornbread, homemade or from 2 store-bought 8.5-ounce box mixes
- 2 cups reduced fat milk
- 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 8 ounces reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated and brought to room temperature
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup pimientos
- For the Hot Pecan Oil:
- 1 cup pecan oil
- 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper (or more if desired)
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons honey
- To Garnish:
- Dill pickle slices
Method
- Marinate the chicken
In a medium glass baking dish, whisk together the buttermilk, dill pickle brine, hot sauce, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the collard greens and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain well in a colander and let cool for 10 minutes. Add the collard greens and remaining pesto ingredients to a food processor, and pulse until it forms a course puree. Refrigerate until you are ready to bake the chicken.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. In a food processor, pulse pecans until they resemble the texture of coarse cornmeal and pour into a shallow dish. In separate shallow dish, whisk together the flour, salt and pepper. In another separate shallow bowl, place egg whites.
Drain and discard chicken marinade.
Lightly dredge chicken in the flour, then into the egg whites and finally into the pecans, coating thoroughly.
Place chicken on the foil-lined baking sheet and spray tops lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Crumble the cornbread into coarse crumbs and transfer to a bowl along with the milk and broth. Stir gently to moisten. For super creamy grits, blend in a blender until no lumps remain.
Transfer this mixture to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thickened like grits, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar, salt and pepper until smooth. Fold in pimientos.
In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the hot oil except honey until combined. Pour 1 tablespoon of the oil mixture into a small bowl with the honey, whisk briefly to combine, and set aside.
Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons pesto around the outer edges of each of two serving plates. Spoon about 1 cup of grits in the center of each plate. Carefully place chicken in the skillet with the hot oil. Spoon more oil on top. Place one piece of chicken over each plate of grits. Drizzle reserved honey-oil mixture over chicken, allowing any excess to drip over the edges. Garnish chicken with dill pickle slices.
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