Pecan-Crusted Chicken

From EatingWell: May/June 2007, EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook — Subscribe Now!

This recipe coats tender chicken breasts with a buttery pecans flavored with spicy chipotle and zesty orange. Serve with a spinach salad.

READER'S COMMENT:

"My boyfriend is allergic to oranges, so I substituted lime and used ground cayenne pepper instead of the chipotle. I do not have anything to make the chicken into 1/2 inch thick, either, so I take a regular boneless chicken breast and...

4 servings

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (1-1 1/4 pounds), trimmed (see Tip)
1/2 cup pecan halves or pieces
1/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, (see Note)
1 large eggwhite
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided

Preparation

Working with one piece of chicken at a time, place between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until flattened to an even 1/4-inch thickness.
Place pecans, breadcrumbs, orange zest, salt and ground chipotle in a food processor and pulse until the pecans are finely ground. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish. Whisk egg white and water in a shallow dish until combined. Dip each chicken breast in the egg-white mixture, then dredge both sides in the pecan mixture.
Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half the chicken and cook until browned on the outside and no longer pink in the middle, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Carefully wipe out the pan with a paper towel and add the remaining oil. Cook the remaining chicken, adjusting the heat as needed to prevent scorching. Serve immediately.

Tips & Notes

Tip: It can be hard to find individual chicken breasts small enough for our recommended 4-ounce (uncooked) portion size. If yours are closer to 5 ounces each, remove the tender (about 1 ounce) from the underside to get the correct portion size. Wrap and freeze the leftover tenders; when you have gathered enough, use them in a stir-fry, for chicken fingers or in soups.
Note: Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapeño peppers. Ground chipotle can be found in the specialty spice section of most supermarkets.

Nutrition

Per serving: 281 calories; 15 g fat (2 g sat, 8 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrates; 29 g protein; 2 g fiber; 430 mg sodium; 376 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (34% daily value), good source of omega-3s.

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 4 lean meat, 1/2 fat