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Pecan-Crusted Chicken Bites with Maple Mustard Sauce

Source of Recipe

From "The Outdoor Table" by April McKinney


Recipe Introduction

"When my grandparents talk about their memories of outdoor church potlucks, they recall their mothers always bringing homemade fried chicken. It didn't matter that it wasn't piping hot; fried chicken was always part of the picnic spread. Nowadays, chicken nuggets seem to be the staple, so this is my simple version of crispy chicken that is delicious served hot or at room temperature."

List of Ingredients

Chicken Bites:
â—¦ Cooking spray
â—¦ 1½ pounds chicken breast, cut into 2-inch nuggets
â—¦ ½ cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ 2 large eggs
â—¦ 1 cup finely crushed pecans
â—¦ 1 cup panko bread crumbs
â—¦ 1¼ teaspoons salt
â—¦ 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Maple Mustard Sauce:
â—¦ 2 tablespoons honey
â—¦ 2 tablespoons maple syrup
â—¦ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
â—¦ ½ teaspoon chili powder
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon salt


Recipe

For the chicken, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet, and spray it with cooking spray. Place the chicken nuggets in a bowl, and add the flour. Toss until the chicken is well coated. In a shallow dish beat the eggs, and in another shallow dish combine the pecans, panko, salt, and pepper. Dip the chicken into the egg and then into the pecan mixture, working in batches until all of the chicken is well coated.

Place the chicken on the rack, making sure that the pieces are not touching. Spray liberally with cooking spray. Bake the chicken for 12 to 15 minutes, until it is golden and cooked through.

For the sauce, in a small bowl stir together the honey, maple syrup, mustard, chili powder, and salt. Serve the sauce alongside the chicken nuggets. If you are traveling with this dish, store the sauce separately from the nuggets until you are ready to serve them.


Makes 6 servings


Tip:
•  Serve these chicken nuggets on a platter with toothpicks for e everyone to snack on.