HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN

Butterfly the breasts on a cutting board by holding the top of the breast flat with the palm of your hand. Using a sharp chef’s knife, slice the chicken breast horizontally into two even pieces (between your hand and the cutting board) that open like a book.  Place each half in a large ziplock bag and pound with a meat pounder to even ½” thickness all over.

Whisk honey, mustards and ginger together in a small bowl.  Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.  Spread 1 tablespoon of honey mustard sauce on each side of chicken to coat and place in a 9” x 13” pan to marinade for at least 2 hours or overnight.  Reserve remaining sauce.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Mix pecans and bread crumbs in a shallow baking dish.  Press each honey-mustard-coated breast into the breadcrumb/pecan coating to fully coat.  Place in hot oil and brown on each side, flipping gingerly to make sure crust aheres.  Repeat for each breast, adding oil to the pan as needed.

Place browned breasts back into the 9” x 13” pan (on top of any remaining marinade).  Bake until chicken is just cooked through, about 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the breasts.  Heat remaining sauce in a small saucepan and drizzle over the cooked chicken.*

*I also like to make carrots with this dish (peel, slice, and boil until fork tender) and also top or toss with the remaining honey mustard sauce.