Southern Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad (with apples and potatoes)
Warm pecan crusted chicken and salty, creamy baby potatoes give a lot of heft to this lovely, simple salad. Sweet crunchy apples and punchy onion are the perfect complements here. We suggest adding some crumbled goat or blue cheese to the mix, and some sliced cucumbers or cherry tomatoes are also great.Â
- Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
- 24 ounces baby waxy potatoes (gold or red)
- Salt and pepper, as needed
- Garlic and Herb Seasoning, to taste (I use a couple of teaspoons of McCormick brand’s)
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- Olive oil, as needed
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, lightly pounded to flatten (see note)
- 1/4 cup sour cream or mayonnaise
- 8 to 10 cups mixed salad greens
- 1/4 small red onion, sliced OR 4 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
- 1 red apple, sliced
For the Tangy Honey Mustard Dressing:Â cup neutral flavored oil such as canola or vegetable
- 2/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, or to taste
- 1 heaping tablespoon Dijon or whole grain mustard
- 3 teaspoons honey, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons sour cream or mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper to taste
Additional Serving Suggestions: Crumbled goat cheese or crumble blue cheese, sliced cucumbers, halved cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Put the potatoes in a pot of water to cover. Bring to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Cook until fork tender and drain. Toss the potatoes with olive oil to coat, and season them well with salt, pepper, and garlic and herb seasoning.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine the pecans and panko. Season with salt and pepper. Moisten this mixture with enough olive oil to light coat. Toss to mix well.
- Put the chicken breasts on a large sheet pan and season with salt and pepper. Liberally coat each chicken breast with sour cream. Pile some of the pecan mixture onto each piece of chicken, getting them as fully and evenly coated (on just one side) as you can, pressing the topping gently to help it adhere.
- Bake the chicken until golden brown and cooked through; about 18 minutes if they’re pounded thinner, 22 to 26 minutes if not.
- To make the dressing, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, sour cream or mayo, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust any of these ingredients to suit your preferences – this is just a jumping off point/blueprint. You should customize the flavor and creaminess it to your liking.
- To build your salad(s): Toss the greens with some of the dressing to moisten and then pile them onto a big platter or onto individual plates. Top with apple slices, some of the warm seasoned potatoes, and the sliced red or green onions. Add the warm crunchy chicken, which you can leave whole or you can cut them into slices. Serve with extra dressing on the side.
Notes
NOTE: You don’t have to pound your chicken if you don’t want to mess with it. But doing so reduces the bake time a bit and also allows for a more level/even surface upon which to add your pecan topping. To do this, I literally just use my fists because I’m lazy and ridiculous, but it’s the easiest and fastest way. A more civilized approach might be to lay a piece of cling wrap over the chicken breasts and pound them gently with a rolling pin or heavy bottomed object such as a pint glass or heavy pan.