This walnut-crusted chicken served with honey mustard glaze is altogether wholesome and savory, crisp and saucy, and very easy to make. It’s everything you want dinner to be, whether you serve it as a casual meal or for a special holiday gathering.
I originally published this recipe in 2017 and have since added new photos and made a few small updates to enhance the walnut coating.
I make this dish every spring season and over the years, I’ve perfected the recipe to help ensure the coating sticks AND doesn’t taste soggy. The toasted walnuts, tender + juicy chicken, and tangy-sweet honey mustard are made for each other, and it’s truly versatile enough for all occasions:
- It’s fancy enough for company and holidays. Spruce it up with fresh parsley and serve it with homemade biscuits, rice, steamed vegetables, and/or a fresh leafy salad.
- It’s also simple, yet special enough for a Sunday dinner with just the family.
- Finally, this walnut chicken makes for a quick, low-key meal on weeknights. And any leftovers keep like a dream—a quick reheat in the oven brings the crisp coating back to life. It’s one of my favorite fall dinner recipes for a reason!
One reader, Sammie, commented: “So good! I don’t love chicken, so I’m always looking for different ways to dress it up—this did not disappoint! My whole family loved it! I served it with roasted potatoes. Will definitely make again! ★★★★★“
Walnut-Crusted Chicken: What to Expect
- Texture: Served warm out of the oven, you’ll enjoy crunchy chopped walnuts, tender juicy bites of chicken, and sticky sweet glaze with every delicious mouthful. If you crave texture, this recipe totally delivers. FYI: those browned crispy walnut bits at the bottom of the pan are the best part. Don’t leave them behind!
- Flavor: This is a balanced dish. The seasoned chicken, the nutty walnuts, and the tangy sweetness of the honey mustard glaze work so well together. The white wine in the chicken marinade adds depth of flavor, but if you’d like to skip the wine, you can replace it with chicken stock. And feel free to replace the walnuts with pecans.
- Ease: This is a recipe for cooks of any skill level. Marinate the chicken, coat it in the nut mixture, and then bake. Serve with a 2-ingredient glaze.
- Time: Set aside about 30 minutes for hands-on prep, plus at least 4 hours to overnight for marinating the chicken. For an even quicker chicken dish (no marinating required), try my skillet apple cider chicken.
Don’t Skip Marinating the Chicken
Before coating the chicken in walnuts, you’ll want to marinate it for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours. The marinade combines olive oil, Dijon mustard, dry white wine, garlic, and dried thyme, and serves 2 purposes:
- It adds delicious flavor to the chicken.
- It helps the walnut coating stick.
If you don’t want to use wine, you can substitute low-sodium chicken broth.
After marinating, you’ll coat the chicken in walnuts, flour, salt, and pepper.
Success Tip: The finer you chop the nuts, the more they’ll stick and stay on the chicken. Be sure to cut them up extra fine.
Sear & Bake the Walnut Chicken
Sear the chicken before baking it. Why are you doing this? First, it locks in the marinade’s flavor. It also helps ensure the walnuts stick to the chicken, and adds a delightful crunch, too.
Transfer the seared chicken to the oven and bake.
Success Tip: Make cleanup a breeze with an oven-safe skillet that can handle all the cooking, from searing to baking. I use an oven-safe skillet in the same way for lemon thyme chicken, cilantro lime chicken, and garlic chicken.
While the chicken bakes, whip up the glaze by mixing Dijon mustard and honey together. If the walnut-crusted chicken were an ice cream sundae, the honey mustard glaze would be the very necessary whipped cream + cherry on top—it just completes the whole dish!
Serve With:
If you need ideas for side dishes that pair well with walnut-crusted chicken, here are some of my favorites: homemade biscuits or dinner rolls, artisan bread or asiago-crusted skillet bread, brown or wild rice, steamed vegetables such as asparagus, green beans, or broccoli, and/or a spring greens salad.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as our family has over the years. A familiar dish can remind you of home, but only the best can take you there.
More Favorite Dinner Recipes
- Honey Teriyaki Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
- Crab Cakes
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Honey Garlic Soy Glazed Salmon
- Baked Chicken Meatballs
- Creamy Garlic Chicken
- Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
Description
This walnut-crusted chicken served with honey mustard glaze is altogether wholesome and savory, crisp and saucy, and very easy to make. The dish pairs wonderfully with steamed vegetables, rice, and/or a spring greens salad.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (80ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 more Tablespoon for pan
- 1/4 cup (60g) Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup (60ml) dry white wine (or chicken broth)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1.5 pounds (24 ounces/680g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 and 1/2 cups (190g) very finely chopped walnuts
- 3/4 cup (94g) all-purpose or whole wheat flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- optional: chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Honey Mustard Glaze
- 3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup (113g) honey
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, mustard, white wine, garlic, and dried thyme together. Add the chicken, turning to coat. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours.
- In a shallow dish such as a 9-inch square baking pan or a pie dish, combine the walnuts, flour, salt, and pepper together. Remove the chicken, shake off any excess marinade, and dip both sides of the chicken in the walnut mixture. Make sure each side is generously coated.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
- Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in an oven-safe skillet* over medium heat. Add the chicken and sear for 2 minutes, 1 minute on each side. Transfer skillet to the oven and bake, covered loosely with aluminum foil, for 15–20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through. (Chicken is considered done when an instant read thermometer reads the center of the thickest part as at least 165°F (74°C).)
- Whisk the glaze ingredients together and serve with chicken. Garnish chicken with fresh parsley, if desired.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for a few days. You can reheat on the stove over medium heat, in the microwave, or in the oven.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can marinate the chicken for up to 12 hours in step 1.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Square Baking Pan (or other shallow dish) | Cast-Iron Skillet | Tongs | Instant-Read Thermometer
- Walnuts: The finer you chop the walnuts, the more likely they’ll adhere and stick to the chicken. Feel free to replace the walnuts with pecans, if desired.
- Skillet: If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, simply use the skillet you have and transfer seared chicken to a parchment paper-lined or silicone baking mat-lined baking pan to bake.
- This recipe is a 20+ year family favorite, tweaked over the years and originally from an old Bon Appetit magazine issue.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I’m sorry but this was not a win for me. I don’t understand how people didn’t get a soggy mess. Which covering the crisped crust with foil just creates condensation so I already was skeptical. I think that this would work better for me at least; if the chicken was marinated and cooked on its own to 165 and then toast the nuts and add them to the sauce. Heat it up and pour over the chicken.
Once again, a great recipe from your site! I was out of Dijon so used whole grain mustard. Delish!
Thank you.
Sorry, although the meat was juicy, the walnut coating was not a win for me.
oh this sounds so good but I can’t stand mustard! Any thoughts if I left that ingredient out? Would the recipe still work? thanks!
Hi Beth, the mustard in the marinade helps the nuts stick. You could try replacing with mayo or Greek yogurt. (You won’t taste it, it’s just something thick to help the nuts stick.) You can skip the honey mustard glaze or make another glaze/sauce that you prefer – a yogurt sauce or aioli could be nice here with the chicken as well.
That chicken looks awesome but I just con’t tolerate mustard. Can you think of anything else that could take its place. Thanks.
Hi Dale, the mustard in the marinade helps the nuts stick. You could try replacing with mayo or Greek yogurt. (You won’t taste it, it’s just something thick to help the nuts stick.) You can skip the honey mustard glaze or make another glaze/sauce that you prefer – a yogurt sauce or aioli could be nice here with the chicken as well.
I was wondering if this dish has a sourish taste bec of the dijon mustard. I would love to try out the recipe, but just concerned abt the sourishness as I have bad gastritis issue.
Hi Peck, we wouldn’t say it tastes sour, but everyone has different tastes.
I made this for a NYE dinner. I’ve made it once before, but this time my dad was here, and he absolutely raved. Said it was better than he’d get in any restaurant! Doubled the marinade & coating and it was enough for 9 pieces of chicken, with a little coating leftover. Every morsel was devoured by my family, and everyone loved it. (3 adults & 4 kids) The salt & walnuts give wonderful flavor and we love the glaze too.
Great recipe! Had a ton of flavor and will definitely be making again.
Want to make this tonight–already have the chicken marinating. Wondering if I should use my mini-food processor to finely chop the walnuts? OR will that be too fine? Also–any feedback on using the air-fryer instead of oven?
Hi Maggie, we haven’t tried this in the air fryer, but imagine it should work! We’re unsure of the exact times, but should be about the same. Let us know if you give it a try!
Made this last night. I knew it was sort of iffy because hubby is pretty picky, but it looked so good I decided to go for it. After the 2nd bite of this chicken, my husband looked at me and said, “Oh, you can make this again.” Highest praise from a very picky eater.
I definitely recommend this recipe. I used chicken tenders because I didn’t have breasts or thighs on hand. A definite keeper and the sauce added even more flavor.
Thank you Sally!
So good! I don’t love chicken so always looking for different ways to dress it up- this did not disappoint! My whole family loved it! I served it with roasted potatoes. Will definitely make again!
Salute!
This was so tasty! Chicken was flavorful and really moist.
Delicious recipe! Sally, have you tried the final cook in an air fryer?
Hi Kathy, we haven’t but imagine that should work! We’re unsure of the exact times, but should be about the same. Let us know if you give it a try!
This was a very tasty recipe However, I had problems with the breading falling off. Any tips on keeping this breading on the chicken would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Cindy! Did the breading fall off during the searing step? We find that tongs are the best tool for flipping the chicken without too much topping falling off (though some will fall off regardless!).
Hi! I always struggle pairing dishes like this with sides, any tips?
Hi Lexi, we love serving this chicken with homemade biscuits or dinner rolls, brown or wild rice, steamed vegetables such as asparagus, green beans, or broccoli, and/or a spring greens salad.
Sounds great but, i absolutely hate the taste of all mustards can you suggest a substitute?
Hi Jodie! You can skip the honey mustard glaze or make another glaze/sauce that you prefer – a yogurt sauce or aioli could be nice here with the chicken as well.
I want to try this recipe, but I am not a fan of sweet food, Is there anything that I can replace the honey with?
Hi Martha! You can skip the glaze or just top with mustard.
Great recipe , I make a very similar chicken only I marinade I buttermilk which makes the chicken very tender and juicy. My only problem is I use bone in skin on breasts and I can never get the skin crispy. I’ve tried boneless , skinless and I just wasn’t the same . I will try the pan fry methods first and see if this works. Thanks
Tasty and moist, but also soggy crust. I feel like I did everything right- finely chopped walnuts, hot pan, not too much oil, help!
Hi Laura, what may help is reducing the flour in the coating. So there’s more crunchy walnuts and less of the fine, soft flour that just seeps up and holds onto all the moisture.
Hello,
Does it matter of ot marinades longer than 12 hours?
Hi Cheryl, it’s best to keep the marination under or close to 12 hours.
Can you use pecans instead of walnuts? Not a mustard fan, can you omit the mustard?
Hi Nettie, you can use pecan instead. The mustard in the marinade helps the nuts stick. You could try replacing with mayo or Greek yogurt. (You won’t taste it, it’s just something thick to help the nuts stick.)
Hello, I have a mustard allergy but this recipe looks great! Are there any substitutes for mustard that would work in this recipe?
Hi Sara, the mustard in the marinade helps the nuts stick. You could try replacing with mayo or Greek yogurt. (You won’t taste it, it’s just something thick to help the nuts stick.)
Y’all…this was so good! I made adjustments for my celiac hubby (crushed lentil chips instead of wheat flour), added a bit of dried rosemary along with the thyme, and tweaked the glaze by adding a bit of dukes mayo, 3 leaf balsamic vinegar, and good champagne vinegar (since I used a cheap dijon/due to the mustard shortage)- it was divine! I’m adding to my weekly rotation.
Looks like a great recipe, can you just bake it instead of first searing? If so, how much longer?
Hi Shelly, you could, but we do highly recommend searing it. Searing the chicken helps to lock in the flavor, keep the coating in tact, and creates a crunchy texture. If you do bake it immediately, the chicken will be considered done when an instant read thermometer reads the center of the thickest part as at least 165°F (74°C).
Excellent recipe! I placed some large pieces of walnut on top during the middle of baking. I also boiled the marinade, added some honey to create a sauce for rice (topped with fresh chives and other herbs from my hydroponic garden)
Definitely a keeper recipe
Will consider trying it with pork and fish as well – it would be awesome on salmon
Thanks
.
Hi Sally,
This recipe tastes great! But I have tried it four different times and each time the walnut crust is soggy and falls off the chicken. I put the chicken in a cast iron skillet to sear immediately after coating it with the walnut mixture, then move the skillet to the oven to bake. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Lace, The finer you chop the nuts, the more they’ll stick and stay on the chicken. Also be sure that you aren’t using too much oil and that your pan is hot when you add the chicken to sear it.
A trick I have learned is to put the coated chicken back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before searing. This has always worked to keep my breaded chicken from losing its coating!
This is an awesome tip! Thanks for sharing.
One of the best chicken recipes I’ve ever made. I marinated the chicken overnight. Delicious flavor and so tender, it cut with a fork! I’ll make this again for sure!
Is it OK to marinade overnight using wine?
Hi ! I made for the first time and I accidently put the chicken in a baking dish to finish in the oven. My chicken came out delicious but was very moist on the bottom and all the coating came off the bottom. Was it because I put in a baking dish instead of leaving in the skillet?
Hi Mary, the baking dish could be the culprit. It’s best to coat the chicken and then put directly in the pan to sear right away — that helps the crust stay in tact.