Sheet Pan Apple Pecan Chicken

This Sheet Pan Apple Pecan Chicken is so easy to make, you’ll want to have it any time of day! Try it in the morning, for a delicious start to your day!

Every once in a while, I’ll manage to create a recipe that I find is particularly tasty and delicious, a real winner in my book, you know. But no matter how hard I try, I cannot for the life of me manage to take pictures of said dish that will actually do it justice. GAH! That is precisely what happened with this sheet pan apple pecan chicken I just made.

I’m telling you, this chicken dish is not only INCREDIBLY tasty, its crazy moist and juicy, too! I think it’s perfect in every possible way, if you ask me. Except, well, in pictures!

You see, I’ve just recently discovered the joys of sheet pan baking and I am totally IN LOVE with the technique. It’s so incredibly easy: you simply arrange and season all your ingredients directly on the pan, shove said pan in the oven and basically forget about it. All you need to do is toss your stuff around a couple of times during cooking. That’s it! And when all is said and done, there aren’t even any dishes to make.

HA! What’s there not to love, you ask me?

Since I’ve recently decided to try and reintroduce meat into my morning meals, this sweet apple pecan chicken dish has been a breakfast of choice for me these past few weeks. Not only do I love how easy it is to prepare, but I also really appreciate how easy on the palate the combination of chicken, apples and pecans happens to be, even this early in the morning.

But of course, you can just as well enjoy this dish in the afternoon or evening, if you prefer!

If you can, though, put the chicken to brine the previous day in a solution consisting of 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt; while this step is not absolutely mandatory, it will definitely make your chicken a lot tastier and much juicier, too!

Then when you are ready to eat, preheat your oven to 425°F and line a 18″ x 26″ baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pat the chicken breasts dry, butterfly them if you haven’t already done that and arrange them on the baking sheet. Scatter the apple slices and pecans around the chicken.

Again, you don’t absolutely HAVE to butterfly the chicken breasts if you’re not too comfortable with the procedure, but this will allow them to cook much faster. You could also pound them down with a meat mallet, if you preferred.

Next, combine the melted ghee, honey, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, chopped thyme, salt, chili pepper flakes and ground nutmeg in a small bowl and mix with a whisk or fork until well combined.

Pour that over the chicken and apples and rub it well with your fingers.

All that’s left to do now is put that pan in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until the chicken registers at least 165°F on a meat thermometer. Of course, you’ll want to toss the ingredients around a few times during cooking, but that’s all the attention this dish will require from you.

Which means while food is happening, you can get ready for work, if you’re having this for breakfast, or spend quality time with the kids, if this is dinner…

Serve as soon as it’s ready, with pretty much anything you like… Me? I like to eat mine with a little bit of white rice and a handful of steamed broccoli florets.

Talk about starting the day right!

Print Recipe Rate this Recipe

4.39 from 13 votes

Sheet Pan Apple Pecan Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

This Sheet Pan Apple Pecan Chicken is so easy to make, you'll want to have it any time of day! Try it in the morning, for a delicious start to your day!

Servings: 4

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

• 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied
• 2 large gala apples, cored and sliced
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 3 tbsp melted ghee
• 3 tbsp unpasteurized honey
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt, I use Himalayan salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes
• pinch ground nutmeg

Instructions

• The previous night, place your chicken breasts to brine in a solution consisting of 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt. While this step is not mandatory, it will definitely make your chicken a lot tastier and much juicier, too!
• When you're ready to eat, preheat the oven to 425°F and line a 18" x 26" baking sheet with parchment paper
• Pat the chicken breasts dry, butterfly them if you haven't already done that and arrange them on the baking sheet. Place the apple slices and pecans around the chicken.
• Combine the melted ghee, honey, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, chopped thyme, salt, chili pepper flakes and ground nutmeg in a small bowl and mix with a whisk or fork until well combined.
• Pour that over the chicken and apples and rub it well with your fingers.
• Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until the chicken registers at least 165°F on a meat thermometer. Toss the ingredients around once or twice during cooking.
• Serve without delay.

Nutrition

Calories: 499kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 41g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 148mg, Sodium: 557mg, Potassium: 852mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin A: 265IU, Vitamin C: 9.2mg, Calcium: 31mg, Iron: 1.5mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Author: Sonia! The Healthy Foodie

If you’ve tried this recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and let me know how things went for you in the comments below. It’s always such a pleasure to hear from you!

You can also FOLLOW ME on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and TWITTER for more delicious, healthy recipes!