An easy oven baked parmesan pecan crusted chicken breast recipe. And, it’s simple to adjust the recipe to fit an egg-free, dairy-free, or paleo meal plan.
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When preparing the roasted garlic cream sauce that I posted last week, I needed to find a dish to serve it with. There’s already a chicken in white sauce recipe on the blog, so I wanted something a bit different.
I just happened to have a 1 cup bag of chopped pecans and a big bag of pork rinds laying around. So, that inspired me to create this easy oven baked parmesan pecan crusted chicken breast recipe.
However, I’ve been staying away from dairy. So, I separated the dish into one with cheese and other with a sprinkling of nutritional yeast added instead.
I actually picked up the yeast flakes to try making my own dairy-free cheese. But, I haven’t had time to experiment with some recipes.
If you haven’t tried nutritional yeast, you need to pick up a bag. It’s a wonderful substitute for cheese in dairy free recipes as it gives a similar flavor.
It’s taken a long time for me to finally realize that I need to give up dairy. But, since there are a lot of people on low carb keto that haven’t, I like to provide the paleo option.
Of course, it’s nearly impossible to have a parmesan pecan crusted chicken breast recipe without using cheese. But, there are some great dairy-free cheeses out there.
My oldest daughter and I have been avoiding dairy. Inflammatory foods should be avoided when healing from autoimmune diseases. We both have tested high for thyroid antibodies.
The Autoimmune Solution by Dr. Amy Myers recommends eliminating dairy permanently for those who have an autoimmune condition. And, following an autoimmune paleo diet (AIP paleo) can help reverse the condition.
I did a strict AIP paleo eating plan for a month last October and my thyroid function improved. So, even though I had radioactive iodine treatment done for Graves’ disease, my thyroid hasn’t been completely destroyed.
In fact, when I was pregnant with my last child, I had to go off my thyroid hormone medication because my thyroid levels came back to normal levels.
If you are dealing with any kind of autoimmune disease, you may want to look into AIP paleo. It has helped me, but I find if very difficult to do long term.
Staying away from dairy has been a big challenge. But, seeing the numbers change on my blood tests has been the biggest motivation to stick to a paleo diet.
So, although this is parmesan pecan crusted chicken breast recipe, I make it without cheese. And, if you’re dealing with any type in inflammatory disease, you may want to try it without dairy too.
Nearly all chronic diseases are caused by excess inflammation in the body, so eliminating inflammatory foods like dairy usually helps improve the condition.
I also used the paleo option when I made the garlic cream sauce for this dish. Coconut cream is the ingredient that I’ve been using in place of heavy cream.
Looking back at my old recipes, they are all heavy in cheese and cream. No wonder I’ve still had lots of inflammation and trouble losing those last few pounds!
Without trying, I lost six pounds the month that I did a strict AIP. I ate a lot of coconut, meat, and vegetables. But, the important thing is that I eliminated all sweets except for an occasional few drops of stevia.
Although I don’t do strict AIP these days, I do eat a lot less nuts, seeds, nightshades, and sweets. And, I’ve been pretty good about staying away from dairy.
I found a great dairy-free mozzarella cheese that my daughters both like. However, the carbs are a bit high at 7 grams for each 1/4 cup serving.
I’d like to try and make a keto-friendly vegan cheese. But, it will take a lot of experimentation to get that stretchiness without using starchy ingredients.
I have made zucchini cheese and it’s not a bad substitute when you add in the nutritional yeast for a cheesy taste. However, it’s not something you’ll want to put on top of a low carb pizza!
When summer comes, I’ll probably give in to enjoy some low carb sugar free ice cream. But, dairy isn’t as bad as gluten which takes a lot longer to clear out of the body.
Oven Baked Parmesan Pecan Crusted Chicken Breast Recipe
If you need more dinner ideas, check out my keto chicken piccata too! And be sure to let me know what you think of this nut crusted recipe in the comments.
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Oven Baked Parmesan Pecan Crusted Chicken Breast
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Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans chopped or whole
- 25 grams pork rinds about 1 cup
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated or shredded (omit for dairy-free or use nutritional yeast)
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
- 1/8 teaspoon salt omit if pork rinds are salty
- 2 egg whites or gelatin and water for egg-free
- 4 chicken breasts about 4 oz each, skinless and boneless
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Instructions
- Add pecans, pork rinds, and parmesan cheese (if using) to food processor. Pulse until mixture is the size of fine crumbs.
- Pour mixture into a medium bowl. Stir in garlic powder, basil, and salt. Set aside.
- In small bowl, beat egg whites or prepare gelatin water mixture for egg free.
- Dip chicken breasts in egg whites (or gelatin water) then press into pecan mixture to coat. Place each piece on a parchment paper lined or silicone lined baking pan.
- Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes then flip and bake another 10-15 minutes until chicken tests done. Remove from oven and serve warm.
Notes
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Nutrition
Additional Info
Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
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Lisa MarcAurele has been creating keto friendly recipes since 2010. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen to create low sugar foods that taste like high carb favorites!
Diane says
Don’t do pork rinds!!! What can I substitute? This sounds so good but when I saw pork rinds….not! Thanks!
Lisa MarcAurele says
Try some almond flour instead.
Emily Kemp says
Love the sound of this!