Calling all parents – Pretzel Chicken is the kid-friendly dinner of your dreams! Chicken tenders are dredged in a flavorful pretzel breading then fried to crispy perfection.
Crispy Pretzel Chicken
Goodbye, old fashioned fried chicken, and hello to new and exciting crispy pretzel chicken! This crunchy, flavorful chicken recipe is perfect for catering towards those picky eaters in your house. The best part? These aren’t just plain ol’ chicken tenders, so you’ll crave them too!
Pretzels may be the star of the show here, but they’re not the only ingredient that provides flavor. A bouquet of seasonings like paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and more create an in-depth flavor that makes the breading that much more mouthwatering.
Why You’ll Love this Chicken Tenders Recipe:
- Different: It can be easy to fall into a recipe slump. Shake things up in your kitchen by making exciting new recipes like this one!
- Kid-Friendly: Kids (and grown ups alike) will obsess over these scrumptious, flavorful, crunchy chicken tenders.
- Easy: With these easy to follow steps, frying up a batch of chicken has never been more simple.
Flavor-packed, delightfully crunchy, and easy to make. These pretzel chicken tenders have it all!
How to Make Pretzel Chicken
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Heat the vegetable oil in a pan.
- Using 3 separate bowls, create the dredging stations.
- Dredge the chicken in all 3 bowls.
- Fry the chicken.
- Cool the chicken on a wire rack.
- Garnish, serve with dipping sauce, and enjoy!
Chicken tenderloins are the best cuts of meat to use! In a pinch, though, you can slice up pieces of chicken breasts into tenderloin shapes.
Use plain salted pretzels that have no additional flavor or thick shapes.
Yes. Instead of frying, bake the chicken tenders at 350°F for 15 minutes or until light and browned on top.
You sure can! Pretzel chicken tenders will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Serving Ideas
Keep your little ones happy at the dinner table with these kid-friendly side dishes!
I may be using the term “kid-friendly” a lot, but don’t worry. This recipe is certainly adult-friendly, too!
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Do NOT overcrowd the pan! That will cause the temperature of the oil to decrease and result in under cooked, greasy chicken.
- Make sure the chicken isn’t too thick. It should be about 1/2 inch in width, so pound it down if necessary.
- A dutch oven works well for stove top deep frying because it holds the temperature more evenly than lightweight pots and pans.
Have any more questions about pretzel chicken? I’ve got you covered!
What is the best way to reheat pretzel chicken?
Pop your cold leftover pretzel chicken into an oven preheated to 350°F and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until warmed all the way through. Do NOT use the microwave, as this will ruin the consistency of the chicken.
Can I use gluten free pretzels?
Absolutely! this recipe works well with gluten free pretzels.
Can I use flavored pretzels?
You can, but I don’t recommend doing so. The majority of the flavors here come from the medley of seasonings that are included in the dredging process. Flavored pretzels probably won’t compliment those flavors.
Dunk them in ketchup or eat them all on their own. No matter how you choose to enjoy your freshly fried pretzel chicken, you’re going to love it!
If you’ve made this recipe, please be sure to let us know by leaving a star rating or a comment below. Enjoy!
Pretzel Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 cups crushed pretzels
- 1¼ pounds chicken tenderloins
- Mustard, ketchup, or dipping sauce for serving
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Pour 2 inches of oil in a deep skillet. Heat over low-medium until it reaches 265°F.Vegetable oil for frying
- In a shallow bowl, whisk the flour, parsley, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper together. Set aside.1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- In another shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Set aside.2 eggs, ¼ cup milk
- Add the crushed pretzels to a third shallow bowl and set aside.2 cups crushed pretzels
- Prepare the chicken. Dredge the chicken, one piece at a time, in the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, and then in the pretzels. Press the pretzels onto the chicken so they stick well.1¼ pounds chicken tenderloins
- Working with 2-3 tenders at a time, fry them in the oil for 2-3 minutes per side, then place on a cooling rack to keep them crispy.
- Repeat the cooking process with the remaining chicken.
- Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve with mustard, ketchup, or your favorite dipping sauce.Mustard, ketchup, or dipping sauce, Chopped parsley
Notes
- Storage: Store chicken tenders in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat at 350°F for 5 minutes or until crispy.
- Oven Baked Chicken: Instead of frying, bake the chicken tenders at 350°F for 15 minutes or until light and browned on top.
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