Description
Pretzel Crusted Chicken is a crispy, flavorful dish featuring chicken breasts coated in crushed salted pretzels and fried to perfection, then topped with a creamy mustard cheddar sauce. This recipe combines savory seasoning and a crunchy crust with a smooth cheese sauce for a delicious meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pretzel Chicken
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8-10 oz each)
- 4 oz salted pretzels
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 egg
- Neutral oil for frying (about 1/2 inch in skillet)
- Fresh parsley for serving
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Butterfly the chicken breasts into 4 thinner pieces total. Place each piece between plastic wrap and flatten evenly using a mallet.
- Make Pretzel Crumbs: Place salted pretzels in a food processor and pulse until mostly fine crumbs with some chunks remain.
- Season Flour Mixture: In a shallow dish, combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Beat Egg: Whisk the egg in a separate shallow dish for dipping.
- Set Pretzel Crumbs: Place the pretzel crumbs in a third shallow dish for the final coating.
- Heat Oil: Preheat a heavy skillet with about 1/2 inch of neutral oil to 350ºF for frying. Preheat oven to lowest setting to keep cooked chicken warm.
- Coat Chicken: Dip each chicken piece first into the seasoned flour, then into the beaten egg, and finally press into the pretzel crumbs ensuring even coating.
- Fry Chicken: Fry the coated chicken pieces in the hot oil in batches without overcrowding. Cook approximately 3-4 minutes on one side, then flip and cook another 3 minutes until cooked through.
- Keep Warm: Remove cooked chicken to a cooling rack set on a baking tray and place in the warm oven to keep heated while finishing remaining pieces.
- Make Cheese Sauce: In a saucepan, melt butter and whisk in flour. Cook for 1 minute while whisking. Gradually whisk in milk and Dijon mustard. Cook until slightly thickened.
- Add Cheese: Add shredded cheddar cheese gradually, whisking constantly until melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste, avoiding overcooking to prevent graininess.
- Serve: Plate the pretzel crusted chicken and spoon the mustard cheddar sauce over. Garnish with fresh minced parsley if desired.
Notes
- The cheese sauce should be cooked just until thickened to avoid grainy texture.
- You can use a cast iron skillet for even heating during frying.
- Keep the cooked chicken warm in the oven at its lowest setting while frying remaining pieces.
- Use salted pretzels for balanced flavor but adjust salt in seasoning if substituting.
- Nutrition estimates include approximate oil absorption and may vary with product brands.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast piece with sauce
- Calories: 620 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 145 mg
