Pretzel Fried Chicken Tenders are, as you might guess, impossibly crunchy. They beg for some kind of dipping sauce; a short trip through the internet will leave you inundated with dipping sauce possibilities. You might want to consider this Cajun Dipping Sauce from Spiced. However, consider laying them across a green salad.
Coat and fry.
Ingredients
6 cups pretzels
3 tsp basil
3 tsp dried parsley
3 tsp dried thyme
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp black pepper
4 eggs
2 Tbs water (or milk, half-and-half, cream, etc.)
3 lbs. chicken breasts, sliced into long tenders
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more if necessary
Directions
- Place the pretzels in a disposable freezer bag, and use a rolling pin to crush them until the largest pieces are somewhere between the size of steel-cut oats and lentils. Toss with herbs and pepper. Shake the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to separate the “dust” from the pieces; set aside separately, on plates. Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add the water and whisk until fully blended. Pour half of the mixture into a shallow bowl; set aside.
- Add the chicken to the mixing bowl that has the remaining egg mixture in it. Toss to coat. Pull one tender from the mixing bowl, allow any excess egg mixture to drain off, then dredge it in the fine crumbs. Dip the tender into the egg mixture that you set aside in the small bowl to coat it again, then dredge it in the pieces. Lay on a plate. Repeat until all the tenders are coated.
- Place 4 Tbs oil into a hot skillet; wait until it shimmers (a few seconds), and add as many tenders as will fit without touching one another. Cook over medium-high heat until deeply golden-brown, 2-3 minutes. Flip the chicken, and cook an additional 1-2 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Rest on a paper-towel-lined plate. (In between batches, you will probably have to add oil.)
Notes
- The herb blend is totally up to your tastes. Many other herbs or combinations would work perfectly in this context.
- Larger tenders need more time, smaller ones need less. For larger pieces, you may have to lower the heat to cook the chicken through without burning the crust.
The Backstory
I had a party, and wound up with tons of leftover pretzels. I like pretzels, but a few of them go a long way. This recipe is a great way to use up a whole lot of pretzels.
Social Learning
If you’re planning to eat these tenders as they are, without a sauce or dressing, consider doubling the herbs.
If you want a more refined presentation, when you get to the sifting stage, you could use your fingers to force all the pieces through your sieve. Or you could process them instead of rolling them. Your coating will have a more traditional look and texture. In that case, a single coating will do (although a double-coating is still nice).
Best when fresh. Leftover, they lose their crunch.
Pretzel Fried Chicken Tenders
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Wow che buono!!!😜😜😜
Thank you~
Deve essere molto saporito così cucinato, grazie della ricetta, mi piace molto!!!
Thank you! I thought it was pretty tasty, and a lot of fun.
Excelente forma de aprovechar los pretzel sobrantes. También me gusta mucho la técnica de doble rebozado que utilizaste.
Isabel
Thank you, Isabel!
I haven’t tried this for coating but have used crushed tortilla chips and it was a winner so I’m sure these are just as good. I’ll have to give it a try for Super bowl Sunday. I’m sure the big guy will love them. Thank you for sharing.
Oh, I’ll bet the tortillas were great! Thank, Lori.
What a great idea! Now I’m looking forward to too many pretzels!
Thank you, Mimi!
Oh these would be soooo crunchy! What a unique way to use pretzels; I will have to try this when I have some in the cupboard, especially when I’m out of breadcrumbs!
Thanks, Christina!
that’s a great idea to use up the pretzels. I have baked chicken tenderloins with a panko coating which is also very good!
Mmm, that sounds good! Thanks, Sherry!
I make chicken tenders in a similar fashion to this, it’s some wonderful comfort food 🙂 Love this recipe, Jeff!
Thank you, Marcelle!
I have come to love chicken tenders — not sure why I avoided them for so long. I love the pretzel coating — such crunch! And, as you note, the dipping sauce possibilities are endless! Nice recipe!
Thanks!
So delicious
Thanks
Thank you, Delphine!
How interesting! I’m not a huge fan of fried breaded food (Mostly cause bread crumbs often turn bland, soft, and oily). But pretzel crumbs? They must give a great crunch and flavour character indeed. Great idea!
It was nothing if not crunchy, Ben. Thanks!
il a l’air bien appétissant ce poulet !
bonne journée
Thanks, Sandrine!
I find it a great batter for chicken, and fried in olive oil, perfect.
My best wishes for this new year.
Thanks, Emma!
These look delicious Jeff, I think Chicken tenderloins would be perfect as well. Good to know pretzels can be used for the crumb.
Thanks, Pauline!
Very delicious, Jeff and thanks for your visit!
Thank you, and you’re welcome!
Looks really good .
Thanks, Olga!
What a great way to use up leftover pretzels. As a matter of fact we have several bags of them in the kitchen which will soon go past their best. Thanks for this recipe Jeff! Nice one!
You’re welcome, Neil!
Great idea! Interesting recipe and the dish looks very tasty!
Greetings from Poland!
Thank you!
Une belle façon de cuisiner le poulet
C’est gourmand
Merci
Thank you, Delphine!
¡¡Hola Jeff!! Nunca he probado las tiras de pollo con pretzel, pero tienen una pinta muy rica. Buena idea de reciclaje de pretzel, y más si tenÃas exceso de ellos después de una fiesta. Habrá que poner en práctica esta idea. Gracias por la receta. Besitos.
Kisses to you, too! Thanks!
What a great use of crunchy, salty pretzels Jeff!
Thanks, Diane!
Looks amazing and crunchy. I would finish some while watching a movie. I love the idea of adding pretzels 😊
Thanks, Muna!
Oooo…this sounds fantastic, Jeff! I’ve heard of using corn flakes or saltines as a coating for chicken, but I’ve tried pretzels. It makes perfect sense. And thanks for the shoutout for that Cajun dipping sauce, too!
Any time, my friend.
This is such a great idea Jeff! I love coating a protein in breading (in my case, usually tofu 😄). I never would have thought to use pretzels. I’m so glad you did because this looks delicious! I’ll definitely try this!
Thank you!
When I read super crispy, I knew I was all over this lovely recipe. I am not a huge pretzel fan but I would definitely pick some up for this treat.
Thank you, Eva!
Great idea, Jeff! We always have too many pretzels in the pantry. I love breading without bread! 🙂 ~Valentina
Thanks, Valentina!
Looks good 🙂
Thank you, Leyraa!
This sounds so yumm-o!! You definitely need to give Aldi a try! Lucky you, it’s in walking distance?! Go for it!
Thanks. Yes, it’s in walking distance! And fun fact, they rebuilt the building without closing the store by actually building a new builing around the old one, and then dismanteling the old one once the new one was built. Isn’t that crazy? I’ve been in it, and like it … so I can’t explain why it’s not on my shopping radar.
Oh, how yummy! I’ve made chicken tenders a couple of times recently—just dipping in egg then a mixture of Parm and bread crumbs. I love the pretzel idea—will do that with my next batch!
🙂
My entire family would love these, I think I may want to try them in the air fryer.
Oh, I bet that’d be great!
I don’t often have pretzels except when my son-in-law comes to visit. He loves pretzels which means he would love this chicken which means I better save this recipe for the next visit! Thanks Jeff!
You’re welcome, Abbe!
I have a similar recipe but I like to try yours. It looks good, perfect for young kids .
I think it would be. Thanks!
Mi piace tantissimo, complimenti!
Thank you!
Brilliant idea. I always have a ton of pretzels left over after a party. My mother in law also used to use them broken up into red lentil soup.
Lovely recipe blog & this one is just out of the world!
Thank you so much, Soma!
Lovely recipe blog
Why, thank you!
What a great way to use up pretzels. I have never had pretzel crusted meats before, but I bet they are amazing!
I really enjoyed these. Thanks!
I made this dish by blitzing the pretzel crisps in my food processor. It worked great! I followed your sieve directions, and it worked perfectly to separate the pretzel “flour” from the bigger bits. My guest loved the chicken, which I served with some honey mustard dipping sauce, and we enjoyed the leftovers the next day. Great recipe!
Thank you Tammy!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 I’ll be making the yogurt recipe you showed me soon. I’ll let you know how it goes.