Pretzel Fried Chicken Tenders

Jeff the Chef
"Pretzel Fried Chicken Tenders," from Make It Like a Man!

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.

Pretzel Fried Chicken Breasts
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Pretzel Fried Chicken Breasts

Recipe by Make It Like a Man!Course: Dinner
Serves

6

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

Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! unless otherwise credited. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. Thank you, Kesor. Make It Like a Man! is ranked by Feedspot as #14 in the Top 30 Men’s Cooking Blogs.

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75 thoughts on “Pretzel Fried Chicken Tenders”

  4. 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.

    Reply

  7. that’s a great idea to use up the pretzels. I have baked chicken tenderloins with a panko coating which is also very good!

    Reply

  9. 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!

    Reply

  11. 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!

    Reply

  13. I find it a great batter for chicken, and fried in olive oil, perfect.
    My best wishes for this new year.

    Reply

  20. ¡¡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 tenías exceso de ellos después de una fiesta. Habrá que poner en práctica esta idea. Gracias por la receta. Besitos.

    Reply

  23. 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!
    David @ Spiced recently posted…Skillet Pepperoni Pizza Dip

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  24. 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!
    Shannon recently posted…Tofu Scramble

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    • 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.

      Reply

  38. 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!

    Reply

    • Thank you Tammy!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 I’ll be making the yogurt recipe you showed me soon. I’ll let you know how it goes.

      Reply

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