I love finding new ways to switch up chicken breast, and this pretzel crusted chicken is one of my favorite twists on traditional breaded chicken! I coat thin chicken cutlets in crushed pretzels and pan-fry them until golden and crisp. The salty, buttery pretzel coating pairs perfectly with my homemade creamy blue cheese sauce, which adds a sharp, tangy finish to every bite.
I first made pretzel-crusted chicken from a recipe in an old Rachel Ray cookbook I had in my early 20s, and I've loved the idea ever since. I decided to develop my own version with a simple ingredient list and an optional blue cheese sauce, so you can make it your own depending on what you're in the mood for.
- Crispy pretzel coating: Crushed pretzels give the chicken a crunchy, salty crust that's a fun change from traditional breadcrumbs.
- Easy to customize: I love serving this chicken with blue cheese sauce, but you can skip it and use honey mustard, BBQ sauce, or ketchup instead.
- Simple ingredients: You only need four main ingredients for the chicken and four ingredients total for the sauce.
Serve pretzel chicken with roasted green beans and carrots and buttery garlic bread for a complete meal. If you love easy chicken dinners with a little something extra, try my chicken and stuffing bake next!
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Key Ingredient Notes
- Chicken - Thin pieces of chicken breast work best for pan-frying because they cook quickly and evenly. Look for chicken cutlets or thin-sliced chicken breasts. You can also slice regular-sized chicken breasts horizontally into thinner pieces.
- Pretzels - I recommend thin pretzels for this recipe. They crush easily into breadcrumbs and typically have more salt than thicker pretzels, which gives the chicken better flavor.
- Blue cheese - Use a good quality crumbly blue cheese for the sauce. Gorgonzola is a great substitute.
- All-purpose flour - The flour is the first step in the breading process. It helps the egg mixture adhere to the chicken so the pretzel coating sticks.
- Eggs - You'll need eggs to help the crushed pretzel crumbs stick to the chicken.
*A detailed ingredient list can be found in the recipe card below.
For another pan-fried dinner with crispy breading, try my pan-fried pork cutlets, which are coated in panko breadcrumbs instead of crushed pretzels.
Essential Equipment Tip
In order to make this recipe, you'll need to be able to crush the pretzels into fine crumbs for the breading. A food processor or high-speed blender works best for this. I go back and forth between my Ninja Nutri-Blender Pro and Ninja Food Processor.
Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos
- Pat both sides of your chicken cutlets dry with a paper towel, then season both sides with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
- Spread the flour and pretzel crumbs onto separate large plates or shallow bowls. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until fully combined.
- Start breading your chicken. Press each side of the chicken into the flour, dip into the eggs, then coat both sides with pretzel crumbs. Repeat this process with all of the pieces of chicken.
- Add the olive oil to a heavy-duty cast iron skillet (or other high-heat frying pan), and heat over medium heat. When hot, add the breaded chicken to the frying pan.
- Cook the chicken for 5 minutes over medium heat, flip, and cook for another 5 minutes, until cooked through. You may need to add small amounts of olive oil during frying, as the chicken can soak up the oil.
Make the cheese sauce: While the chicken is cooking, make the blue cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Once the butter is melted, whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour. Whisk the flour and butter until a paste forms. Add the milk, increase the heat to medium, and whisk constantly. Keep whisking until the butter, flour, and milk mixture thickens.
- After the mixture thickens, turn the heat back down to low and add the crumbly blue cheese, and stir until melted.
Remove the chicken pieces from the heat and let them rest for about 5 minutes before slicing. Serve and enjoy!
Want crispy chicken cutlets without pan-frying? My air fryer chicken cutlets use panko breadcrumbs and cook in the air fryer instead.
Recipe Tips
- To make the pretzel breadcrumbs: Pulse 4 cups of pretzels in a food processor or high-speed blender until you have a mix of about 80% fine crumbs and 20% small, chunky pieces. The fine crumbs help coat the chicken evenly, while the chunky pieces add crunchy texture.
- Use thin pretzels: I tested this recipe with both thin and thick pretzels, and I prefer thin for their saltier flavor. They also break down more easily into breadcrumbs.
- Give the chicken room in the pan: When pan-frying, arrange the chicken in a single layer with space between each piece. Overcrowding the pan lowers the oil temperature and can prevent the coating from browning properly. Fry the chicken in batches if needed.
- Check the internal temperature: Use a digital meat thermometer to make sure the thickest part of each chicken cutlet reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F.
Storage and Reheating Tips
- Storage: Pretzel-crusted chicken cutlets are best served immediately while the coating is hot and crispy. The pretzel crust will soften as the chicken cools. If you have leftovers, let them cool, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in a skillet: Add the chicken to a hot, oiled skillet over low heat. Warm them gently in a single layer for a few minutes per side, until the coating is crispy again and the chicken is warmed through.
- Avoid the microwave: The microwave heats the chicken quickly, but it makes the pretzel coating soft rather than crispy. Use it only if you're in a hurry!
Serving Ideas
Serve these chicken cutlets with a side of mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, or mac and cheese for a dinner the whole family can enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is likely due to overcooking. The best way to prevent overcooking is to use a digital meat thermometer and check for doneness frequently.
Yes! The blue cheese sauce is totally optional. Feel free to skip the sauce entirely or use your favorite BBQ or honey mustard instead.
Make sure the chicken is patted dry before breading it, and really press each piece into the pretzel crumbs using the palm of your hand.
More Chicken Dinner Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Pretzel Crusted Chicken with Blue Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken cutlets
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups thin pretzel pieces
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 5 ounces blue cheese crumbles
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Make the pretzel crumbs. Transfer the pretzels to a blender or a food processor. Quickly pulse the pretzels until you have a mixture of about 80% fine crumbs and 20% chunky pretzel pieces.
- Pour the ½ cup of flour out onto a large plate or into a shallow bowl. Crack both eggs into a shallow bowl and whisk until combined. Pour the pretzel crumbs onto a large plate or into a shallow bowl.
- Bread the chicken. Press both sides of each chicken cutlet into the flour. Submerge the chicken into the eggs to coat. Press both sides of the chicken into the pretzel crumbs. Repeat this process for each piece of chicken.
- Pour the olive oil into a large, heavy-duty skillet and warm over medium heat. When the oil is hot, place the chicken pieces in the pan in a single layer. Do not crowd the pan. You may need to pan-fry your chicken pieces in batches.
- Pan-fry over medium heat for 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and fry for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. If the oil starts to get too hot, adjust your burner heat as needed. You may need to add additional tablespoons of cooking oil to your pan so that your skillet stays well-oiled!
- While the chicken is cooking, make the blue cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Whisk the flour and butter until a paste forms. The paste will be smooth and light brown. Pour in the milk. Increase the heat to medium and rapidly whisk the mixture. Continue whisking until the butter, flour, and milk have thickened. You will know when the sauce has thickened when it coats the sides of the saucepan.
- After the mixture has thickened, turn the heat back down to low and add in the crumbly blue cheese. Whisk in the cheese until melted. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside.
- Let the cooked chicken rest for about 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with warm blue cheese sauce drizzled on top.
Nutrition
Notes
- In order to make this recipe, you'll need to be able to crush the pretzels into fine crumbs for the breading. A food processor or high-speed blender works best for this.
- I recommend thin pretzels for this recipe. They crush easily into breadcrumbs and typically have more salt than thicker pretzels, which gives the chicken better flavor.
- When pan-frying, arrange the chicken in a single layer with space between each piece. Overcrowding the pan lowers the oil temperature and can prevent the coating from browning properly. Fry the chicken in batches if needed.
- Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F.
- The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.
MJ says
Great family recipe, our toddlers love this chicken! We’ve even made it with gluten free pretzels and it still turned out great! We’ve added it to our dinner rotation for sure.
Katie says
I'm so happy to hear the whole family likes it and that it works well for GF too!