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pretzel crusted chicken bites on a white plate

Pretzel Crusted Chicken Bites

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 5 reviews
  • Author: Sally
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 16 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: serves 3-4
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Looking for a fun way to serve up some chicken? Coat in crushed pretzels and bake to crisp perfection. Tender on the inside, crunchy on the outside. Everyone loved these!


Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts or tenders
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 and 1/2 cups finely crushed pretzels (or more, as needed)
  • nonstick spray like PAM, olive oil spray, or coconut oil spray (found mine at Trader Joes)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or coat heavily with nonstick spray.
  2. If using chicken breasts, pound down and cut into little 1-1.5 inch pieces. If using boneless, skinless chicken tenders (chicken tenders are the lean strips of meat found attached to the underside of chicken breasts—they can also be purchased separately), simply cut into 1-1.5 inch pieces.
  3. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Beat eggs in another shallow dish. Pour pretzels into a third shallow dish. Coat each chicken piece in flour, shaking off any excess. Then, dip in egg and let any excess drip off. Then generously roll in the pretzels, shaking off any excess. Add more crushed pretzels to the dish if you are running low. Place the chicken bites on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly spray each with nonstick spray to “seal” the breading, which will prevent the breading from staying raw and allows it to bake onto the chicken fingers.
  4. Bake for 8 minutes. Turn each piece over and continue baking until the outside is crisp and the centers are cooked through, about 6-8 minutes more. Baking times may vary, just make sure yours are cooked through. If you like them more brown, bake longer. Serve chicken bites with toothpicks (if using as an appetizer), honey mustard, or this spicy cheese sauce. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. I chopped them up and put on top of a salad. It was so good!

Notes

  1. Freezing Instructions: Baked chicken bites freeze well up to 2-3 months. Bake frozen chicken in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 20 minutes or until warmed through.
  2. Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat | Glass Mixing Bowls
  3. Larger Batch: Recipe may easily be doubled or tripled.