Pretzel-Crusted Chicken

It was last summer and we went out to celebrate a friend's Birthday at Lancaster Brewing Company and I noticed Pretzel Chicken on the menu. I wasn't eating dinner so I didn't get a chance to order it, but someone in our party did, and it looked fabulous. When I went home and hunted for the recipe online I discovered it was a Rachel Ray recipe and it's actually in her Top 10. I've previously posted about Rachel Ray's Top 10 Recipes that I found through another blog back when I cooked & then posted about the Buffalo Chicken Chili that was on that list. The pretzel-crusted chicken is equally delicious. My husband & his friends have a deep frying night every once in a while. Things get out of control with deep fried pickles, and deep friend oreos, and just about deep fried anything. So the last time they did it I decided to test this chicken recipe out. It was easier than I thought and tastier than I thought.

Ingredients:
8, boneless, skinless, chicken breast tenderloins, uncooked
6 oz. bag of salted pretzels (I went with the extra dark - so good!)
1 tbsp thyme
salt & pepper
2 eggs
vegetable oil for frying
2 tbsp buttter
2 tsbp flour
2 cups milk
2.5 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup parsley, diced very thin (optional)
1/4 cup onion, diced very thin (optional)
1 large sour pickle, diced very thin (optional)
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Make sure you have your supplies organized and your servings measured out so you can move quickly from step to step.

Make sure that the deep fryer is ready to go. (I don't have much experience with deep frying so my husband took care of this. Can't tell you how much oil we used or what temp it was on, sorry.)
You can always use a frying pan with oil and cook for a few minutes on each side that way, if you prefer. I prefer the deep fryer, it was so easy!

This chicken is the best when it is is thin & crispy. So the first thing you want to do is take a meat cleaver (or use an alternative plan such as the bottom of a pot) and hit the chicken breast until it lies flat & thin. 

Meanwhile, grind the pretzels into fine pieces using a food processor. 
Transfer to a bowl and mix in thyme, salt, & pepper.

Crack, beat, and mix the eggs.
Transfer the pretzel mixture to a shallow dish that you can dip the chickens into and cover completely with the mixture.
But before you cover them completely with the pretzel mixture, dip them into the eggs.
Once both sides of the chicken breast is coated with the egg dip in the ground pretzel mix, covering completely. 

Then place carefully in the deep fryer and cook for a few minutes. 
The pretzel "breading" should be brown and the chicken should be cooked all the way through.

Meanwhile, while the chicken is cooking, quickly melt the butter and the flour (I would recommend having this stuff ready to go).
Cook for about 1 minute.
Then whisk in the milk. 
When the milk starts to bubble, then add the cheese & mustard.
Add salt & pepper, then remove cheese sauce from heat.

Remove chicken from the oil and place on a serving plate. Cover with the mustard cheddar sauce and feel free to sprinkle with some parsley. As well as the finely chopped onion & pickle. Serve with lemon wedges. 


I swear, THIS IS DELICIOUS!!!, so so so good. And easy if you have a deep fryer. 

What do you think? Comments? Suggestions? I would love to know that you visited my blog. Please leave me a message letting me know you were here! Did you try out a recipe? Let me know! I would love to hear from you :-)