Crispy grain-free pretzel-crusted chicken with honey mustard sauce is a show-stopping entree! You’d never know this tender, crispy chicken was gluten-free and grain-free!
This post is sponsored by FitJoy.
Show of hands – who here loves crispy chicken?
One of my family’s dinner staples when I was growing up was oven-baked “fried” chicken made with flour and bread crumbs.
I have fond memories of gathering around the table with my parents and three siblings for a peaceful dinner, as we all loved the dish. Cheers to crispy chicken bringing diplomacy to the table!
It’s easy to prepare this classic entree even if you follow a gluten-free or grain-free diet. You can imagine how excited I was when FitJoy reached out asking if I wanted to try their Grain-Free Pretzels. The answer was a resounding YES!
The pretzels are made with cassava flour, potato starch, chickpea flour, and tapioca starch. Not only would you never know FitJoy pretzels are gluten-free, but as it turns out they make for a most excellent crust for your chicken, beef, fish or seafood. You can still get the mouth-wateringly tender yet crispy animal protein you love!
This recipe for Pretzel-Crusted Baked Chicken couldn’t be any easier!
All you need is a bag of Grain-Free Pretzels, a couple tablespoons of gluten-free (or grain-free) flour, chicken, and eggs! The rest is just bonus points!
…But speaking of bonus points, be sure to whip up the honey mustard sauce! It makes for an amazing compliment to the tasty chicken.
So let’s make it!
How to Make Pretzel-Crusted Baked Chicken:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
I use thin-cut chicken breasts or small chicken tenders for this baked chicken recipe, but if your only option is a standard thick chicken breast, no sweat. Simply slice them in half horizontally (hamburger-style) to make them thinner. This will ensure the most tender, crispy result.
Pour a full (5-ounce) bag of pretzels into your food processor or blender. Process until you have a coarse flour.
Transfer the ground pretzels to a mixing bowl along with the flour, paprika, garlic powder, and sea salt. Stir everything together until well-combined.
Whisk together two eggs in a separate bowl.
Grab one of the chicken breasts and coat the whole thing in the egg mixture. Transfer it to the bowl with the pretzel mixture and coat liberally with the mixture.
Place on the baking sheet and repeat for remaining chicken.
Bake the chicken on the center rack of the preheated oven for 15 to 25 minutes (depending on thickness), until chicken is cooked through and crispy
While the chicken is baking, prepare the honey mustard sauce by combining all ingredients in a blender and blending until smooth.
Serve chicken with honey mustard dipping sauce and your favorite side dishes!
How to Cook Chicken in a Skillet:
Want to make this chicken in a skillet for an even crispier result? Simply heat ¼ inch of high-temperature cooking oil (such as vegetable oil, avocado oil, or algae oil) in a large skillet over medium heat.
Carefully place the chicken in the hot oil and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through. You may need to do this in two or three batches.
Recipe Adaptations:
- You can replace the almond flour with gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Season the “breading” with your favorite spices and herbs, such as Italian seasoning, onion powder, cumin, ground mustard, etc.
- Rather than using chicken, you can use thin-cut white fish like tilapia, cod, or halibut.
- Note: You will end up with more pretzel mixture than you need, so feel free to double the amount of chicken you bake (up to 3 pounds).
Suggested Side Dishes:
Pair this chicken with…
- Crowd-Pleasing Roasted Vegetables
- Teriyaki Vegetable Stir Fry with Rice
- Mac and Cheese with Zucchini and Bacon
- Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
- Pesto Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Avocado, and Kale
- German-Style Sweet Potato Salad with Caramelized Onions and Chives
And that’s it!
Enjoy this gluten-free approach to oven-baked fried chicken!
Grain-Free Pretzel-Crusted Baked Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 (5-ounce) bag Grain-Free Pretzel
- 2 Tbsp Super Fine Almond Flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/5 to 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into thin fillets
Honey Mustard Sauce
- 1/3 cup olive oil or avocado oil
- 3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp raw honey or more to taste
- 1/4 tsp sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pour a full (5-ounce) bag of pretzels into your food processor or blender. Process until you have a coarse flour.
- Transfer the ground pretzels to a mixing bowl along with the flour, paprika, garlic powder, and sea salt. Stir everything together until well-combined.
- Whisk together two eggs in a separate bowl.
- Coat a chicken breast in the egg mixture. Transfer it to the bowl with the pretzel mixture and coat liberally with the mixture.
- Place on the baking sheet and repeat for remaining chicken.
- Bake the chicken on the center rack of the preheated oven for 15 to 25 minutes (depending on thickness), until chicken is cooked through and crispy.
- While the chicken is baking, prepare the honey mustard sauce by combining all ingredients in a blender and blending until smooth.
- Serve chicken with honey mustard dipping sauce and your favorite side dishes!
Nutrition
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