This crispy gluten-free pretzel breaded chicken recipe is total perfection, with tender chicken on the inside and crunchy on the outside.
Skip boring gluten-free chicken dinners this week and make a batch of this gluten-free pretzel breaded chicken. You might need to make a double batch, don't say I didn't warn you, hah.
I am really glad my family likes it when I play around with recipes. One thing that I always loved was pretzels. There is just something about their salty, crunchy goodness that always drew me to them. Don't get me started on the soft ones, but that's for another day.
Today I am talking about the super yummy crunchy pretzels and the fact that this gluten-free mama is happy that gluten-free pretzels have come a LONG way in the last several years. This means that I get to whip up things like these crispy gluten-free pretzel breaded chicken tenders whenever I want.
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Are pretzels gluten-free?
Traditionally, for the most part, pretzels are made with wheat flour, and they are not gluten-free.
Thankfully, there are actually many companies that now make gluten-free pretzels that you can buy at the store. A few of my favorite gluten-free pretzels are actually totally grain-free, which makes me even happier. Don't worry, though; you can't tell the difference, and even the pickiest gluten pretzel lovers will be eating these up.
The best brands of gluten-free pretzels:
- Fit Joy Gluten-free Pretzels - I usually can pick these up from Whole Foods or when I place a Thrive Market order.
- Savor by Suzie Gluten-free Pretzels - (Their new gluten-free chocolate-covered pretzels are to die for.) These aren't available locally to me, so I order them from their site. You can also check their store locator to see where you can find them.
- Glutino Gluten-free Pretzels. - The Glutino gluten-free pretzels are ones I can find easier, but they aren't my favorite.
- Snyder's gluten-free pretzels have been popping up more at my local store; they are pretty good.
There are several other brands that make gluten-free pretzels. Just be sure whatever brand you use is gluten-free. If you don't need to be gluten-free, just substitute in your favorite pretzels.
Note: This post is not sponsored by any of these companies.
Ingredients
We are basically making a take on shake-and-bake chicken, except we are making gluten-free shake-and-bake and using pretzels to get easy crispy gluten-free chicken.
- Chicken - You can use any boneless chicken. I like to cut chicken breasts into tenders to make these little gluten-free chicken tenders.
- Gluten-free Pretzels - You want to use crunchy plain or sea salt flavor. If you choose another flavor, just know it will change the final chicken.
- Eggs
- Milk or Water - You can use a dairy-free alternative or water if you want to make this a gluten-free, dairy-free chicken recipe.
- 1:1 Gluten-free Flour - I use King Arthur 1:1 blend.
- Spices
Steps.
Making this gluten-free shake and bake chicken is easy with only a few simple steps.
- Crush the gluten-free pretzels with the flour in a food processor until it resembles the size of bread crumbs.
- Combine the egg and milk or water in a small bowl.
- Place the crushed pretzels and the spices into a shallow dish.
- Dip the chicken pieces into the egg wash.
- Then dip and coat the chicken into the gluten-free breading.
- Cook the breaded chicken.
If you really want to get nostalgic and do this gluten-free shake and bake chicken the old fashion way, you can.
- Toss the cut pieces of chicken into the egg wash.
- Add the crushed pretzels, flour, and spices into a ziplock bag.
- Place a few pieces of chicken from the egg wash into the bag and shake until the chicken pieces are coated evenly in the gluten-free breading.
Tips and tricks for the best gluten-free shake and bake.
- Use gluten-free pretzels that you like the flavor of.
- Make sure you do not add too much liquid to the eggs. If the egg wash is too thin, it won't stick to the pieces of chicken.
- Use the chicken pieces you prefer. - I like to make these gluten-free crispy chicken tenders. If you want, you can use full chicken breasts. boneless chicken thighs or even bone-in-chicken pieces to make this gluten-free shake and bake. Note that cooking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken pieces and the cooking method.
- If you want to make this easy gluten-free breaded chicken but can't find gluten-free pretzels, you can sub in some of your favorite gluten-free bread crumbs. Can't find any of those either? See my gluten-free breadcrumbs post to see just how easy it is to make your own.
Gluten-free breaded chicken FAQ
Make sure that the gluten-free breading is the consistency of bread crumbs. If the pieces are too big, it can be harder for them to stick.
Do not touch the chicken much once it's coated. The more you touch the chicken after it has been breaded, the easier it will be for it to fall off.
Make sure your chicken pieces are not touching each other when cooking. If the chicken pieces are touching, it is more likely for the breading to fall off.
The best way to stick breading to chicken without eggs is to coat the chicken in heavy cream. The heavy cream is thick enough to hold the breading.
If you still want your chicken to be egg-free and dairy-free, you can use something like coconut cream.
You can even coat your chicken in mayo before coating your chicken. Just make sure that you are not making the coating very thick.
Yes, this gluten-free shake-and-bake chicken recipe works just fine with fresh or frozen chicken. Just note that cooking times will vary to make sure it is fully cooked through.
Cooking Methods
You can cook this gluten-free pretzel-breaded chicken in a few different ways, depending on how you like it.
- Make this gluten-free breaded chicken in the oven for an easy and delicious gluten-free oven-fried chicken.
- Pan-fry the chicken in a skillet. - This works better if you are making chicken strips or turning these into mini gluten-free chicken nuggets. Make sure your oil is not overly hot, as the pretzels do tend to burn a little easier than bread crumbs.
- Air-fry for extra crispy gluten-free chicken. - Air frying is actually my favorite way to make this pretzel-breaded chicken. It takes no time at all, and it gets the gluten-free breading extra crispy.
Make Ahead
I find that these are best made and served fresh, but it is possible some ahead of time. The best way to make and have some of this pretzel-breaded chicken on hand is to make tenders.
- Coat and cook the tenders as if you were going to eat them fresh and let them cool.
- Lay the cooked chicken tenders on a baking tray and flash-freeze them for about an hour,
- Once the chicken is frozen, you can transfer it to a ziplock bag or freezer-safe container to store.
- Reheat your gluten-free chicken tenders in the air fryer or oven at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until they are warm.
Let's Get Saucy
When it comes to pretzels, you have to admit the delicious ones come with a sauce to dip those bad boys into. This is why of course, I'm giving you my super simple gluten-free honey mustard dipping sauce. Because, let's face it, pretzels and mustard are made for each other.
Don't like mustard? You can also whip up a quick batch of my Cheese Sauce For Veggies; it's delicious with these chicken tenders even though it says for veggies. Or you can be super simple and dip these into your favorite BBQ, ranch, or whatever sauce you like.
Find the recipe for the dipping sauce in the recipe card.
More Gluten-free Chicken Dinners
Love chicken but don't want to be eating the same boring recipes every week; give these easy and delicious gluten-free chicken dinners a try.
📖 Recipe
Gluten-free Pretzel Breaded Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2-4 Pieces Bonless Skinless Chicken Breast cut into desired shapes
- 1 Bag Gluten-Free Pretzels
- ⅓ Cup 1:1 Gluten-free Flour
- 2 Large Eggs See notes for making this egg-free.
- ¼ Cup Milk See notes for making this dairy-free.
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ TSP Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Dried Mustard
For the Honey Mustard Sauce
- ¼ Cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ Cup Honey
- 3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 3 Tablespoons Yellow or Brown Mustard
- ½ Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
Instructions
For the Sauce
- Mix all the sauce ingredients together into a small bowl and set aside.1 teaspoon Dried Mustard, ¼ Cup Mayonnaise, ¼ Cup Honey, 3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard, 3 Tablespoons Yellow or Brown Mustard, ½ Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar, ¼ Teaspoon Salt
Prep the Ingredients
- Slice the chicken into pieces as desired and set them aside.2-4 Pieces Bonless Skinless Chicken Breast
- Pulse the gluten-free pretzels and the flour in a food processor until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs.1 Bag Gluten-Free Pretzels, ⅓ Cup 1:1 Gluten-free Flour
- Place them into a shallow dish with the spices and set aside.1 Bag Gluten-Free Pretzels, ⅓ Cup 1:1 Gluten-free Flour, 1 teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Pepper, ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder, ½ teaspoon Onion Powder, 1 teaspoon Dried Mustard
- In a separate shallow dish, combine the eggs and milk until they are slightly fluffy.2 Large Eggs, ¼ Cup Milk
- Dredge the chicken into the egg and then into the pretzel crumbs to full coat and set aside.
Gluten-free breaded chicken in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the chicken on top. Make sure you space the chicken out allowing it to breath while it cooks which will help the pretzels stay crunchy.
- Bake in the oven for 10-12minutes before flipping them and baking another 10-12 minutes on the other side.
Gluten-free breaded chicken in the air fryer.
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees.
- Place your pieces of breaded chicken into the air fryer.
- Lightly spray the tops of the chicken with a light cooking oil spray. I use avocado oil spray.
- Cook the chicken in the air fryer for about 10 minutes.
- Flip the chicken over. You can lightly spray the other side of the chicken if desired and then cook the breaded chicken for another 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and has an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Gluten-free breaded chicken in a skillet.
- In a skillet over medium-low heat, place enough oil so that it is about an inch deep.
- Once the oil is warm cook the chicken in batches, rotating until they reach an internal temerature of 165 degrees.
- Allow the chicken to drain off any excess oil on a plate lined with paper towels and enjoy them while they are warm.
Notes
- Use gluten-free pretzels that you like the flavor of.
- Make sure you do not add too much liquid to the eggs. If the egg wash is too thin, it won't stick to the pieces of chicken.
- Use chicken pieces you prefer. - I like to make these gluten-free crispy chicken tenders. If you want, you can use full chicken breasts. boneless chicken thighs or even bone-in-chicken pieces to make this gluten-free shake and bake. Note that cooking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken pieces and the cooking method.
- If you want to make this easy gluten-free breaded chicken but can't find gluten-free pretzels, you can sub in some of your favorite gluten-free bread crumbs. Can't find any of those either? See my gluten-free breadcrumb post to see just how easy it is to make your own.
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