Maple Pretzel Chicken

Would you ever think to put maple syrup and pretzels together? Well, you really need to give this a try! It's a super simple way to prepare chicken that will win you big points! A crunchy, salty and sweet coating makes this chicken extra special.

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Maple Pretzel Chicken

Serves 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, or 8 chicken tenderloins

Salt and pepper

1 egg

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 1/2 cups crushed gluten free pretzels

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 375°F. Flatten chicken breast to 1/2-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, whisk egg and maple syrup together. Place crushed pretzels in another shallow bowl. Dip chicken breast into the maple-egg mixture, then coat in crushed pretzels. In a large skillet, heat canola oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes to brown. Transfer chicken to a foil-lined baking sheet and bake chicken at 375°F until juices run clear and internal temperature is 180°F, about 10-15 minutes.

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Step-by-step tutorial:

Gather your ingredients. You will need 3-4 chicken breasts or 8 chicken tenderloins, 1 egg, pure maple syrup, gluten free pretzels, and vegetable oil.

In a food processor or with a meat mallet, crush enough pretzels to get about 1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels.

Place the pretzels in a shallow bowl.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup maple syrup and 1 egg.

Whisk it until it's nice and smooth.

Flatten chicken breasts to be about 1/2-inch thickness, then season with salt and pepper, or put seasoning in the crushed pretzels. The saltier your pretzels, the less you'll need. These particular pretzels aren't very salty, so additional salt was needed. Line up your bowls and start preparing the chicken. Dip each piece into the maple-egg mixture, then coat in the crushed pretzels.

Heat a skillet with 1/4 cup oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until browned.

If your chicken is thin enough, cooking them in the skillet alone can be enough, just make sure they are done. My chicken was on the thicker side, so after browning, I baked them.

Place the chicken on a foil lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 10-15 minutes or until juices run clear and internal temperature reaches 180°F.

Serve immediately! You can drizzle with a little extra syrup if desired. The flavor combination is so fun, and this dinner couldn't be simpler or faster!

Recipe Source: Recipe adapted from a recipe in Taste of Home magazine