Gluten-Free Pretzel Crusted Chicken Bites! Quick, EASY and so delicious you’d never guess they’re gluten-free! 
I made this pretzel chicken on a whim earlier this week when I didn’t feel like going to the grocery store.
I had frozen chicken, gluten-free pretzels leftover from a road trip, the ingredients for rice pilaf, and some frozen vegetables. It turned out to be a fabulous dinner! This pretzel chicken was so delicious, my husband requested it join our regular meal rotation. My 3-year-old also loved it! This gluten-free chicken and rice is another favorite!
I haven’t been impressed with gluten-free bread crumbs and have just avoided breaded chicken up to this point in eating gluten-free.
Gluten-free pretzels aren’t something I buy often, but they sure are delicious when I do! I think they taste even better than regular pretzels.
For the chicken, I first dredge it in some seasoned gluten-free flour. Then it is dipped in beaten egg (substitute milk of your choice for egg-free) followed by the crushed pretzels. This makes for an extra crunchy and flavorful coating.
Just bake the chicken for 8 minutes on each side and serve with your favorite dipping sauce. These make for an easy and delicious weeknight dinner the whole family will love!
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders from Wholesome Yum
Buffalo Chicken Nuggets from Veggie Balance
Gluten-Free Pretzel Chicken {Dairy-Free}
Ingredients
- 1-1 1/2 pounds chicken breast
- 2 cups crushed gluten-free pretzels
- 1/2 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt or seasoned salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp cooking spray I use coconut oil spray from Trader Joe's
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Cut the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. Place the crushed pretzels (I crush mine inside a ziploc bag) in a swallow dish. In another dish, mix together the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, ground mustard, and garlic powder. Whisk the eggs until smooth in a third bowl.
- Dredge the chicken by first placing it in the flour. Shake to remove the excess, then place and coat in the egg. Last, roll the chicken in the crushed pretzels and place on the baking sheet. I usually dredge 2-3 pieces at a time and have one hand be the wet hand and the other be the dry hand to keep things from getting too messy.
- Once all the chicken is coated, spray the chicken lightly with cooking oil. This will help the surface crisp and brown. You can just brush it with coconut oil if you prefer. Bake the chicken for 8 minutes then use tongs to flip with it to the other side. Bake for another 8-10 minutes until cooked through and crispy. Serve with dipping sauce if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Inspired by Sally’s Baking Addiction
Hello!
Would love to try these as an appetizer for an event I’m hosting. Have you tried prepping them fully ahead of time except for the baking part? I’d love to have them dipped and on a parchment sheet in the fridge the night before and then pull them out to bake right before the event but… I’m worried… will the pretzel coating will get soggy??
Hi Gwen, we haven’t tried to make this one fully ahead of time. We wouldn’t recommend dipping them the night before because the pretzel coating will get soggy and they won’t bake up crisp. You could prep through step 2 and then store the chicken, crushed pretzels, dry mix, and eggs in 4 separate containers to then handle steps 3-4 (dredge and bake) the next day. We hope this helps!
Hey there! Just an update on my make-ahead question. I ended up prepping them fully and freezing them on a parchment lined cookie sheet, then transferred to gallon zip-lock bags.
On the day of the event, I put them on a fresh parchment-lined sheet, sprayed lightly with avocado oil, then baked them at 400 right from frozen — they took a little longer to get browned and done, but they were perfect, crispy, not soggy — delicious! They were a hit with our guests, whether GF or not!
Hi Gwen, thank you for your positive feedback! We’re so glad to hear the make-ahead approach worked so well — thanks for sharing!
Tried GF pretzel chicken elsewhere and never saw it again. This is even better!! I would highly suggest running the pretzels in a food processor or something to really get them fine, keep a few bigger pieces though, it’s a great crunch! Simple to do and delicious.
Do you have a favorite brand of GF pretzels you use? I haven’t liked a couple brands. Thanks!
Snyders is my household go to. Even non-GF eat them and say they’re better than regular!
We think of these pretzel bites like they’re fancy chicken nuggets. We LOVE them!
Oh my GOD this pretzel crusted chicken looks incredible – wish I had a bowl of it to devour right now! It’s hard to believe that the chicken is baked they look so crisp, crunchy and golden. Thanks for the great recipe!