Ok, so this started as a "waste not want not" recipe, but it's become a staple in our house. Mostly because my toddler actually asks for it. I find myself daydreaming of ways to incorporate more protein into the kids' diet, since he usually just licks whatever meat is on his plate and then doesn't touch it again. I always ask Jack what he wants for dinner, even if I have other plans, because I like to see what he comes up with. Usually he says ice cream, but more often than not, he will ask for pretzel chicken.
Recipes labeled "kid friendly" are generally boring or bland, but my husband and I both crave these salty little nugs as well. And bonus: They are super easy (really, they are).
Any pretzels will work, but I've found that the Snack Factory Pretzel Crips make for a finer, nicer crumb. Aldi has their own brand which I've used before too. We eat them with hummus almost every day for a snack, so it's not unusual for us to go through a bag in a few days. The tiny broken pieces left at the bottom of the bag are what I use for this recipe, but certainly sacrificing a handful of whole ones works too.
You can cut your chicken into strips, nugs, or do a whole breast pounded flat for a sandwich. We usually go for the nugs, and dip in honey mustard (super easy recipe will be below). Baked in a high-temp oven gets them super crispy with just a little bit of oil spray. So we'll call them healthy-ish, minus all the salt from the pretzels...
Anyway, I'll get on with it. Thanks for listening. Let me know how you like them-I know my pretzel-loving fam does!
Pretzel Chicken Nugs
INGREDIENTS:
-2 chicken breasts (this is plenty for two adults and a toddler)
-~1/3 cup pretzel crumbs
-2 eggs
-2 T milk or cream
-Cooking spray
-Baking sheet with a rack
For the honey mustard:
-1/3 cup heavy cream
-2 T Dijon mustard
-2 T honey
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 415 degrees, then line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil and set a rack inside.
Cut the chicken into chunks or strips and pat dry. Set aside.
In a food processor or blender, pulse enough pretzels to make ~1/3-1/2 cup of crumbs. Pour the pretzel crumbs into a shallow bowl. In a second shallow bowl, scramble the two eggs with the milk or cream.
Dip the chicken chunks into the egg and milk mixture, then the pretzel crumbs. Make sure to shake any excess egg off before dipping into the pretzels. Arrange on the racked cookie sheet, making sure they aren't touching.
Before putting them in the oven, give them a quick spray with your cooking spray. You don't need a lot here, a once over will do it.
Baking time is going to vary based on how thick and large you cut your chunks. For ~1"x2" chunks, they will take about 12-15 minutes. Just keep an eye on them, and cut one open or use a meat thermometer to check for doneness (165 degrees).
While the chicken cooks, whisk together all ingredients for the honey mustard in a small saucepan. Cook on low to medium heat until thickened. Taste as you go-this is totally up to your taste preferences. Add more honey if you want it sweeter, or more mustard if you'd like it more tangy. You can't mess it up!
I usually serve these nugs with zucchini fries or roasted baby potatoes and green beans. All are tasty dipped in the honey mustard!
Now, use the extra time you're saving with this quick recipe to relaaaax.
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