Pretzel Crusted Chicken Cutlets

I am always looking for new ways to cook chicken. This pretzel-crusted chicken breast is perfect for salads or sandwiches. Let’s admit it, chicken breast by itself is bland and flavorless. So, we need to give it all the love we can. If I just want a plain “no fuss” chicken breast, I marinate it and bake it in the oven. This particular recipe for chicken breast is crispy and tasty, almost but not quite like a Southern deep-fried chicken. It’s really not, but we can pretend it is and tell our tastebuds to enjoy it. 

You can have these chicken cutlets on the table in about 25 minutes. It's a perfect weekday dinner dish. Serve it on a bun and make a crispy chicken burger. It makes a delicious dinner with my red cabbage and mashed potatoes. Younger children might have fun with this recipe. 

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Recipe for Pretzel Crusted Chicken Breast 

You can play with the recipe by adding some pepper flakes or other herbs to the crushed pretzels. Make sure you do not overcook the chicken. Check for an internal temperature of 165℉. For the pretzels, I used Thin & Crunchy Pretzel Slims from Trader Joe’s. But any miniature pretzel will do.
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Ingredients:
2 cups miniature pretzel twists or pretzel slims
1 egg
2 8-ounces boneless chicken breasts 
Canola oil for frying
Salt and pepper for seasoning

Directions:
Place the pretzels in a ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin or put them in a food processor. I did mine in the food processor.  Transfer the crumbs to a flat dish, and add some freshly ground pepper and some hot pepper flakes if you want some heat. Beat the eggs in a separate flat dish. 

Cut the chicken breast in half horizontally to make four thin cutlets. Pound them with a meat tenderizer to flatten them evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Working with one cutlet at a time, dip it into the egg and let the excess drip off. Put the cutlet onto the plate with the pretzel crumbs, pressing down gently. 

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the cutlets and cook for about four minutes. Flip the cutlets over and cook until the thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 165 ℉, about another three minutes. Transfer the cutlets onto a towel-lined plate. 

Slice your cutlets and add them to your favorite salad, or make a chicken burger. I enjoyed eating them cold as a snack. 

Guten Appetit!
Recipe from Real Simple Magazine
adapted by the Sunnycovechef.com

If you are hungry for some breaded pork cutlets with a mushroom  pepper sauce click here