Description
Pretzel Chicken with Mustard Cheddar Sauce is a crispy baked main dish that delivers bold flavor and weeknight convenience. Juicy chicken breasts are coated in crunchy pretzel crumbs, then baked until golden and tender. Finished with a creamy mustard cheddar sauce, this dish offers a perfect balance of savory, tangy, and comforting notes. It’s fun, kid-friendly, and serves well with greens or roasted veggies for a complete family dinner. Ideal for entertaining without fuss, it scales to four portions and adapts to casual weeknight meals.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups crushed pretzels
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil spray
For the mustard cheddar sauce:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with olive oil.
- Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Set up a breading station with flour, eggs+milk, and crushed pretzels.
- Dredge each chicken breast in flour, dip into egg mixture, then press into pretzels to coat evenly.
- Place coated chicken on the prepared sheet and lightly spray tops with olive oil.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until cooked through and coating is golden and crispy.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in milk and cook until thickened. Stir in cheddar, Dijon, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Spoon warm sauce over baked chicken before serving.
Notes
- Thick chicken breasts may require pounding to even thickness for uniform cooking.
- Sauce can be prepared ahead and reheated gently on low heat.
- For extra crunch, bake on a rack so the crust stays crispy.
- Leftovers reheat well in the oven to maintain crispiness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 31 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with sauce
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
Keywords: Pretzel chicken, mustard cheddar sauce, baked chicken, crispy chicken, pretzel crust, mustard cheddar, weeknight dinner, family dinner, American comfort food