Crunchy on the outside, buttery-soft on the inside, this pretzel crusted chicken is the ultimate easy dinner. Paired with a simple honey Dijon dipping sauce, it’s a guaranteed family favorite!

pretzel crusted chicken with dipping sauce

I can never have too many recipes for bone-in chicken. It’s a staple in my house that I serve at least once a week — everybody loves it, even my picky eaters! But there are only so many times I can serve my paprikash chicken and potatoes or no-fail chicken and rice, so I started making this pretzel crumb chicken and it has also been a hit.

Now, I know that lots of people reading this will want a boneless chicken version, which I have! My pretzel-coated chicken nuggets are also a fan favorite. I often make them for Shabbos and serve them on Shabbos day as part of my deli platter.

This pretzel crusted chicken is easy to prepare. I’ll often prep it the night before or in the morning and put it in the fridge until I’m ready to bake it close to suppertime. I don’t suggest freezing this recipe after baking, though you can freeze it raw.

With this chicken, using a real metal cookie sheet makes a huge difference. Of course, you can still make it on a disposable, but the real metal makes the chicken come out so much crispier.

I always make my own pretzel crumbs in the food processor since I don’t like the way store-bought pretzel crumbs taste. If you don’t have or don’t like pretzel crumbs, you can use any other crumb as well (panko crumbs, gluten-free crumbs, classic breadcrumbs, etc.).

In this chicken and the dipping sauce, I used Dijon mustard, since I love the tangy flavor. However, if you only have classic yellow mustard, you can definitely substitute that.

Pretzel Crumb-Crusted Bone-In Chicken with Honey Dijon Dipping Sauce

Crunchy on the outside, buttery-soft on the inside, this pretzel crusted chicken is the ultimate easy dinner. Paired with a simple honey Dijon dipping sauce, it’s a guaranteed family favorite!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

1 Tbsp oil
6 pieces bone-in chicken (I use bottoms)
1 egg
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
1½ cups fine pretzel crumbs
1 cup panko crumbs

Dipping Sauce

⅓ cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F and spread the oil on a baking sheet
In a bowl large enough to fit all the chicken pieces, mix the egg, mayonnaise, and mustard. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat well.
In another bowl, combine pretzel crumbs and panko crumbs.
Dip the chicken into the crumb mixture to coat and place on the baking sheet. Spray the tops of the chicken with cooking spray or drizzle with more oil.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, until done.
For the dipping sauce, place all ingredients in a small bowl; mix to combine. Serve alongside chicken.