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Baked Crunchy Pretzel Honey Balsamic Chicken. An updated classic loved by everyone! Simple salted pretzel-crusted chicken baked up on a sheet pan until crispy and delicious. The crunchy pretzel crumbs are the key, but the sauce is not to be overlooked. Sweet honey balsamic sauce with the perfect combination of herbs and spices. A delicious weeknight dinner to serve up with a simple side of rice and/or your favorite roasted vegetables.
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Lately, I’ve been focusing more and more on basics. They’re saying the style trends for this coming fall are really good basics. I’ve really started to embrace that more and more, in both food and fashion.
When it comes to cooking, I’m enjoying recreating basic recipes that could use an update. Maybe elevation is the better word. We all know the story, as a kid my dad would make chicken and rice a lot. The other dish he would often make was potato chip chicken.
Potato chip chicken is exactly what it sounds like, chicken coated in potato chips and baked. It was a twice-weekly staple in our house. My brothers to this day are obsessed.
But the recipe needed an update – and a sauce. I think we’re all familiar with the classic honey balsamic dressing. My grandma would bake chicken in it often and I used to love the sauce.
With this recipe, I took a classic baked chicken and swapped boring breadcrumbs for pretzels. I then added a simple, sweet, and tangy honey balsamic sauce. Similar to my hot honey chicken, just not spicy but instead tangy. It’s basic, but so delicious and the balsamic sauce really makes the recipe special. I’ve been recreating it a lot since I first made it, I adore the chicken and the sauce!
Ingredients
- Salted mini pretzel twists
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Smoked paprika
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Large eggs
- Balsamic vinegar
- Chicken breast tenderloins
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Honey
- Balsamic vinegar
- Dried thyme
- Cayenne pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Fresh herbs such as Fresh thyme and basil
The details
The coating is key. Well, the coating and the sauce. We’re swapping out potato chips or my usual, cornflakes, with salty crunchy pretzels. The pretzels give the chicken that perfect crunch. They also add a nice salty flavor that makes the recipe rather addicting.
I love to use mini pretzel twists, but if you’re gluten-free, you can certainly use your favorite gluten-free pretzel.
Baked Crunchy Pretzel Honey Balsamic Chicken | halfbakedharvest.com
You’ll want to crunch the pretzel up in a food processor with paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. If you have a seasoned salt blend you love, you could use that too. Then add the parmesan cheese. I would not recommend skipping the cheese, it adds a more intense, rich flavor and melts over the chicken becoming crispy along with the pretzel pieces as they bake.
Dredge the chicken through eggs beaten together with balsamic vinegar. Then dredege them through the crumbs. For a thicker coating, I’ll take the chicken and dip it back through the eggs, and then the crumbs for a second time. This takes slightly longer, it’s up to you and how much of a coating you want. I think one coating of the pretzels is perfect.
Next, add olive oil to the chicken to help it crisp up. I don’t do anything fancy, just bake for 25 minutes. This chicken comes out perfect every time.
Just before the chicken finishes up in the oven, I get to work on the honey balsamic sauce. Again, if you love that hot honey sauce I often make, but are looking for something not spicy, this is a nice sweet and tangy option.
It’s a mix of honey, balsamic vinegar, and herbs. I use dried thyme, cayenne, onion, and garlic powder, then a tiny pinch of salt.
Be cautious of the amount of salt you’re using throughout the recipe. Keep in mind that the pretzels have added salt!
Per usual, I douse the chicken in the sauce, you really can never have enough. You can use as little or as much of the sauce as you’d like, it’s SO DELICIOUS. I just love the tanginess of the balsamic. It’s one of my favorite vinegars, especially when paired with sweet honey. Love that combination!
I serve this with rice most often, but sweet potato fries, or really any French fry would be delicious too. I always add broccoli as well. Or right now I’m using a lot of asparagus since it is in season! Of course, you can’t go wrong with a vibrant and hearty spinach salad with veggies on the side.
Such a yummy meal!
Looking for more recipes? Here are a few to try:
Baked Crunchy Hot Honey Chicken
Sheet Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Feta Potatoes
Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Buffalo Cauliflower with Spicy Tahini Ranch
Lastly, if you make this Baked Crunchy Pretzel Honey Balsamic Chicken, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Baked Crunchy Pretzel Honey Balsamic Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 cups salted mini pretzel twists , (use gluten-free if needed)
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins
- extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- fresh thyme, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. In a food processor, combine the pretzels, parmesan, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Pulse until you have fine crumbs. Dump the crumbs into a shallow bowl.3. Beat the eggs in a bowl, add the balsamic vinegar. Add the chicken and toss well to coat.3. Dredge the chicken through the crumbs, covering fully. Place on the prepared baking sheet. For a thicker coating, dip the chicken back through the eggs, then through the crumbs a second time. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until crisp all around.4. Just before the chicken is done cooking, make the sauce. In a sauce pot, warm together the honey, balsamic vinegar, dried thyme, cayenne, onion powder, and garlic powder, plus a pinch of salt.5. Drizzle the warm sauce over the chicken. Top with fresh thyme. If the sauce thickens, warm for 5 seconds in the microwave. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This was fantastic! My husband said “You should definitely make this again- save this recipe,” which is his highest compliment. We had it for dinner last night, and today I’m wanting it again!
Hey Alison,
Happy Wednesday!! 🌞 Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
Loved this recipe! You’ve done it again girl!
Hey Angela,
Happy Easter!! 🐰🐣🌈 Thank you very much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your comment, I’m so glad it turned out well for you! xT
What a fabulous treat! A great use of the leftover pretzels from the Everything Ranch Pretzel Mix. Thankfully, I made enough to have leftovers tonight!
We look forward to serving it for our Sunday, Funday, Family Gatherings. Again, thank you, Tieghan!
Hi Kym,
Happy Easter!! 🐰🐣🌈 Thank you very much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your comment, I’m so glad it turned out well for you! xT
I didn’t have dried thyme on hand, is it okay to use fresh thyme for the sauce? If not are there other dried alternatives?
Hey Marissa,
Totally, fresh thyme will be delicious! Let me know how this recipe turns out for you, I hope it’s a hit! xT
Tieghan your typos are out of control. WHY is no one proofing your recipes and most of all your instagram stories! This is very sloppy and is getting worse! Maybe focus more on your recipes and stop trying to be some kind of fashion insider. It’s really effecting your recipes and you’re wrinkled baggy jeans look awful.
*affecting
👏👏👏
Ok Karen, move along!! Envy is a horrible look on people!
Wow Sasha, you’re rude. Why don’t you stop following her instead of being such a hater? Also, if you’re going to harass her on editing, try editing yourself first: “you’re jeans”.
Holy shit Karen! You’re getting a free recipe from a darling girl! If you don’t like free recipes and she bothers you, simple don’t follow. Who do you think you are!! Bloody hell!
**your. You’re welcome, Sasha.
Sasha, your whole nonsensical rant is filled with typos and grammatical errors. You came here to childishly attack and insult someone, and made a complete fool of yourself in the process. The irony is almost as delicious as this recipe. 😂 Please see yourself out.
Haha! Wow, Sasha. Way to make a complete flaming arse of yourself. I’m embarrassed for you.
Great chicken recipe, Tieghan! Keep up the amazing work. My whole family loves your meals.
This is comedy gold. You’ve gotta love it when the trash takes itself out. Bye, Sasha. 👋
Is this satire, or are you REALLY this much of a colossal imbecile, Sasha? 🙄
*affecting your recipes…
*your wrinkled baggy jeans…
You’re a special kind of stupid aren’t you, Sasha?
Sasha, you should take a remedial English class before you even think about trying to correct someone else’s writing.
Bestiality Cathy, is that you, just using a new fake name?
Affecting* If you’re going to call someone out about proof reading posts at least use proper grammar.
There is one trick to help you use the right word in almost every case: the word RAVEN:
R = Remember
A = Affect is a
V = Verb
E = Effect is a
N = Noun
This is far too intelligent thinking for a nincompoop like Sasha to comprehend.
Sasha, are you the product of multi-generational inbreeding? If not, you have no excuse for this excessive idiocy.
**your
*Tieghan, your/*Instagram/*your/*is/like Jenny pointed out *affecting
Well, I guess Sasha won’t be getting that proofreading job. #meow
Ok, Karen. The rest of us are here for it. Scroll on with your unhappy self.
Also, glass houses…
Gotta love the irony of an illiterate hater criticizing someone else’s writing. I guess the intellectual level of the people harassing HBH is exactly what one would expect – lower than dirt.
You can barely form a legible sentence, yet you’re attacking someone else. You’re a laughingstock. Congratulations, Sasha!
The flavor of this was amazing and it was easy to make, however, I need a little guidance. I put the pretzels in the food processor but it ground them down so much that there was no crunch in the chicken so I’m thinking next time I may just rough chop the pretzels with the seasoning. Your thoughts? Otherwise, this was a great recipe. I will be putting it on repeat. The sauce was incredible!
Hey Ashley,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback!! Yes, next time you could just roughly chop them in a plastic bag or do a quick pulse in the food processor so they aren’t so crushed. I hope this helps! xT
I made this tonight for dinner as I had all the ingredients on hand. It was so easy to make and delicious. The chicken was very moist and I love the sauce.
Hey Karen,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for giving it a go! xT
This sounds delicious – can it be made a day ahead? If yes, anything that I should change?
Thanks – Susie
Hey Susan,
I probably wouldn’t make this in advance, I worry that the pretzels would get soggy and then you wouldn’t end up with a crunchy coating. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Tieghan, I came to this recipe because you linked it in the broccoli cheddar chicken rice recipe post and mentioned having leftovers in the freezer. I’m always looking for meals that freeze well! I see here you don’t recommend making ahead of time. Did you freeze after baking? Did it come out crunchy again? Thanks so much!
Hey Emily,
I would freeze after baking:) And then you will just have to bake to warm through and it should be crunchy! I hope this helps! xT
Looks delicious, when I check the metric weight the pretzels comes out at 1.42 (not sure what that actually equates to in grams, can you advise). Also you say process until fine crumbs but your photo looks like you have chunkier bits on top – do you leave some aside to top them with? Can’t wait to try, Im sure it’ll be delicious as always!
Hey Maxine,
So sorry, I am not exactly sure how much of the pretzels I used in grams. I always recommend that if the metrics are important to you to double check with your own calculator. Ours is automatic and controlled my Google. It’s not something we prefer to be using, but some readers find it helpful. Sorry for the trouble! For the pretzels, if you want to have some chunks in there go ahead and add them, it’s a nice touch! I hope you love this recipe! xT
This looks great but balsamic vinegar is listed twice in the ingredient list and I am confused! Is 21 tablespoons of balsamic a typo? How much of the vinegar goes with the chicken and how much goes with the sauce please? Can’t wait to try this!
Hi Emily,
So sorry for any confusion, you are going to use 2 tablespoons in step 3 and 3-4 tablespoons in step 4. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
21 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar? Is it 2?? Thanks for clarifying!!
Hi Kelly,
Sorry for any confusion, it’s just 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Can I skip the eggs or substitute something? Egg allergy in our house….
Hi Jennifer,
You could try using buttermilk to see if that works for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
21 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar?? Probably a typo. Maybe 2 Tablespoons??
Hi Cathie,
Yes, so sorry about that! It’s 2 tablespoons:) I hope you love this recipe, let me know if you give it a try! xT
Reading this recipe I am also so excited to try it – perhaps tonight! I would also like clarification on the amount of balsamic vinegar needed. How much goes into the egg mixture, and then to the sauce?
Hi Deb,
So sorry about that!! You are just going to use 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar for the eggs and 3-4 tablespoons for the sauce! I hope this helps! xT
Thank you so much for the reply – I will make this tonight!!
This looks delicious! 21 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, is this correct? How much is for the egg mixture and how much is for the sauce? Can’t wait to try this.
That must be a typographical error, 21.
Hi Judes,
Sorry about that! It’s just meant to be 2 tablespoons:) xT
I’m wondering the same thing? 21 tablesooons of balsamic is maybe 1/3cup??? Where in the recipe does this occur?
Hi there,
So sorry for any confusion, that was a typo, it’s just 2 tablespoons of balsamic! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi Coral,
So sorry about that! It’s just 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx