Coat Fried Chicken In This Classic Snack — It's 10X Crunchier Than Breadcrumbs

Your pantry probably has tons of ways to elevate your fried chicken beyond the typical breadcrumbs. From cornflakes and potato chips to pork rinds and Chex Mix, there are so many fun and creative ways to bread chicken and up the crunch factor. However, one classic snack, in particular, can take crunch levels off the charts. We're talking about pretzels. 

Their brittle texture makes pretzels perfect for coating chicken. Once crushed, the pretzel pieces give the chicken a thicker coating that delivers a loud, satisfying crunch with every bite. Beyond the crunch, pretzels bring their signature salty, toasted flavor to the chicken, too. And because they have a relatively long shelf life, you can have a bag at the ready, whether you're snacking or getting creative with your fried chicken breading.

And when it comes to pretzel snacks, the grocery store aisles have you covered with plenty of options. There are many types of pretzels, from the thick, crispy twists to more flat cracker-style pretzels. Then there are the tangier sourdough pretzels for a harder crunch or pre-seasoned ones like Dot's Homestyle Pretzels for an extra boost in flavor. So, you can pick your pretzel based on just how much crunch and flavor you want to bring to the chicken. Whichever you choose, those crunchy pretzel pieces create a heartier, more textured coating than fine breadcrumbs can offer.

Making pretzel-coated fried chicken is relatively simple, especially if you've made fried chicken before, but there are a few things to keep in mind because of the pretzel's unique texture and flavor. You'll start with the usual flour dredge, which helps the egg coating stick to the chicken. You can season the flour with anything from salt and pepper to garlic or onion powder.

After coating the chicken in flour, we'll move on to the egg wash. You can keep it simple with beaten eggs or mix in a little mustard to complement the salty pretzel flavor. Now, for the pretzel breading, you don't want to grind the pretzels down into a fine dust. Instead, pulse them in a food processor until finely crushed, leaving some larger bits remaining. If you don't have a food processor, put them in a sealed plastic bag, and use a rolling pin or meat mallet to crush them into coarse crumbs. Keeping some variation in the crumb size will give the coating more texture and a satisfying crunch.

All that's left is choosing what to eat it with, and you can't go wrong leaning into the classic pretzel pairings like a honey mustard pretzel dip or a cheddar-beer cheese dip, with sides like mashed potatoes or roasted Brussels sprouts. However you serve it, with all that salty crunch, you might have a hard time going back to plain breadcrumbs.