More 2 Photos

Pretzel and Parmesan Crusted Chicken Recipe

Recipe by: Terri May Stocke

"This recipe was inspired by a wedding reception that I attended. The original was stuffed with a creamy white cheese (possibly Gouda). I omitted the cheese on the inside, and instead opted to add Parmesan to the outside. This is delicious! Crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside. The measurements for the marinade are an estimate."

Directions
Ingredients
Nutrition

Directions

Prep15 m
Cook30 m
Ready In8 h 55 m

1Whisk together olive oil, minced garlic, basil, rosemary, thyme, and black pepper in a bowl.
2Place chicken breasts between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound the chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of about 1 inch.
3Transfer chicken breasts to the bowl with the olive oil marinade; cover and refrigerate overnight.
4Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
5Place pretzels and Parmesan cheese into a food processor; pulse until the pretzels are finely crushed and combined with cheese.
6Mix in parsley and garlic powder by pulsing once or twice. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish.
7Remove chicken from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade.
8Press chicken into pretzel mixture, coating both sides.
9Arrange coated chicken in a baking dish. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon additional pretzel mixture on top.
10Bake chicken breasts in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
11Cover chicken with a foil tent and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Footnotes

Cook's Note:
I should have measured the herbs, but I forgot. I am estimating what I used. You really can't mess this up. Just make sure you have a good saturation of herbs/garlic in your oil so it will have a good flavor as opposed to just marinating it in plain oil. I also raised the chicken on the rack so the air in the convection oven could get all the way around it for a good crisping of the coating.
Editor's Note:
The nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of the marinade and breading ingredients. The actual amount of the marinade and breading consumed will vary.

Ingredients