These baked pretzel-crusted chicken strips eat like a healthier, more kid-friendly German schnitzel. The cooling cucumber and celery salad comes together in minutes and adds a bit of crunch and freshness. If you’d like to make this recipe gluten-free, you can swap in gluten-free all-purpose flour and gluten-free pretzels.

Active time: 25 minutes | Total time: 40 minutes

Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Strips

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2-inch thick
• 1/4 cup (47g) all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
• ½ tsp black pepper, divided
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 cups (130g) unsalted pretzels, finely crushed
• 3 tbsp (65g) low-fat sour cream
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp celery seeds
• 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 small English cucumber, very thinly sliced
• 3 celery stalks, very thinly sliced on the bias
• 1/2 cup loosely packed bright green celery leaves
• 1/2 cup (50g) red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup (30g) loosely packed small dill sprigs
• 4 tsp hot sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a baking rack inside the pan. Grease the rack with cooking spray.

Cut the chicken breasts lengthwise into 1-by-4-inch (2.5-by-10cm) strips. Pat the strips dry with paper towels.

Place the flour in a shallow bowl and season with ¼ tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. In a second shallow bowl, whisk together the egg, Dijon mustard, and 2 tbsp water. Place the crushed pretzels in a third shallow bowl.

Working with 2–3 chicken strips at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess. Dip into the egg mixture, then coat with the crushed pretzels, pressing firmly to help the pretzels adhere. Arrange the coated strips on the prepared rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F and browned. Season lightly with ¼ tsp salt and let rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the salad. In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, vinegar, celery seeds, and sugar. Season with ¼ tsp black pepper. Add the cucumber, celery, and red onion and toss to coat. Just before serving, fold in the celery leaves and dill.

Serve the chicken strips with the cucumber salad and hot sauce.

Serves: 4 | Serving Size: About 3 chicken strips and 1 cup of salad

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 293; Total Fat: 5g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 121mg; Sodium: 458mg; Carbohydrate: 28g; Dietary Fiber: 2g; Sugar: 4g; Protein: 32g

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin D: 3%; Calcium: 8%; Iron: 16%; Potassium: 295mg; Vitamin A: 7%; Vitamin C: 11%

Originally published October 2020; Updated June 2026

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