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Jalapeno pretzel pieces coat tender chicken in these Jalapeno . Cooked in the air fryer with a 3-layer coating technique, they are super crispy and packed with flavor.

 

April 26 is National Pretzel Day. I love me some pretzels, too. Soft or crunchy they’re so delicious to snack on. And make! I’ve made a couple of pretzel recipes on the blog. You check them out. I’m obsessed with creating a perfectly crispy and tender soft pretzel. But me and yeast dough don’t always get along.

 

Thankfully, you don’t need to know how to make pretzels to make these jalapeno pretzel crusted chicken strips. You just need jalapeno pretzels. Or jalapeno pretzel flavored pieces. Or any pretzel or flavored pretzel piece you want to use.

 

 

Where did pretzels come from?

 

That depends on who you talk to. I’m sure the Germans want the claim to fame, but most lean towards 610 AD in an Italian monastery. The story goes that an Italian monk used scraps of bread dough to make little rewards or pretiola for the children he taught. The pretiola is supposed to be the symbol of children’s arms in prayers. On top of all that, the three holes are to represent the holy trinity; father, son, and holy ghost.

 

Germany claims that local dignitaries held bakers hostage. Lord knows why they would hold bakers hostage. But the story is that these bakers created brezel for their captures. I guess to woo them with the deliciously salty and tender taste of pretzels? It seems a bit far-fetched for me.

 

 

Since monks are imbedded in many food histories, I’m likely to believe the Italian monk story. For me, it seems more believable than any of the other stories. But stories about pretzels don’t end there.

 

Pretzels used to be given at Easter. The original dough was simply water, flour, and salt which means it could be eaten for Easter. Served with 2 eggs, the parents sometimes hid these pretzels around the house.

 

 

Pretzels were part of a wedding ritual. Similar to the pulling on the wish bone the bride and groom pulled on a pretzel. It’s rumored that the whole “tying the knot” phrase came from this pretzel tradition.

 

Finally, there’s a reason that pretzels are firmly rooted in Pennsylvania. The recipe came over on the Mayflower, but most of the recent creations around pretzels came out of Pennsylvania bakeries. Take the hard pretzel, for instance. They go back to the 1800’s in Pennsylvania.

 

 

The story goes that a baker’s apprentice fell asleep when overseeing a batch of pretzels. He thought they weren’t cooked through and cooked them again. When the master baker saw the pretzels he started to throw them out, but tasted one and deemed it delicious! It also meant that the batch of pretzels would store longer than their soft counterparts.

 

Finally, the first commercial pretzel baker was established in Lancaster and the first automated pretzel twisting machine was created in Reading. I just assumed that the large Pennsylvania Dutch population attributed to the popularity of pretzel in Pennsylvania. And maybe it still is. Lord knows.

 

 

What’s in jalapeno pretzel crusted chicken strips?

 

Funny story about that. I initially requested twisted jalapeno ranch pretzels because I cannot find the jalapeno cheddar potato chips I love. Yes, they have jalapeno ranch chips, but I really wanted pretzels. Sometimes I just have a craving for them.

 

Well, the store was out of them and substituted some jalapeno pretzel pieces instead. I tasted them and they were delicious! Actually, all of those pretzel pieces I’ve had from that company are delicious. Just sayin. But then I realized that we had a pretzel event coming up. And also why I kept having chicken strips on the menu.

 

 

These chicken strips have a thin, tempura style batter that holds the pretzel pieces onto the chicken. Yes. In an air fryer. I tried this method with my oven fried fish sliders. And they came out delicious!! And super crispy. These jalapeno pretzel crusted chicken strips came out just as delicious and 

 

There’s pretzels and chicken, of course. And the tempura batter has flour, cornstarch, egg white, seasoning, and a little beer. If you don’t want to use beer, try some sparkling water. You can season the better if you want. I sprinkled a little cayenne in mine and some sage. I love chicken and sage together.

 

 

What do jalapeno pretzel crusted chicken strips taste like?

 

Just look at that crust on those chicken strips! The pretzels get all toasty and delicious in the air fryer. The chicken stays tender and delicious. The jalapeno pretzels add some heat to the party. These jalapeno pretzel crusted chicken strips are super delicious! They’re a great snack or perfect on top of a delicious salad. Believe me. I ate them both ways! Especially if you use a delicious fiesta salad dressing and some creamy avocado. Oh yeah.

 

A word to the wise. Do not skip the resting time. It really does help the crust to stay on the chicken. So, let them rest and you will have the best jalapeno pretzel crusted chicken strip experience. And you will want to have the best experience because these taste super delicious.

Pretzel Perfection!

• Alton Brown’s Soft Pretzels from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Chocolate Chip Soft Pretzels from That Recipe
• Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites with Cheese Dip from Blogghetti
• Jalapeno Pretzel Crusted Chicken Strips from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Pretzel Buns (Laugenbrötchen) from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Sourdough Pretzel Bagels from The Spiffy Cookie

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