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A childhood favorite gets turned on its head with these pretzel crusted chicken tenders. These baked tenders are lighter than the deep fried versions we all love so much (and don’t get me wrong, we love a good fry), with all of the same crunch you expect. And what goes better with pretzels (and chicken tenders) than a super simple honey mustard dipping sauce?
I think I can speak for most of us when I say I was probably composed of 65% chicken tenders as a child. Secret: my fiance is still 65% chicken tenders. But as an adult, the idea of eating deep fried foods all the time is not something that is favorable to my waistline. Luckily, these tenders are so tasty, and don’t leave me longing for the crunch I expect!
Pretzel Coating
The inspiration for this entire recipe came from my recent love affair with Dot’s Pretzels (big shout out to my future mother-in-law for this addiction!). I now always have 2-3 bags of these in my pantry at all times. They are the most delicious, buttery, seasoned pretzels I have ever had. Then I realized, because they are so flavorful, and I have so many, they could make a great coating or topping in a recipe that normally calls for breadcrumbs.
Just run 2 cups of seasoned pretzels through the food processor until a finer flour has formed! It won’t be completely smooth, and should have some chunks, but will be finer than a pile of crushed pretzels.
Next, take 2 eggs and 1/4 cup of hot sauce and whisk them together. Dip 1 lb of chicken breast that you’ve cut into 1in strips into the eggs then the pretzels to coat completely and place them on a metal baking rack over a baking sheet.
Repeat with all of the strips and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. To compliment the pretzels, while they are cooking mix together 1/2 cup of grainy mustard and 1/4 cup of honey. AKA the simplest honey mustard dipping sauce!
Now I realize most speeches aren’t as relevant to today’s times as people think, but mine was way more far-removed than I thought! Not everyone is a super-efficient in cutting to the chase and telling kids what is best. In this case, though, they will not take much convincing since these pretzel crusted tenders are mom and kid approved!
Need More Kid-Friendly Lunch Ideas?
- Chicken Caprese Salad With Avocado
- Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
- 30 Minute Miso Ramen Soup
- Bruschetta Chicken Panini
- Honey Mustard Cobb Salad
Pretzel Crusted Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 2 cups seasoned or salted pretzels I recommend Dotz
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp hot sauce
- ½ cup grainy mustard
- ¼ cup honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°
- If using chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch strips.
- In a food processor, grind pretzels until relatively fine and pour onto a shallow plate. On a separate shallow plate, scramble eggs and hot sauce.
- Dip chicken strips in egg mix and then roll into pretzels until completely coated. Place on a baking rack over a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken strips.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the outside is browned and the internal temperature reaches 165°
- Meanwhile, mix together mustard and honey, adding more or less honey to taste.
- Let the chicken cool slightly, and serve with honey mustard.
