Chicken tenders like you've never had them before! These finger licking crispy chicken tenders are coated with salty pretzel crumbs and served with a spicy honey mustard dipping sauce.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's both crispy and crunchy. The fine breadcrumbs create a crispy texture, while the chunks of pretzels give you the crunch!
- It's made with a few simple ingredients. I tried to keep the ingredients minimal while still maintaining all the flavor!
- It's made in under 30 minutes. A super yummy meal in no time!
Ingredients for Crispy Pretzel Chicken Tenders
- Chicken tenders- you can also use thinly sliced chicken breasts or cut chicken breasts into strips.
- Mustard- I used yellow mustard. You can substitute with an egg.
- Black pepper- the pretzels are already salted so we're just using black pepper.
- Paprika
- Garlic powder- because garlic is always the answer.
- Pretzel sticks- twists also work!
- Oil for frying- canola or vegetable oil.
- For the honey mustard sauce- dijon mustard, mayo, honey, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes.
How to Make Crispy Pretzel Chicken Tenders
- Make the honey mustard sauce.
- Mix the chicken tenders with mustard and seasonings.
- Coat the chicken tenders with the pretzel crumbs.
- Fry the chicken tenders.
Tasty Tips
- Leave some large chunks of pretzels for a crunchy bite.
- Use unsalted pretzels if you'd like to control the level of salt.
- If you don't have a food processor, place the pretzels in a large storage bag and use a rolling pin to crush the pretzels.
- Serve these as an appetizer or meal!
- Experiment with other shapes! Make these into chicken fries or nuggets. You could even make chicken cutlets for a sandwich.
FAQs
These are best enjoyed fresh but you can reheat them in the air fryer or oven at 400°F for 8 minutes or until heated through. Flip halfway through.
These can easily be prepped ahead of time. Make the honey mustard sauce and store it in the refrigerator. Then, coat the chicken tenders with the pretzels and lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Cover, and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to fry. I recommend cooking the tenders fresh to ensure juicy chicken and a crunchy crust.
Brush, spray, or drizzle the chicken with oil and bake at 425°F for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Crispy Pretzel Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 8 chicken tenders
- ¼ cup yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 ounces salted pretzel sticks
- canola oil for frying
Honey Mustard Sauce
- ¼ cup dijon mustard
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the honey mustard ingredients and set aside.
- Add the chicken tenders, yellow mustard, black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder to a bowl and mix to coat evenly.
- In a food processor, pulse the pretzels until you have small and large pieces. Pour the pretzel crumbs into a bowl.
- Coat the chicken tenders with the pretzel crumbs. Press the crumbs into the chicken and fill in any sparse areas with finer crumbs.
- Heat a large skillet with one inch of oil on medium high heat. Fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Drain on a wire rack.
Notes
- 4 ounces of pretzel stick is about 2 cups.
- Nutrition estimate does not include oil absorbed during frying.
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