Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Tenders

March 17, 2021

Back to School, Dinner

The following recipe and photography were provided by local blogger Abby Thome of The Thome Home.

What could be better than a three ingredient dinner? My pretzel-crusted chicken tenders and simple honey mustard sauce make the perfect meal on a busy week night!

Only have chicken breasts on hand? Not a problem, they work just as well as tenders, but make sure to adjust the cook time.

Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Tender Ingredients

For the pretzel coating, I used the famous Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels, which can be found in the snack aisle at Heinen’s. They add a burst of flavor and crunch that pairs perfectly with my zesty honey mustard dipping sauce. If you don’t have Dot’s Pretzels on hand, you can add my simple seasoning blend (below) to plain pretzels.

Super crunchy and made in a flash, these chicken tenders are great in the air fryer and taste delicious on their own or in salads and wraps.

Interested in making this recipe? Order the ingredients online for Curbside Grocery Pickup or Delivery.

Ingredients

For the Chicken Tenders

2.5 lbs. Gerber’s chicken tenders
2 cups Dot’s Homestyle Seasoned Pretzels, finely ground
2 eggs, whisked
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

For the Homemade Pretzel Seasoning

2 cups plain pretzels, finely ground
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. paprika

For the Honey Mustard Dipping Sauces

1/2 cup mayo
2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. honey

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450˚F.
Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray
Using a food processor, pulse the seasoned pretzels into a fine crumb. Pour into a bowl. If using the homemade pretzel seasoning, add the seasoning mixture to the food processor with plain pretzels and pulse into a fine crumb.
Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken tenders.
Whisk two eggs in a small bowl.
Dip the seasoned chicken tenders into the whisked eggs. Shake off excess egg and press the chicken into the pretzel crumbs until the entire tender is coated. Place onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake at 450˚F for 10 minutes, flip and bake for an additional 8-12 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
If using an air fryer, the cook time will depend on the machine, but the rule of thumb is to cook the tenders at 400˚F. Place chicken tenders into the basket and spray with Heinen’s avocado oil cooking spray. Cook for 8 minutes, flip, spray again and cook for an additional 6 minutes. Check for doneness and add one additional minute, if needed.
Whisk all of the honey mustard ingredients together. Enjoy with the chicken tenders and store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.