^{There’s nothing more classic than a chicken tender. These honey mustard pretzel crusted tenders most certainly do the job of replacing battered and deep-fried chicken strips, with way less guilt. The best meal for the kiddos or even a late night adult snack that will satisfy without the grease.}

I don’t know how else to claim fame except as a chicken tender connoisseur. The critic of the fried finger, the lover of the strip! I literally could write a romance novel on how magical I find chicken tenders. Fried chicken in general just cannot disappoint. If I’m being completely honest, a late night out with friends and a couple drinks usually ends with a basket of chicken tenders and all the sauces, 9 times out of 10.

Although it is a very simple concept, the art of mastering the cook of the tender is critical. That is not something I have attempted recently, fried chicken strips with that bubbly, crispy batter…that I leave to the experts. For me though, I crave chicken tenders more often than not and I needed a few different ways to make one of my favorite foods into a leaner indulgence.

The crunch of the crust is really where I wanted to focus my attention for this recipe. Although I have coated chicken in many different, creative “breadings”, this one was by far a success. The pretzels were sweet and salty, super thick and crunchy and broke down so well. Plus, pretzels are usually pretty low in fat and are super common in the pantry so it was a match made in heaven.

The other part of this recipe that also made sense was the added essence of the honey mustard. The minute you add mustard to the egg dredge layer, you immediately know it’s going to play its part in the overall flavor…and it’s wonderful! It allows for so much extra flavor since we are cutting down on the added frying fat. If you don’t have bottled honey mustard you can always make your own with two tablespoons of honey + 2 tablespoons of dijon/spicy mustard = honey mustard!

How else can you use these chicken tenders?

Just like all forms of fried chicken, this recipe works perfectly in so many different ways:

On top of a salad is always my favorite option. I’ve never felt any guilt with eating chicken tenders over a bed of lettuce. Add some hearty greens, apples, nuts and a honey mustard dressing and it’ll truly make the best salad!
Add inside a wrap or in a sandwich with some cheese or avocado and lettuce, tomato and onions and it’ll give you a crunchy little bite to your sandwich.
Personally, I love making all the possible dipping sauces. Dip away and try tons of different combos.
Toss onto of a flatbread pizza with a little buffalo or BBQ sauce drizzle and the pretzels will absorb the sauce for super flavorful bites.

And the burning question…Can you air fry these?

Absolutely! After coating the tenders to the point in which they are ready to cook, set your air fryer to 375° and carefully make one layer of chicken tenders in the basket (about one pound at a time). Cook for 7-8 minutes on one side and then remove and flip the tenders. Cook at the same temperature for another 7-8 minutes. Remove and serve!

However you decide to utilize this recipe, you’ll want to save this and try it soon! Never give up chicken tenders if you love them as much as I do! Enjoy the greasy ones late at night and these when you want to tap into the craving without guilt!

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Honey Mustard Pretzel Crusted Chicken Tenders

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There’s nothing more classic than a chicken tender. These honey mustard pretzel crusted tenders most certainly do the job of replacing battered and deep-fried chicken strips, with way less guilt. The best meal for the kiddos or even a late night adult snack that will satisfy without the grease.

Prep Time:20

Cook Time:20

Total Time:40

Ingredients

2 pounds raw chicken tenders or breasts
2 teaspoons salt divided
2 teaspoons garlic powder divided
1 teaspoon black pepper divided
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup egg whites or fat free egg substitute
¼ cup honey mustard
8-10 ounces honey braided pretzel twists crushed
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons honey (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°.
Set up three separate baking dishes for the dredging station. In the first dish add flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
In the second dish add eggs and honey mustard. In the last dish add crushed pretzels.
Season both sides of the chicken with the other teaspoon of salt, garlic powder and the other 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
Dip each tender in the flour mixture first and fully coat the tender. Move each tender into the egg mixture and coat the tender fully. Finally, move each tender into the crushed pretzels, coat and press the pretzels into the tender until they are fully coated. This process most likely will need to be done with 2-3 tenders at a time.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Lay each tender out on a single layer allowing space between each tender.
Bake for 8-10 minutes on one side, remove and flip and bake for another 8-10 minutes on the other side until lightly brown. Remove and lightly drizzle with honey if desired. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Notes

How long does it last and where?

I ate this for up to 2-3 days in the fridge. When setting them in the fridge, make sure they are completely cooled first and try to avoid over stacking them. They are not going to be as crispy the next day, or even later that day so I would say make them right before eating.

Can you freeze it?

I would not suggest it because these are easy to throw together. Although I am sure it can be done, I have not tried it with this recipe. If you want the frozen ones, just buy them in the freezer aisle. They’re delicious!

Substitutions?

Depending on what you can find at the store, you can really do this one of two ways. Either buy raw chicken tenders that are perfect strips or use raw chicken breasts and strip them down into long pieces. Both work fine.

If you don’t want to use the honey twists, regular salted pretzels or sticks can be broken down the same. If you want to get even more crazy, use the flavored pretzels with the honey mustard coating baked on them…mind blowing!

Tips and Tricks

The biggest tip I can give is don’t skimp on the dredging process. Make sure you start with the flour, the eggs and then press the pretzel crust all around the chicken tender. Too much coating is not really an issue with this recipe, just get it on there and try not to leave bare spots.

I always suggest adding MORE flour, eggs, and pretzel crumbs. It helps with the dredging process. This is the one part where I condone a little waste but that’s not a lot!

SALT and season all layers. I would say sprinkle salt and pepper in all dredging layers. You can always add more at the end so it’s best to start light and then add more if needed.

For a more tender tender you can always soak these in buttermilk, coconut milk or yogurt. It adds flavor and helps for a nice cook throughout the chicken keeping them super juicy. You can, however, skip this step and it’s still fine.

When crushing the pretzels, do this in a large one gallon zip bag with all the air removed. Use a rolling pin or a meat mallet and crush all crumbs to coarse (not finely coarse) size. Assure that all crumbs are equal in size. The smaller they are, the better they will cover the chicken equally. Too fine and they turn into breadcrumbs and lose that necessary crunch.

What to serve with it?

Honey mustard sauce is typically my favorite. I took honey mustard and added a little Greek yogurt to it to make a smooth and creamy sauce that didn’t kill me on calories. BBQ, buffalo and ranch dressings and sauces are always welcome too!

Serve on top of a salad or sandwich but I would always suggest pairing it with my Air Fryer Onion Rings, Baked Sweet Potato Fries or my Garlic Parmesan Fries.