Pretzel Crusted Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Sauce

5 from 1 vote

Crispy and flavorful, this pretzel crusted chicken is an easy, family-friendly dinner in just 30 minutes!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword pretzel crusted chicken, pretzel crusted chicken strips, pretzel crusted chicken tenders, pretzel crusted chicken with honey mustard sauce

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Servings people

Calories 255kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (or use chicken tenderloins)
4 teaspoons cornstarch
½ cup crushed pretzels (start with about 1 cup whole pretzels measured before crushing)
½ cup Italian style bread crumbs
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt, plus extra for seasoning the meat
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
Pat the chicken dry; season with salt. Sprinkle the cornstarch over all sides of the chicken and pat to coat evenly.
In a large, shallow dish, combine pretzels, breadcrumbs, sugar, paprika, onion powder, and salt. Drizzle with oil and mash with a fork until the oil is thoroughly incorporated. Lightly beat the eggs with a fork in another shallow dish.
Dip the chicken into the egg, then press into the breading mixture until evenly coated on both sides. (Discard leftover mixture.) Place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake until the chicken is golden brown and the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 15-20 minutes.

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth. Taste and season with extra salt, if desired. Serve honey mustard with chicken strips. Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

The honey mustard dipping sauce pairs really nicely with the pretzel crusted chicken. That said, you can obviously swap out the sauce and use a different dip, such as ketchup, bbq sauce, ranch, Chik-Fil-A sauce, or Polynesian sauce.

The pretzels make these tenders extra crunchy and flavorful, so don’t try to substitute with additional breadcrumbs.

The oil in the breading is a key to this extra crispy oven fried chicken, since the fat helps the breading turn brown and crunchy in the oven. Don’t skip the oil, or the end result won’t be nearly as good.

You don't need to flip the tenders on the sheet pan while they're in the oven. Both sides get nice and crispy (not soggy), thanks to that cornstarch coating.