Pretzel Chicken Tenders
Pretzel chicken tenders are a crunchy version of the classic kid friendly main dish everyone will love. Only a handful of ingredients and a quick prep make this a dinner you’ll be making over and over again!
If there’s one thing almost all kids love it’s chicken fingers and chicken nuggets.
And chicken tenders of course.
These pretzel coated chicken tenders are a deliciously crunchy, perfectly seasoned alternative to the traditional nuggets, fingers, etc.
The secret to the deliciousness is the pretzel coating recipe.
It has a carefully chosen blend of seasonings that turn up the flavor in a totally kid friendly way.
Ingredients
To make these you’ll need:
- Seasoned flour– All purpose flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper make the first layer of your breading.
- Wet ingredients– Eggs and full fat sour cream help the pretzel coating stick.
- Pretzels– About 3 cups of crush pretzels.
- Chicken– Equal sized tenders, trimmed of the fat or about 2 breasts trimmed into 4 pieces.
- Parsley– Optional for garnish
How to Make
Making these pretzel chicken tenders is similar to making other breaded chicken.
To start, set up your breading station.
In the first bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Then in the second bowl, whisk together the eggs and sour cream.
Fill the third bowl with the crushed pretzel pieces.
Then dip each piece in chicken first into the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, and finally in the crushed pretzel piece mixture.
Place them on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick spray and bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes.
When the tenders are cooked through, remove them from the oven and serve with a sprinkle of parsley and your favorite dipping options.
Dipping Ideas
We love them in plain old fashioned ketchup but if you are looking to jazz these up even more try dunking them in:
- Smoked Ketchup
- Your favorite barbecue sauce
- Honey mustard
- Buffalo sauce
- Chipotle sauce
- Ranch dressing
Storing Leftovers
To store leftovers wrap them tightly in foil and place them in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the oven until warmed through.
Can I air fry pretzel chicken tenders?
Yes!
These are the perfect little bites to put in your air fryer.
To air fry them, coat the tenders as directed above and then spray them lightly with cooking spray.
Place them in the basket of your air fryer leaving plenty of room between them.
Air fry them at 370 degrees for 14 minutes.
Can I freeze these?
Yes! They freeze very well.
To freeze them, let them cool completely and place them in a ziplocking freezer bag.
Freeze them for up to 3 months.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t over crush the pretzels. You want them to have some texture and not be pretzel dust.
- You can change up the flavor by using different kinds of pretzels. We normally use plain pretzels but you could use sourdough or even Dot’s seasoned pretzels.
- To help the coating stick, you may want to pat the chicken dry with a paper towel prior to breading.
Other Chicken Tender Recipes
Pretzel chicken tenders are an easy to make family favorite. Put them on your menu this week and enjoy!
Looking for other chicken tender recipes? Try these:
- Doritos Crusted Chicken Tenders
- Pancake Battered Chicken Nuggets
- Chicken & Waffles Sliders
- Barbecue Potato Chip Chicken
If you’ve tried these PRETZEL CHICKEN TENDERS, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Pretzel Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 3 cups crushed pretzels
- 1 lb chicken cut into 8 equal pieces (about 2 large breasts cut into 4 pieces)
- Parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside
- Gather 3 large, shallow bowls to set up your breading station and whisk flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in the first, eggs and sour cream in the second, and place the pretzel pieces in the third
- Dip the chicken tenders in the flour, followed by the egg, followed by the pretzels
- Place onto prepared baking sheet and bake 15 minutes, or until cooked through
- Serve with a sprinkle of parsley and some ketchup to dip!
Notes
- Don't over crush the pretzels. You want them to have some texture and not be pretzel dust.
- You can change up the flavor by using different kinds of pretzels. We normally use plain pretzels but you could use sourdough or even Dot's seasoned pretzels.
- To help the coating stick, you may want to pat the chicken dry with a paper towel prior to breading.
Nutrition
