These Baked Honey-Mustard Pretzel Chicken Tenders Are as Good as They Sound

An all-time favorite snack for me is a pretzel—be it thin and crispy, peanut butter–filled, or gigantic and piping hot at a beer garden or ballpark. I love the salty, mineral, slightly alkaline flavor that makes a pretzel a pretzel, and it’s even better when contrasted with tangy honey-mustard—it's the ultimate sweet-salty combo. But since I (probably) shouldn’t exist on snacks alone, I decided to create these honey-mustard pretzel–coated chicken tenders, which embrace all of these irresistible elements while still qualifying as “dinner.”

Selecting and Prepping the Chicken

To balance out the punchy flavors of my snacky inspiration, I opt for chicken breast over thighs here—the mild white meat is a great blank canvas for other flavors. And instead of using the whole breasts, I call for tenderloins; their thin, long shape offers more surface area for the flavorful coating and pretzel crumbs to stick to, which maximizes crunch in every bite. 

You can use pre-prepped chicken tenderloins, which are available in many supermarkets, or cut your own tenders from boneless, skinless chicken breasts. To do so, first remove the tenderloins from the breasts, then cut the breasts lengthwise into two to three strips, each about one and a half inches wide. The cut strips should be similar in width to the tenderloin.

To further enhance the flavor of the tenders, I recommend a brief dry-brine. You can let the tenders sit in the brine while you put together the other elements of the dish. This ensures the chicken is deeply seasoned throughout.

Nailing the Flavorful Coating and Crunchy Pretzel Crust

Many recipes for coated chicken rely on a standard three-part dredge to get the exterior crumb-coating to stick. Typically, this consists of a dip in flour, followed by a dip in beaten egg, and then a final roll in breadcrumbs. The flour creates a dry, rough surface that the egg can cling to easily, and the egg serves as the glue for the crunchy crumbs to hold onto.

This recipe starts with the usual flour dip, but instead of an egg dip I swap in a simple whisked-together mixture of yellow mustard, honey, and mayonnaise. The egg in the mayonnaise (remember, mayonnaise is just a simple emulsion of oil and egg) serves well as the “glue” for the crumbs to attach to. And the honey and mustard whisked with the mayo creates the sweet and tangy flavor I want in every bite with these tenders.

Classic yellow mustard (French’s or similar) works best here; Dijon mustard proved to be too pungent and overpowering in my tests. The honey-mustard mayonnaise serves double-duty here as well—set a portion of it aside for a dipping sauce to serve with the tenders.

The other major change is swapping in crushed pretzels for breadcrumbs, which give the tenders tons of crunch and that classic salty-alkaline flavor that's a hallmark of a good pretzel. Make sure to use thin pretzels—sticks or thin mini twists will work—rather than pretzel rods or larger sourdough twists, as they’re easier to break down into a crisp crumble, similar in texture to panko breadcrumbs. To ensure the pretzel crumbs are crisp and not soggy once baked, I toss the crumbs with olive oil before dredging as well.

Cooking the Tenders

Once the tenders are coated, you can bake them in the oven or in the air fryer—both methods are much easier and more hands-off than deep frying. I’ve included directions for both methods in my recipe below.

The raw prepared tenders can also be frozen. They’re easily baked or air-fried straight from frozen, so you can enjoy a snack-inspired, sweet-salty main any time. Serve them with a simple vegetable side, such as roasted or air-fried broccoli and baked or air-fried french fries or sweet potato fries.