Main dish

Pretzel Breaded Chicken Tenders

Homemade breaded chicken tenders made with crushed pretzels. Make a batch of these and keep them in the fridge for a great after school snack or lunch.

To recipe
Breaded chicken tenders on a plate with ketchup
Recipe insights & TIPS

Homemade breaded chicken tenders made with crushed pretzels. Make a batch of these and keep them in the fridge for a great after school snack or lunch.

Breaded chicken tenders on a plate with ketchup

Whenever my kids arrive home from school, the first place they visit is usually the fridge! Having it well stocked is an ongoing task for me, as soon as It's filled they get to work on emptying and so goes the cycle! Keeping choices appealing and healthy is always the hardest part. As well as fruits and easy snacks to munch on, these breaded chicken tenders were a favorite when I made them. Instead of using a traditional pink breading, I crushed up some pretzels in a food processor along with garlic and parsley. The end result is a crunchy chicken tender with that salty pretzel flavor everyone loves!

How To Make Easy Breaded Chicken Tenders

You can opt to make these completely baked which will cut down on more calories. The only downside is that the chicken tenders will be paler in color as opposed to sautéing them quickly in some olive oil first before baking them. I prefer to sauté in a little oil to maintain that crunchy golden color like real fried chicken. Make sure to adjust the baking time if you choose to only bake them. it might take 5 extra minutes to be come full cooked

How Do I Make The Pretzel Breadcrumbs?

A food processor is the easiest way to crush those pretzels but if you don't have one you can place them in a zip lock bag and smash them with a rolling pin. You want them to be as fine as possible for even coverage.

Can These Be Made In An Air Fryer?

These breaded chicken tenders would be great in your air fryer but make sure to adjust the cook time as they'll cook quicker in an air fryer.

Breaded chicken tenders dipped in ketchup

What Can I Serve My Breaded Chicken Fingers With?

For full meals you can serve them with mashed potatoes and gravy or steamed vegetables. They're also great for snacking on with a bunch of different dips and condiments. Ketchup, ranch, bbq sauce or mustard are all great options!

Storing And Reheating

Store in the fridge in a sealed container or wrapped in plastic wrap to keep fresh for up to 3-4 days. To reheat I always prefer the oven to keep that crunchy texture, the microwave will just make them soggy. You can also freeze these breaded chicken tenders for up to one month.

breaded chicken tenders on a plate
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Recipe

Homemade breaded chicken tenders made with crushed pretzels. Make a batch of these and keep them in the fridge for a great after school snack or lunch.

Course:
Main dish
COOKing TIME:
20 minutes
Total TIME:
40 minutes
CUISINE:
American
PREP TIME:
20 minutes
SERVINGS:
15

Ingredients

  • 4 cups pretzels
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1.5-2 pounds skinless chicken tenders
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp canola oil

Ingredient Swaps

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  2. Add the pretzels, garlic powder, salt and pepper to a food processor and pulse until very fine like breadcrumbs. Transfer to a plate.
  3. Add the eggs to a bowl and beat with a fork.
  4. Place the flour on another plate and line up the chicken, flour, eggs and crushed pretzels beside each other.
  5. Add the canola oil to a large non stick pan and warm over a medium heat.
  6. Dip each tender into the flour shaking off the excess and then dip into the egg.
  7. Finally dip the tender into teh crushed pretzels and coat well.
  8. Once all of the tenders have been coated place each one into the hot canola oil and pan fry for about 2 minutes on each side.
  9. Once the tenders are done transfer them to the prepared sheet pan and place in the oven.
  10. Bake for about 20 minutes and the center is fully cooked and not pink.
  11. Serve warm with condiments for dipping.

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