Hot Honey Pretzel Chicken Tenders

Give chicken tenders the ultimate makeover with this Hot Honey Pretzel Chicken Tenders recipe. Breaded with pretzels and garlic powder and flavored with a delicious honey mustard blend, these tenders are nothing short of life-changing!

The most delicious way to enjoy pretzel chicken tenders

Raise your hand if you’ve fallen into the goes-to-a-restaurant-and-orders-chicken-tenders trap.

If that’s you, know that you’re not alone. We’ve all been there, because, let’s face it — chicken tenders are always a good idea.

Today, we’re proving that fact with this insanely delicious hot honey pretzel chicken tenders recipe. To make them, we’re blending up a pretzel-based breading and then coating the tenders before baking them and topping them with a delicious hot honey drizzle.

It’s the perfect meal for sneaking in some protein while enjoying the satisfying crunchiness of your favorite comfort food!

Ingredients in hot honey pretzel chicken tenders

This hot honey chicken recipe is made with a breading consisting of pretzels, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. It’s a blend that makes for a perfect salty and crunchy outer layer!

• Chicken tenders: Start with 1.5 lbs of chicken tenders. If preferred, you can use thin slices of chicken breasts.
• Pretzels: For the pretzel base, you’ll need 3 cups of pretzels. You can use hard pretzels, pretzel thins, mini pretzels, pretzel sticks, etc.!
• Salt & Pepper: Season up the breading with 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper.
• Garlic powder: Follow the salt and pepper with 1 tsp of garlic powder.
• Onion powder: Then, take the seasonings one step further with 1 tsp of onion powder.
• Dijon mustard: Create the honey mixture by starting with 2 tbsp of dijon mustard.
• Yellow mustard: 2 tbsp of yellow mustard will complement the dijon perfectly.
• Honey: Use 2 tbsp of honey to create a delicious honey mustard flavor!
• Yogurt: 3 tbsp of yogurt will help us reach the perfect consistency. Use a plain flavor.
• Salt: Finally, finish off the honey mustard mixture with 1/4 tsp of salt.
• Hot honey: 1/2 cup of hot honey will be used to drizzle over the tenders. I like to use Mike’s Hot Honey!

Tools needed to make this recipe

These chicken tenders require 6-7 kitchen tools depending on how you plan to add the hot honey. You’ll simply need a baking sheet, parchment paper, a food processor, two bowls, a whisk, and optionally, a brush for spreading the hot honey.

To measure out ingredients, you’ll need the following sized measuring cups: 1/4 tsp, 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp, 1 tbsp, 1/2 cup, and 1 cup.

How to make hot honey pretzel chicken tenders

These chicken tenders are delightfully simple to make. After breading with the pretzel and honey mustard mixtures, simply bake and add the hot honey!

To begin, preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Then, use a food processor to pulse together the pretzels, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Do this until the pretzels are in small pieces, and then pour the mix into a bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the dijon mustard, yellow mustard, honey, yogurt, and salt.

Dunk each chicken tender into the honey mustard mixture, and then completely coat in the pretzel mixture. Press down to ensure that each area of the chicken is covered. Repeat until all of the chicken is coated.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Heat the honey in a microwave-safe dish. Drizzle or brush over the chicken as soon as it comes out of the oven. Enjoy!

What to serve with hot honey tenders

When it comes to pairing these chicken tenders, the options are endless! Go with something hearty like scalloped potatoes or mashed cauliflower potatoes, or sneak in some greens with a leafy salad (this broccoli salad is an easy option!). If you want, you can even pair the tenders with a veggie dish like garlic green beans or green bean casserole!

Leftover chicken tenders can be enjoyed for up to 3 days when stored properly. Place them inside an airtight container or wrap them in tinfoil and refrigerate.

If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!

In the mood for some more chicken dinners? Try one of these!

• Baked Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
• Easy Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe
• Best Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
• French Onion Chicken

Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by The Mindful Hapa