Pretzel Crusted Chicken

Pretzel Crusted Chicken is crispy, juicy, and packed full of delicious flavors. We all know that chicken tenders are an all time favorite, whether you’re a kid or an adult. This nine ingredient pretzel chicken tender with honey mustard recipe will become your favorite fast go to meal.

overhead shot of plate of chicken tenders with sauce with text overlay for facebook


 

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you can toss your chicken tenders in your air fryer, and in less than 20 minutes then, they’re ready to go. 

With a short list of ingredients, you won’t have to leave the house for Burger King’s Pretzel Chicken Fries. You can easily make this recipe at home!

chicken tenders on a cooling rack with honey

Pretzel Crusted Chicken Ingredients

  • Dijon Mustard: The key for this honey mustard sauce recipe is to use an excellent dijon mustard, I like to use Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard, but you’re welcome to choose any that you’d like.
  • Honey: You can pick up any honey at your grocery store or farmer’s market. I like to get unfiltered honey because it is a little less processed. 
  • Mayonnaise: I use regular mayo for this recipe, I haven’t tried making the sauce with light mayo, but I am sure it will turn out perfectly!
  • Lemon Juice: This recipe calls for freshly squeezed lemon juice. You can also use 100% lemon juice that you can find in your produce department if you can’t find whole fresh lemons. 
  • Cayenne Pepper: Cayenne pepper adds the perfect touch of spice to your honey mustard sauce. This is based on personal preference; if you’d like it to be a bit spicier, add more cayenne pepper. If not, only add a pinch to your sauce. 
  • Kosher Salt: When adding salt to this recipe, remember that your pretzels will have salt on them too. If you’re using extra salty pretzels, only use a little salt.
  • Buttermilk: Instead of using egg in this recipe, I like to use buttermilk. The milk combined with the pretzel bits makes for the perfect crust. 
  • Chicken Breast Tenders: I like to get chicken breast tenders, but if your store only has chicken breast, please cut them into smaller pieces so they will cook evenly. 
  • Pretzels: For this easy recipe, I used sourdough pretzels, but if you’d like, you can use flavored pretzels. 
overhead shot of chicken tenders with sauce on cooling rack

How to Make Pretzel Crusted Chicken in an Air Fryer 

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 375° F.
  2. Make the honey mustard. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the djion mustard, honey, mayonnaise, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and salt. Divide the mixture in half.
  3. Add the buttermilk to one half of the mix, then place chicken in the bowl and toss to coat. Sit aside to marinate while you prepare everything else.
  4. Pulse the pretzels in a food processor until they create a fine, crumb like consistency. Alternatively, put the hard pretzels in a large sealable bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into crumbs. Transfer the pretzel crumbs to a shallow dish.
  5. Coat each piece of chicken, one at a time, in the honey mustard sauce and then the crushed pretzels. Make sure the raw chicken is well coated. Place the prepared chicken on a baking sheet and set aside.
  6. Air fry the chicken tenders for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F.

Honey Mustard Sauce

Homemade honey mustard is one of my favorite condiments, and it is so easy to make. You can make it with only a handful of ingredients, and you can use it on salads, for chicken tenders and fries, or as a dip for veggies.

This crispy pretzel crusted chicken recipe is super simple. You combine dijon mustard, honey, mayonnaise, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and salt in a bowl. And it keeps in your fridge for about two weeks. 

Pro Tip: If you don’t have lemon juice, you can use white distilled vinegar. You can also add spicy or yellow mustard for a little different flavor.

sauce in a bowl

Tips and Tricks

  • Before you start tossing your chicken, I recommend always cutting the fat off your chicken and pounding your chicken until it becomes a specific thickness. Try your best to cut into similar sized tenders. This is extra important if you’re using chicken breasts. 
  • For the crispiest chicken, I like to pat my chicken tenders dry with a paper towel before tossing it in the mixture to get coated. 
  • Use a thermometer to check the temperature of your chicken once it is finished air frying. You want to make sure that the temperature in the thickest part of your chicken tender is at least 165 degrees.
  • You can drizzle hot honey over your pretzel chicken before serving it for a little more sweetness and spice. 
honey mustard sauce on pretzel crusted chicken tenders

Storage and Freezing

Storage: While Pretzel Crusted Chicken can be reheated, it is best served as soon as it comes out of the air fryer. However, any leftover chicken tenders can be stored in an airtight container or bag for two to three days in the refrigerator.

Freezing: You can also freeze any leftover pretzel chicken that you may have. This makes a super quick and easy lunch or dinner. Just toss your leftovers into a freezer-safe bag, and then you can keep them in the freezer for about three months.

collage of pretzel crusted chicken for pinterest

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overhead shot of plate of chicken tenders with sauce with text overlay for pinterest
plate of pretzel crusted chicken tenders with sauce

Pretzel Crusted Chicken

4.72 from 7 votes
Pretzel Crusted Chicken is crispy, juicy, and packed full of delicious flavor. With only 9 ingredients, it will become your new go to meal.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the air fryer to 375° F.
  • In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the djion mustard, honey, mayonnaise, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and salt. Divide the mixture in half to save for dipping later.
  • Add the buttermilk to the mixture in the mixing bowl, then place the chicken tenders in the bowl and toss to coat. Sit aside to marinate while you prepare everything else.
  • Using a food processor, pulse the pretzels until they create a fine crumb like consistency. Alternatively, put the pretzels in a large sealable bag and use a rolling pin to crush into crumbs. Transfer the pretzel crumbs to a shallow dish.
  • Coat each chicken tender, one at a time, in the honey mustard sauce and then the ground pretzels. Make sure the chicken is well coated. Place the prepared chicken on a baking sheet and set aside.
  • Air fry the chicken tenders for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature has reached 165° F.

Oven instructions:

  • Preheat the oven to 425° F.
  • Bake the chicken for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature has reached 165° F.

Nutrition

Calories: 601 kcal, Carbohydrates: 63 g, Protein: 30 g, Fat: 27 g, Saturated Fat: 4 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 14 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g, Trans Fat: 0.1 g, Cholesterol: 86 mg, Sodium: 1301 mg, Potassium: 609 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 37 g, Vitamin A: 211 IU, Vitamin C: 5 mg, Calcium: 63 mg, Iron: 3 mg
Author: Jordan Zelesnick
Calories: 601
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pretzel crusted chicken
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Jessica Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and food lover behind Savory Experiments. She is obsessed with butter, salt and bacon and spends all her time in the kitchen and behind a camera. Jessica is a contributor to PopKitchen by Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal Food + Travel and more!

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Recipe Rating




Questions and Reviews

  1. 5 stars
    The kids absolutely loved this one. I called them “pretzel chicken tenders” and they asked for seconds. The honey mustard sauce was amazing too!

  2. 5 stars
    We are obsessed with this pretzel chicken! The pretzels give the chicken the best crunch and flavor. I could eat this for dinner every night!

  3. 5 stars
    Such a delightful recipe! My kids loved these are were asking for more. I will have to put this on the dinner list for next week. 🙂