Delicious, Crispy Chicken!
Golden brown, with a crispy crust yet tender and juicy meat – that is what good breaded chicken should taste like! Take it over the top with this home-made, creamy honey mustard dipping sauce.
The key to this style of breaded chicken is the layering of flavors in the breading. I love adding spices to the pretzel mixture and mustard in the egg wash. The cornstarch coating adds crispiness to the chicken and should not be substituted. Remember not to overprocess the pretzels, you want the crumbs to be different sizes from powdery to the size of peas. Uniformity is not the goal here.
The creamy honey mustard dipping sauce is fantastic with this chicken or to dip veggies or even as a sandwich spread, but BE BRAVE and change it up by drizzling the chicken with hot honey or a spicy maple syrup too.
Bookmark this recipe for the easy, mess-free breading technique described in the Chef Note too.
I loved chicken nuggets as a child, and enjoy making this grown-up version of a childhood favorite!
Happy Cooking!
Crispy Pretzel Coated Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
(* indicates my preferred ingredients – see notes for alternatives)
½ cup cornstarch
2 egg, lightly beaten
2-3 cups mini pretzels
1/3 cup flour
1 tablespoon O&V Garlic Butter Mix *
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, divided (more to taste)
1½ lbs chicken tenders
¼ cup O&V Devils Mustard *
½ cup vegetable oil or O&V Roasted Garlic oil *
Creamy Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
¼ cup O&V Honey Mustard *
¼ cup sour cream or mayonnaise
1 tablespoon O&V Marc de Champagne or White Balsamic vinegar *
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (more to taste)
Preparation
Place pretzels in a food processor, cover and pulse. Remove from the food processor into a shallow dish and stir in the flour, garlic butter mix, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Combine well.
Place the cornstarch in a separate shallow dish and mix in ½ teaspoon pepper. In a third shallow dish, combine the lightly beaten eggs with the Devil’s Mustard.
Bread the chicken tenders by dredging in the cornstarch first, then in the egg mixture, and finally in the pretzel mixture, ensuring that the chicken tenders are well covered in each component (See Chef Tip for details).
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the breaded chicken tenders and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and fully cooked. Cook in batches to ensure that you don’t overcrowd the pan. This will ensure even cooking and color.
Make the creamy honey mustard sauce by combining the mustard, sour cream/mayo, vinegar and cayenne together. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Serve chicken tenders with the creamy honey mustard sauce.
Serves 6-8
Active time: 30 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes
Chef Tip:
I use the “wet-hand/dry-hand” method for breading which simply is as follows: Place the cornstarch on a sheet of parchment paper on the left of your work space. Place the egg mixture in the center in a shallow dish, and the pretzel mixture on another large sheet of parchment paper to the right of the egg mixture.
Using your right hand (dry hand), coat both sides of the chicken with the cornstarch and shake off the excess. Then place it in the egg mixture being careful not to get any egg on your fingers.
Using your left hand (wet hand), swirl the chicken in the egg mixture to ensure it is well coated on both sides. Hold the chicken over the egg mixture allowing the excess to drip back in the bowl. Then, place it in the pretzel mixture taking care not to get any of the crumb onto your fingers.
Using your right hand (dry hand), cover the chicken with the pretzel crumbs and press into the breading to coat well. Shake off excess and place on a piece of parchment or wax paper. Repeat until all the chicken is coated and ready to put in the pan.
Notes
* A high temperature cooking oil like the Roasted Garlic oil adds wonderful flavor and is easy to cook with. The Garlic Butter Mix adds tremendous garlicky flavor that makes these tenders taste amazing. You can substitute with garlic powder and your favorite spice mix, but the end result will certainly taste different than my recipe.
The Devils Mustard provides a little heat and flavor to the chicken tenders pairing well with the pretzel crust, and the Honey Mustard has a nice rich sweet and savory taste to dip into after. The Marc de Champagne Vinegar adds tang and acidity but can be substituted with another high-quality sharp white vinegar like the White Balsamic or Garden Herb.
All highlighted products are available at Oil & Vinegar stores.
Categories: Entrée, Easy Weeknight Meal, Quick Dinner, Appetizer, Crispy Chicken Tenders, Pretzel Crusted Chicken, Creamy Honey Mustard Sauce, Garlic Butter Mix, Devil’s Mustard, Honey Mustard, Marc de Champagne Vinegar, White Balsamic, Garden Herb Vinegar, Fried Chicken Sandwich, Kid Friendly,
