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Crowd-Pleasing Bavarian Pretzel Chicken Tenders

Bavarian pretzel chicken tenders - featured image
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These Bavarian pretzel chicken tenders feature a crunchy, salty pretzel coating and tender, juicy chicken. Perfect for parties, game days, or any gathering, they’re easy to make and sure to be a hit.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large breasts)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 6 ounces hard pretzels (about 4 cups mini pretzels or 2 large soft pretzels)
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon German mustard (or whole-grain mustard)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • Pretzel salt or flaky sea salt (for sprinkling)
  • Beer cheese sauce or honey mustard (for serving)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a wire rack on top if you have one.
  2. Cut the chicken breasts into strips about 1 inch wide and 3-4 inches long. If some pieces are thicker, pound them to an even ½-inch thickness.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Add the chicken strips, making sure they’re fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours.
  4. While the chicken brines, place the pretzels in a food processor and pulse until you have coarse crumbs (panko breadcrumb consistency). Transfer to a shallow bowl.
  5. Set up your breading station with three shallow bowls. In the first, combine the flour, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne (if using). In the second, whisk together the eggs and German mustard until smooth. In the third, place the crushed pretzels.
  6. Working one piece at a time, remove a chicken strip from the buttermilk, letting excess drip off. Dredge in the seasoned flour, shaking off excess. Dip into the egg wash, letting excess drip off. Press into the pretzel crumbs, turning to coat all sides. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken.
  7. Spray the tops of the coated chicken strips lightly with cooking spray or brush with melted butter. Bake for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the coating is deep golden brown and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
  8. As soon as they come out of the oven, sprinkle the hot chicken tenders with pretzel salt or flaky sea salt.
  9. Allow the tenders to rest on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a serving platter.

Notes

For best results, don’t skip the buttermilk brine. Crush pretzels to panko consistency. Use a wire rack for crispier coating. Can be breaded up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerated before baking.

Nutrition

Keywords: pretzel chicken tenders, Bavarian chicken, Oktoberfest chicken, easy chicken tenders, crowd-pleasing chicken

Find it online: https://cookluma.com/crowd-pleasing-bavarian-pretzel-chicken-tenders-easy-recipe/