Air Fryer Pretzel Crusted Chicken Tenders

Crispy, crunchy, and golden brown, these easy chicken tenders are coated with a pretzel-based breading then air fried to perfection. Paired with a homemade honey mustard dipping sauce (made with greek yogurt instead of mayo), they're a kid and adult-approved meal, snack or appetizer that's ready in about 30 minutes!

I know we're about 10 years late to the game, but my husband and I just recently became obsessed with our air fryer. (It probably has something to do with the addition of our first child!) We also eat a lot of chicken tenders (not for our kid, he's only 9 months old), because let's be honest, who doesn't love a chicken tender?

This recipe has been on repeat in our house. We've made these so many times, because they're the perfect balance of salty, crispy and easy to make. And since the air fryer only takes a few minutes to heat up, they're ready so quickly! They're great with a side of roasted sweet potatoes , our shaved brussels sprout caesar salad or a simple slaw.

It can be really tricky to get chicken tenders brown and crispy in the air fryer - even though it's a super convenient cooking method, it doesn't perfectly replicate frying in oil. But we tried this recipe both ways (fried in oil, and air fried) and the air fryer was by far our favorite!

Using pretzels helps to solve this problem, as they're already brown, crispy, and crunchy. We added a touch of mustard and onion to the dredge to complement the flavor of the pretzel coating. Dipped in a homemade honey mustard, these tenders are an amazing blend of flavors.

If you're looking for some more weeknight chicken recipes, check out our reader-favorite Hot Honey Chicken Plate (Sweetgreen Dupe) or this Chicken Milanese with Shaved Apple and Arugula Salad.

Jump to:

• What You'll Need to Make This Recipe
• How to Make This Recipe
• Storage and Reheating
• Lexi and Beth's Best Tips and Tricks
• More Chicken Recipes to Try
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

What You'll Need to Make This Recipe

• Chicken tenderloins aka breast tenders: If you can't get find these in the store, you can also cut a chicken breast into tenderloins.
• Mini pretzels: You'll want to use mini pretzels from the bag in this recipe. Since they're thin, they're super easy to crush and they create a golden brown exterior once air fried. Gluten free will work fine, too!
• Spices: We season the first step of the dredge with kosher salt, pepper, dry mustard and onion powder.
• Dijon mustard: This is added to the egg coating for an extra dose of mustard flavor.
• Cornstarch: Adds a touch of lightness to the dredge, but you can omit it if you don't have any on hand.
• Eggs: Key for getting the dredge to stick.
• All-purpose flour: Gluten free flour will work, too.
• Oil: We like to use avocado oil spray for coating the chicken tenders. You can skip this, but they won't be as crispy and golden brown.

How to Make This Recipe

Transfer your pretzels to a plastic zip top bag and lay flat on a hard, even surface. Use a rolling pin to crush the mini pretzels into crumbs that are about the size of panko breadcrumbs.

Set 3 medium-sized bowls next to each other. To the first bowl, add the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, mustard powder, onion powder, and black pepper. To the second bowl, add the eggs, water, and dijon mustard and whisk together. To the third bowl, add the crushed pretzels and drizzle oil over them, then mix them together until the crumbs are evenly coated.

Place the flat side of a large knife over one chicken tender, and use your fist to pound the tender until it thins out and widens a bit. Repeat with the rest of the chicken tenders.

Place one tender into the flour dredge, flip it over, then shake off any excess. Using your other hand, place the flour-coated tender into the egg mixture, flip, then place into the pretzel crumbs, and flip over. Move to a baking rack set atop a rimmed baking sheet and repeat with the other tenders.

Let the tenders sit on the rack for a few minutes while you preheat your air fryer to 400˚F / 205˚C. Spray the tenders with avocado oil or another neutral-tasting oil spray and air fry for 6-8 minutes, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of about 165˚F and the pretzel coating has begun to brown thoroughly.

To make the honey mustard, add all of the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Dip and enjoy!

Storage and Reheating

These tenders are best eaten right away, but they can also be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. You can also freeze the fully cooked tenders and enjoy within 3 months.

To reheat refrigerated tenders, place them back in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 400˚F, until heated through.

To reheat frozen tenders, place them back in the air fryer for 5-6 minutes at 400˚F, until heated through.

Lexi and Beth's Best Tips and Tricks

• If you want to speed up the process a bit, you can also blitz the pretzels in a food processor.
• Don't skip mixing some oil into the pretzel crumbs before coating the chicken - it really helps the chicken to brown. We also like to spray them with avocado oil before placing them in the air fryer.
• Letting the chicken sit on a wire rack for a few minutes before air frying helps the dredge to hydrate and stick to the chicken.

More Chicken Recipes to Try

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