Pretzel Crusted Chicken Tenders w/ Cheddar Ranch Sauce

This chicken tenders recipe is a little different than most. First of all, the tenders are covered in big, crunchy pretzel crumbs. The pretzel flavor isn’t over-powering, but it’s definitely delicious.

The pretzel crumbs are flavorful and hearty, and really good with the chicken and sauce. I’ve found an easier way to make the pretzel crumbs stick to the chicken, too (see recipe below)!

You can choose to serve the tenders alone with the Cheddar Ranch Sauce, or make them into a heartier appetizer or light meal like we did here. The addition of soft tortillas and fresh, crunchy veggies are all so good with the Cheddar Ranch Sauce!

This recipe was featured on Twin Cities Live on March 11, 2022 along with several other recipes (linked below) for Hockey Week! Post Updated: January 2023.

Here’s what you’ll need to make Pretzel Crusted Chicken Tenders w/ Cheddar Ranch Sauce:

Chicken tenders – frozen tenders work well
Soft flour or whole wheat tortillas (softer tortillas are more flexible for rolling into cones)
10 – 12 tooth pics to hold tortillas into cone shape
Firm, fresh veggies such as bell peppers, carrots, celery, and sugar snap peas
Pretzels – I used Snyders of Hanover Mini Pretzels
Ranch seasoning packet – I used Hidden Valley Ranch
Mayonnaise
Sour Cream
Whole milk
Cheddar cheese
Dried parsley (optional)
Olive Oil cooking spray

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

A bowl of pretzels is always fun to snack on, and pretzels are so good with Ranch!
Small cutting board w/ cheddar and other cheeses
More veggies, Tater Tots, crackers, etc., are also great for dipping in the Cheddar Ranch sauce

KITCHEN TOOLS

Rimmed baking pan lined with parchment paper
Baking rack
Cheese grater or micro plane – preferably with a fine, small grate
Small mixing bowl for sauce mixture
Rolling pin and large zipper bag to roll/crush the pretzels in
Kitchen tongs
Instant read thermometer

SEASONING the CHICKEN TENDERS

Seasoning is always subjective – even for a simple recipe like this. We all have personal preferences when it comes to how things taste, so here are some additional thoughts behind the recipe suggestions so you can decide what works best for you.

My husband and I love spicy foods, bright herbaceous flavors, and tangy vinegar notes in our food. But when it comes to salt, we generally opt for less. Aside from (our) personal preferences, there are several reasons why seasoning in this recipe is minimal.

Because most pretzels are salted, there really isn’t any need to add salt to the batter in this recipe. If you use unsalted pretzels, then by all means, go ahead and add a little salt (like ¼ – ½ tsp.) to your batter.

Some brands of chicken add a salt and water solution to their chicken before freezing and/or packaging. This solution is usually pretty minimal, but it can still affect the flavor and salt content in the finished dish.

The mayonnaise and any Ranch seasoning mix or dressing also contain salt, and it all adds up.

When you consider the combined flavors of the chicken, the batter, the pretzel breading, and the Cheddar Ranch Sauce, there’s a lot going on. So, when seasoning “to taste”, less is definitely more.

THE CHEDDAR RANCH SAUCE

The basic recipe on the Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning packet calls for 1 cup of mayo. I like to use ½ cup mayo and ½ cup sour cream because it lightens things up a bit without sacrificing the “quintessential” Ranch flavor that we all know and love. Plus, I’ve added good cheddar cheese to this dressing recipe, and the two flavors are a match made in heaven!

TIP: Make this sauce a few hours (or a day) ahead of time to give the flavors time to shine! While you can certainly serve the sauce right away, the flavors definitely improve over time.

Can ready-made bottled Ranch Dressing be used? Sure. It does have a slightly different flavor profile, but again, it’s all personal preference.

I recently read a lengthy online thread on the topic of Ranch dips and dressing recipes. Surprisingly enough, numerous chefs, restaurant staff, and home cooks alike said they prefer the flavor of the Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning packets and mixing the dip or dressing themselves.

There were literally dozens of comments in this thread. Some said they added fresh herbs or other ingredients to make it their own. But all-in-all, the ready-made mix packet was the clear favorite. While I love scratch-made recipes, I have to agree that this work really well.

ENJOY!

Pretzel Crusted Chicken Tenders w/ Cheddar Ranch Sauce

Author Michele Phillips, BaconFatte.com

Ingredients

Tenders and Veg

1.5 lbs. chicken tenders (10 – 12 tenders) – thawed, if frozen
10 - 12, 5 - 6" soft tortillas (flour or whole wheat tortillas work best for rolling into cones)
10 -12 toothpicks
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced
2 med. carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
1 cup sugar snap peas, washed and trimmed

Breading Batter

3 cups mini pretzels (about 4.5 ounces), crushed
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour (unbleached)
1/4 tsp. finely ground black pepper (optional)

Cheddar Ranch Sauce (makes about 2 cups)

1 1 oz. Hidden Valley Ranch packet
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup whole milk
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated + more for garnish
1/2 tsp. dried parsley + more for garnish

Instructions

Prepare Cheddar Ranch Sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate while preparing chicken tenders. May be prepared a day ahead.
Place the 3 cups of mini pretzels in a heavy duty zipper bag. Seal the bag and crush/roll the pretzels until most of the crumbs are a bit larger than Panko bread crumbs.(You can see the size of the crumbs in the photos.) Place the pretzel crumbs in a shallow dish large enough to add the chicken tenders individually and coat with crumbs.
Preheat oven to 375F - if using convection bake setting. If using standard baking settings, preheat to 400F.
Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the baking rack on the lined baking sheet, and spray lightly with cooking spray.
Prepare the batter in a bowl large enough to hold all the chicken tenders. (Note: I’m using a “hybrid” dredging/breading method here because it’s easier and this all-in-one “batter” is more effective at keeping the crumbs on the chicken, and keeping the chicken from drying out!) Once the batter is prepared, add the tenders to the bowl and toss to coat completely.
Using a fork, your hands, or a kitchen tongs, place one chicken tender at a time into the pretzel crumbs. Flip the tender and repeat until both sides are completely coated. Place the coated tender on the oiled baking rack. Repeat until all tenders are coated and lined up on the baking rack pan.
Bake the tenders for 10 minutes, then check and rotate the pan. Bake for an additional 8– 10 minutes until pretzel crust is fragrant. Tenders should be firm and reach an internal temperature of 165F.
Prepare the tortillas (if using) by rolling them into a cone shape and holding the narrow end of the cone together by “stitching” the tortilla together with a toothpick.
Prepare fresh veggies (if using).
Place Cheddar Ranch Sauce in a small serving bowl, and sprinkle with finely grated cheddar and dried parsley (optional).
When tenders are cooked, place one tender + one or two of each of the veggies in each tortilla cone. Serve warm.
NOTE: Leftover tenders can be refrigerated with layers of parchment in between to avoid sticking. Re-heat in a 350F oven for 3 – 5 minutes until crisp and warm.

This recipe was featured on Twin Cities Live on March 11, 2022 along with several other recipes for Hockey Week! You can check out the recipes – and the inspiration behind them – here:

Hockey Family and Recipe Inspiration

I HOPE YOU TRY THIS RECIPE SOON!

If you make it, tag @BaconFatte and #BaconFatte on Facebook and Instagram posts so I see your posts!