Pretzel Chicken Fingers

When you are craving chicken fingers, these Baked Pretzel Chicken Fingers are exactly what you need! Served with a homemade honey mustard dressing, these are a meal the whole family will love. Serve them with Crispy Turnip Fries or Zucchini Fries.

Do you know what the best part about recipe creation is for me? It's when I can use ingredients I already have around the house to create yummy dishes. For instance, when I was looking for a new take on my kid's favorite chicken tenders, I realized I was out of breadcrumbs so it was time to get creative.

As luck would have it, that morning I had also happened to be watching some Food Network (I am a little bit of an addict) when I saw a great recipe where the chef made a tilapia fillet coated in ground pretzels, and I couldn’t help but think that the pretzel coating would make a great alternative to a traditionally baked chicken finger.

On the show, they coated the fish in mayo before breading it, which immediately made me think of mustard and greek yogurt, which are my go-to substitutes for mayo. I decided to combine them to bread the chicken and was really happy with the outcome.

And now we have this deliciously crunchy Pretzel Chicken Fingers. I have to admit, these are way better than I could have imagined. 

What to Serve with Baked Pretzel Chicken Fingers

• These little babies go great with a variety of dipping sauces, so in addition to the one you'll make here, you can also mix it up with plain old yellow mustard, skinny ranch dressing, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, and even — eeek — ketchup (hey, sometimes that's all the kids will eat, right?).
• Side salads always work and salad fixings are something I try to keep in my crisper drawer at all times. Slice and layer the chicken right on your salad for a full and healthy meal.
• Want to sneak in some greens? Consider making these green bean fries - kids love them!
• Potatoes in almost any form are great to round out a chicken dish as well. Try baking some baked skinny fries, roasted potato wedges, or even a baked potato.

Ideas for Customizing Chicken Fingers

I think this recipe is universal and should be liked and enjoyed by even the pickiest eaters; however, there are times when you're going to need to customize it. Some of the easiest ways to make this your own include:

• Using gluten-free pretzels if you need a gluten-free option.
• If you don't have any pretzels on hand you could also substitute cornflakes or panko as a crusty breading option.
• If you are not a fan of mustard, then you can skip it in the sauce and dip or instead use mayo, barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, or any condiment you like on chicken.
• You could also make this with turkey tenderloins.
• If you don't have whole grain mustard, you could use just the dijon or any mustard you have on hand.
• Double or triple your mustard flavor by using mustard-flavored pretzels instead of plain pretzels.
• Add garlic powder or minced garlic to the sauce (either dipping, coating, or both).
• If you are watching your sodium intake, use salt-free pretzels for the pretzel coating. (You'll be adding salt to the chicken before dipping anyway.)

How Can I Use Leftover Pretzel Chicken Fingers

While I used the leftovers for salads all the following week, there are many ways you can use any leftover chicken you may have:

• Add a leftover finger to a sandwich. Eat it cold — it's so good that way!
• Cut up the pretzel-coated chicken fingers and toss them with some cold, cooked rice noodles or other pasta and add chopped green peppers, thinly sliced red onions, some cherry tomatoes, and a nice mustard vinaigrette.
• Add cut up chicken to a pasta salad or make a chicken salad with it.
• Mix up diced, leftover chicken with some leftover beans or add it to the top of a refried-bean-and-chicken tostada topped with lettuce and sour cream.

This recipe originally appeared in 2012 but has been updated with new photos, an updated honey mustard dipping sauce, and recipe tips.