OKAY. We’re doing it. It’s happening. Pretzel pecan BAKED chicken fingers are a game changer. They get your picky kids to just eat the effing dinner you made, and you get a special sauce to take boring chicken fingers to the next level. There’s no greasy kitchen when you’re done. Everyone is happy. Bing bang boom done.
Plus those pecans sneak in a little extra protein and healthy fats. Your kids will never know. The Messy Mr HATES all nuts and he gobbled these right up. Well, he says the only nuts he likes are his own. #BlessThatMess
Let’s get to the important stuff: a wire rack is important for this. It helps the chicken crisp up all the wait around because of the airflow around it. If you don’t have one, get one. Their uses are endless. I can drain traditional fried chicken on one so I don’t have to touch greasy paper towels. I can cool cookies on one. You can even dehydrate food on them in the oven! Click here for the cheapies I use all the time.
Here’s the recipe!
Pretzel Pecan Chicken Fingers With Hot Honey Special Sauce
Ingredients
For The Chicken Fingers:
- 1½ pounds chicken tenderloins (patted dry with paper towels and generously sprinkled with salt and pepper)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp water
- 2½ cups pretzel sticks
- ½ cup pecan pieces
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- cooking spray
Instructions
For The Chicken Fingers:
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- In a food processor fitted with an S blade, add pretzels, pecans, garlic powder and paprika. Pulse until mixture is mostly fine crumbs.
- In a shallow bowl or dish, beat eggs well with water. In a second shallow bowl or dish, add the pretzel mixture.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire baking rack over top.
- Dredge chicken first in egg (shaking off excess) then roll in pretzel mix to coat well.
- Coat both sides of chicken fingers with a light spritz of cooking spray. Add chicken fingers to backing rack.
- Bake chicken for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked through and browned. Serve immediately.
For The Hot Honey Special Sauce:
- While the chicken is baking, combine all ingredients in a large measuring cup with a whisk. Mix until completely combined and no streaks of different colors remain. Add to serving dish or small ramekins for dipping.
Nutrition
My 3 year old and 5 year old approved! They even liked the sauce! I am generally not a fan of mayo or mustard, but even I liked the special sauce! I did use jalapeños for my hot honey so it wouldn’t be too spicy for the littles. It was nice to make a meal that no one whined about!!