Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top; spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray.
• Pat the 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken tenders dry with paper towels. Season both sides with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
• Place 2 cups mini pretzel twists in a food processor and pulse until mostly fine crumbs remain. Transfer the pretzel crumbs to a shallow bowl and stir in 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
• In another shallow bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs.
• Working one tender at a time, dip each seasoned chicken tender into the beaten eggs, letting excess egg drip off. Dredge the tender in the pretzel crumbs, pressing gently so the crumbs adhere on all sides. Place each coated tender on the prepared wire rack. Repeat with remaining chicken.
• Lightly spray the tops of the coated tenders with cooking oil spray.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. Using tongs, gently flip each tender, spray the other side lightly with oil spray, then bake for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, until the coating is golden and the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature 165°F is recommended).
• While the chicken bakes, make the hot honey: combine ½ cup honey and 1 jalapeño pepper (thinly sliced) in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a light simmer, then turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes to infuse.
• Strain the infused honey through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the jalapeño slices and seeds. Reserve the strained hot honey for serving.
• Make the house sauce by whisking together ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1 tablespoon your favorite BBQ sauce until smooth and combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve; it stores well in the fridge for a few days.
• Let the baked chicken cool slightly, then serve warm with the hot honey (drizzled or on the side) and the house sauce for dipping.