Pretzel Ranch Chicken Tenders

What if I told you that you were only two ingredients away from the most delicious chicken tenders you’ve ever had? Because you are. The recipe I’m sharing today is only two ingredients (plus the tenders themselves), and the result is the most moist, flavorful, delicious chicken tenders you’ll ever eat. There’s not even really any measuring required. You are going to love these, and if you have kids, you’re going to be a rock star if you make these for them. I’ve been enjoying rock star status since I made these for my boys, and they’ve requested them frequently ever since.

I shallow fried the tenders in batches in a little bit of canola oil, then kept the batches warm in the oven -- but I bet you’d get a similarly delicious result if you just baked them instead. The quick dunk in ranch dressing adds so much flavor to the tenders themselves (and makes them really, well, tender), and the pretzel coating is salty and crispy. These chicken tenders are absolutely perfect for a night you just don’t feel like cooking, because they’re ready in no time.

Rather than using store-bought tenders, I used two large chicken breasts sliced into strips. Two breasts yielded about 15 chicken tenders, which was more than enough to feed us, and the boys had leftovers to take for lunch the next day, much to their delight.

Pretzel Ranch Chicken Tenders

1-2 pounds chicken tenders (or breasts, sliced into strips)
Ranch dressing
Crushed pretzels

1. Place chicken tenders in a bowl and cover with ranch dressing; stir to combine. Let sit for 5 or 10 minutes (while you crush the pretzels).

2. Coat chicken tenders in pretzel crumbs. Cook over medium heat in a skillet with a small amount of oil, or bake in a 350-degree oven, until cooked through.

3. Serve with additional ranch dressing for dipping, if desired.