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Keeping things fun, easy, and healthy with this Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad. Spicy chicken fingers, breaded in salty pretzel crumbs, oven baked and tossed together with fresh greens, avocado, and crispy bacon. Add a creamy honey mustard dressing and lots of parmesan for a colorful salad that’s anything but boring. This is quick to make and beyond delicious. It’s that salty, spicy pretzel chicken and sweet honey mustard dressing. The combo is hard to beat.
Here is what I have come to learn about myself. I really, really like recipes that remind me of past adventures…usually when I was a kid. Chicken fingers? Yup, I love them. Mac and cheese with the crunchy edges? 100%. Chicken and rice…Dad’s pasta dish? Yep, all some of my favorite recipes, and each from childhood.
And then this salad? While it’s not something I ever ate growing up, it does remind me of the days I’d spend with my family in Florida over spring break. I know I’ve been talking a lot about Florida and spring break this last week, but clearly, I can’t help it. It’s spring break season and geez, I really wish I had some plans to go to Florida. But I don’t, so instead, I’m making recipes that bring back all my favorite memories.
It’s fun…and delicious. Because let’s be real, the foods we ate when we were young were GOOD.
So this salad. When my family traveled to Florida for spring break we’d always stay with my Nonnie and Grandpa. My Nonnie and I were super close, so while mom basked in the sun and my brothers played in the pool with my dad, Nonnie and would sneak off, go do some shopping, then stop in somewhere for lunch.
When I was really young, I’d order chicken fingers nine times out of ten, but my Nonnie always switched up her order depending on where we were eating. Sometimes pasta, sometimes a sandwich, and then sometimes a salad. For some reason, I remember her eating a chicken salad with bacon. I’m feeling like it was a Cheesecake Factory Salad? Yep, that sounds about right.
Anyway, since I’ve been thinking so much about those trips and also trying to put ideas for lunches together, I took Nonnie’s salad and my chicken fingers and I combined the two. And you know? I really, really wish Nonnie was around to give this a taste test, because I think she’d fully approve. The bacon would really seal the deal for her and the pretzel chicken? Well, let’s just say that the salty pretzels would put the salad over the top. This salad has all of her favorite things. Mine too.
The Details…Start with the Chicken
What I love about this fun salad is that for how much it has going on, it’s actually really easy.
Start with the chicken. Finely crush the pretzels into crumbs to bread the chicken. The finely crushed pretzels are key. They flavor the chicken with the perfect amount of salt, which pairs wonderfully
with the sweet and tangy honey mustard dressing. I make the crumbs spicy with a little chili powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne. They are delicious.
Tip? Pulse the pretzels in the food processor to really break them down into a fine crumb. If you don’t have a food processor, just add the pretzels to a ziplock bag, then step on the bag with your feet to finely crush them. Trust me, this works. You can even just use the actual pretzel bag and step on that. It’s what dad used to do when he’d make potato chip chicken when I was a kid. This trick is an oldie but a goodie.
Bake the chicken in the oven until it crisps all over. My secret is to lightly drizzle the chicken with olive oil before it bakes. This helps the coating to really crisp up nicely in the oven. You can’t skip this step, it’s crucial.
While the Chicken is Baking…
Toss the salad and make the dressing. For the salad, I kept it simple, mixed greens, tomatoes, lots of avocados, crispy bacon, and parmesan. Nothing fancy, but always a solid combo when it comes to salad. The avocado plus bacon is a favorite. Totally delicious.
And then the dressing. Hands down this is one of my favorite dressings. It’s extra creamy, sweet, and tangy, but with a kick from some cayenne. The tahini makes it extra creamy and the honey keeps things sweet, which is a nice balance to the spicy. And when you toss it all together with the pretzel chicken?
It is SO GOOD! Crunchy chicken, salty bacon, creamy avocado, and a sweet, creamy, and spicy dressing that really completes the salad and makes every bite special.
So you see? Salads can be delish…and fun!
Looking for other spring salad recipes? Here are some of my favorites:
Pesto Chicken Caesar Salad with Tomatoes and Burrata
Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Chickpea Salad
Lastly, if you make this Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad.
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 819 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 pound boneless chicken tenders
- 1 cup finely crushed salted pretzel twists
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- kosher salt and black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
- 6 cups mixed greens
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup shaved parmesan
- 1-2 avocados, diced
- 4 slices cooked thick cut bacon, crumbled
Honey Mustard Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- juice of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Combine the pretzels, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, and a pinch of pepper to a bowl. 3. Dredge the chicken through the crumbs, pressing to adhere. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.4. To make the salad. Combine the greens, tomatoes, parmesan, avocados, and bacon in a salad bowl.5. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.6. Toss the chicken in with the salad. Add a little of the dressing. Enjoy!
This recipe is incredible. I finally found a way to get my husband to eat and actually enjoy a salad.
Thank you!
Hi Ellen! Thank you SO much! Always love to hear when a recipe is a success! Hope you have an amazing New Year! xT
Made this chicken tonight for dinner and also made the lemon butter orzo.
Both were delicious together!
Thanks for all your recipes we are enjoying them!
Hi Joanne,
Amazing!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it and Happy Monday! xT
Just made this and it was soooo good! The dressing is die for ❤️ can’t eat acvocados so I used greens, red pepper, tomatoes and mango. Think I will add thinly sliced red onions next time and just play around with whatever is in the fridge. Thanks for sharing 🙂 love everything you do ❤️ greetings from Iceland where I’m watching an volcanic eruption out the window 🤣
Hi Sunna,
Happy Sunday!!🍋☀️ I appreciate you trying this recipe out and your comment, so glad to hear it was a winner! xT
I fixed this last night and it was amazing. My mother and daughter loved it and said this is a definite keeper. Thank you for sharing!
Hey Pam,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it:)
Any suggestions for tahini replacement? We have a sesame allergy.
Hey Jill,
You could use another nut butter like almond butter in the dressing or even just skip it, should be totally fine! I hope you love this recipe, let me know if you give it a try! xx
The dressing was delish. I cooked chicken in a little oil on the stovetop and the honey made them burn a bit – definitely don’t recommend that. Family enjoyed overall.
Oh shoot, this is for the other honey mustard chicken recipe with the strawberries!
No worries, thanks again!!
Hey Amy,
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad it was delish! Have a great weekend:) xx
Loved it and would definitely make again! Dressing is fantastic.
Hey Lindsey,
Wonderful!!🌴🍍 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, love to hear that it turned out well! xx
Greetings from the UK… memories of food are just the best. I have many myself with my grandmother (long since passed) who was an amazing cook. Unexpectedly without warning my eyes ‘filled up’ with my own memories reading your post. Going forward… I am very recently a grandparent for the very 1st time (Summer is just 4 months old) but I intend to make foodie memories with her in due course… It is so sweet that you have remembered your sneak off shopping and special lunches together 💕
Recipe looks fabulous! but sadly I loathe pretzels.. apologies in advance to all the pretzel lovers out there reading this comment… Do you think Panko crumbs could work here or is it best to skip this recipe as the Pretzel crumbed chicken is perhaps the star of the recipe. Your thoughts if you get a chance to reply… thanks. Stay safe…
Hi Nina,
Thanks for your message! Sure, you could use any other coating that you enjoy, corn flakes would be another great option! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this recipe turns out well for you! xT
Outstanding! I made this last night and the salty and zesty pretzel flavor was amazing with the balsamic egg wash. The honey sauce was key…not too sweet but added a great complimentary flavor. I made roasted potatoes with an herb oil and feta sauce. Sooo good.
Sorry…I wrote my review on the wrong page!! I don’t know how to switch it!! I made the pretzel crusted chicken with a honey balsamic sauce…It was amazing!!
Lol no worries:)
Hey Bridget,
Happy Sunday!! 🍉🍓🫐 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT
Delicious!! The crunch of the pretzels with the creaminess of the Avocado…perfecto! And the honey mustard is soooo good! Way better than store bought.
Hey Kate,
Fantastic!!🌻 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it out! xT
I’ve never left a comment but this was SOOO GOOD I had to. I used Honey Mustard Pretzels & I added sliced Green Onions to the Salad Greens for a little extra flavor & because I needed to use some up. We love the Honey Mustard Dressing more than any restaurant or store-bought variety! It’s delicious as just a dipping sauce as well.
Hey Ashley,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well! xT
Delicious!! Followed exactly – except I did use the honey mustard pretzels and it was perfect. Thanks for the recipe. The chicken is key!
Hey Sally,
Perfect!! ⛄️ I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for trying it out! xx
Would it be too sweet to use honey mustard seasoned pretzels vs regular flavored pretzel twists?
Hey Mel,
Hmmm, that sounds like a fun idea! Let me know how the recipe turns out, I hope it’s delish! xTieghan
Any pretzel recommendation? I clicked on the link and it takes me to a list of snacks.
Hey Tara,
Any pretzels you like will work, I used Snyders. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
So fabulous!! Loved it!!! The dressing is an awesome touch!
Hi Ruth,
Happy Monday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it:) xTieghan