Homemade Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders -Air Fried

This culinary creation brings the iconic flavors of Nashville right to your kitchen, allowing you to savor the perfect blend of spices and a touch of sweetness in this beloved Southern dish without leaving the comfort of your home. Dive into the world of Homemade Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders, expertly crafted and air-fried to golden perfection. This perfect restaurant-style sandwich achieves that irresistible crunch and spicy heat, all while maintaining the convenience of air frying. Served on a toasted buttered brioche bun and topped with dill pickle slices. 

Skip the restaurant lines and prices and make a healthier air-fried version of Nashville Hot Chicken at home.

This recipe was inspired by my other Frigidaire Air Fry Oven Recipes. Full-size air fry oven recipes like Air Fried Beijing Beef and Air Fried Coconut Shrimp it pairs well with Homemade French Fries and Air Fried Broccoli.

What is Nashville Hot Chicken?

Traditionally Hot Chicken is deep-fried crispy whole chicken parts coated in a spicy sauce and served on white bread with pickle chips on top. It is said to have originated at Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville Tennessee but is now widely available at restaurants and diners around the country.

Ingredients

• Chicken tenders
• Buttermilk
• Pickle juice
• All-purpose flour
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Granulated garlic
• Avocado Oil Cooking Spray

Sauce Ingredients

• Butter
• Cayenne
• Paprika
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Brown sugar
• Water

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Air frying Hot Chicken makes for a tender and juicy chicken inside a crispy "fried" breading but so much healthier than the traditional deep-fried in lard version.

To start combine buttermilk, pickle juice, and thawed chicken tenders in an airtight container with a lid. Marinate the chicken for at least an hour in the refrigerator.

Next, in a shallow bowl combine the flour, sea salt, black pepper, & granulated garlic. Mix with a fork.

Prepare a baking sheet with a wire rack. Lightly spray or brush the wire rack with EVOO and set up a dredging station. Preheat the Air Fry Oven to 375° F

Working with one chicken tender at a time, remove one piece from the pickle brine and place it in the flour mixture to coat it completely. Then place it back into the buttermilk mixture and then finally back into the flour mixture for a second time. Press the chicken into the flour to coat then place it gently on the prepared wire rack in a single layer.

Continue working with each chicken tender until they have all been double-coated. Allow the chicken to air dry for about 10 minutes before lightly spraying with avocado oil or EVOO.

Don't saturate the coated chicken with oil or the breading will fall off and be sure to allow for 10 minutes of air drying to ensure a good outcome.

Place the chicken in the oven on the middle rack. Air fry for 12 minutes, remove the tray from the oven, and flip the tenders over. Spray with oil lightly on the second side and place it back in the oven for 5-6 more minutes to crisp up or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165° F and the breading is crispy and golden brown.

How To Make Nashville Hot Sauce

In a saucepan over medium heat melt the butter. Add to the pot the brown sugar and whisk to dissolve. Add cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, garlic powder, and Franks RedHot Sauce. Whisk to combine the ingredients. Simmer over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until sauce has reduced slightly and becomes a thicker/sticker sauce consistency.

Pour the sauce over the air-fried chicken pieces or place the chicken strips in a bowl and gently toss to coat them in the sauce. 

Serve

Place hot Nashville chicken tenders on a buttered and toasted brioche bun topped with dill pickles chips and serve. For a lighter version serve spicy chicken tenders over a bed of fresh greens with a side of homemade air-fried French fries and your favorite dipping sauce on the side.

Tips: 

• Having a meat thermometer when learning to use the full-size air fry oven is very important to ensure you are fully cooking meat to the proper temperature. 
• Don't overcrowd the air fry tray. Leave some space between the chicken tenders to allow proper airflow around the food so it will cook evenly and you'll achieve a crispy coating.
• If you don't have chicken tenders, use chicken breasts sliced into strips to make your tenders.

Substitutions

• Butter Leaf Lettuce - instead of a bun for a lower-carb option.
• Butter Leaf Lettuce - instead of a bun for a lower-carb option.
• Bun - Substitute brioche buns for white bread, or whole wheat buns
• Hand breading- If you don't have time for the homemade cooking process of marinating and hand breading the chicken simply air fry your favorite chicken fingers and toss it in the homemade sauce for a quick and easy version of this Nashville chicken recipe.

Variations

Nashville Hot Chicken Nuggets-serve smothered chicken nuggets with a side of sweet potato fries.

Spicy - the dish's spice depends on how much cayenne pepper you use in the sauce. If you are unsure or don't like spicy food use a small amount of cayenne pepper or substitute chili powder instead.

Kid-friendly - serve the kids homemade air-fried chicken strips before coating them with the Nashville hot sauce and serve with homemade  Air Fried French Fries.

Spicy glaze- Serve the air-fried chicken tenders with the sauce on the side if you prefer crispy chicken.

Check out the Frigidaire Air Fried Coconut Shrimp recipe too!

Equipment

Full-Size Oven with Air Fry Feature (Frigidaire Air Fry Range)

Baking Sheet With Wire Rack

This recipe is specifically intended for full-size ovens with the air fry feature like the Frigidaire Air Fry Range I own. The cook times and temperatures for the range with air frying may vary from smaller countertop air fryers. Follow the recipes below for complete instructions. For small air fryers cooking time and temperatures may need to be adjusted. For the full review of the Frigidaire Air Fry Range go here.

Storage

Store leftover Air Fried Nashville Hot Chicken in an air-tight container for up to three days. Reheat in the air fryer or microwave until fully heated through.

Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with a high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.