Juicy pieces of chicken in a sweet and spicy, sticky sauce. These Nashville hot chicken tenders are a tasty bite of Southern comfort food that come together with just 10 minutes of actual cooking time.
If you love spicy fried chicken, these tenders are for you!
Jump to:
- Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders
- How To Make Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders
- Swirls Of Flavor Recipe Tips
- Substitutions
- Variations
- Equipment
- Related Recipes
- What To Serve With The Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders Recipe
- Ingredients
- Storage
- What can I use in place of buttermilk?
- How do I know if my oil is hot enough for frying?
- Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders Recipe
Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders
Made with the perfect blend of Nashville hot chicken seasoning to create some fire, the flavor is then balanced out by a hint of sweet brown sugar.
You’ll be coating the chicken tenders in the spice blend before soaking them in buttermilk and hot sauce, which creates a delicious, crispy batter that will have you asking for seconds.
Finish the chicken tenders by brushing them with a sweet buttery glaze and you can use these Nashville hot chicken tenders for a tasty weeknight dinner or game-day appetizer.
It’s a recipe you’ll keep coming back to again and again.
How To Make Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders
Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cayenne pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- In another bowl, add the flour along with 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture.
- Rub both sides of the chicken tenders with the Nashville hot chicken seasoning to coat them.
- Transfer them to a shallow bowl and pour on the buttermilk and hot sauce.
- Mix them well and let them marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
- When you’re ready, remove the spicy chicken tenders from the marinade and coat them with the flour mixture.
- Let the chicken sit for 5 minutes before frying them in oil over medium-high heat until golden brown on each side (turn them once).
- Transfer the chicken tenders as they’re cooked to a wire rack over a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
- Mix together the glaze ingredients and brush it over the top of the hot tenders and serve.
Swirls Of Flavor Recipe Tips
- Make sure to line a baking tray with paper towels before cooking the tenders (place the wire rack on top). This way you’re not shuffling while trying to cook and can immediately remove the Nashville hot chicken strips from the oil to drip.
- If you’re marinating the chicken for longer than 30 minutes, cover the bowl with plastic wrap before placing it in the fridge.
- The longer you marinate the chicken, the more intense the spicy sauce flavor will be.
- Use any brand of hot sauce that you have on hand and enjoy.
- Know that opting for smoked paprika will bring out a whole new delicious flavor to the KFC copycat recipe.
Substitutions
- Chicken breasts: you can use 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in place of the chicken tenders. You can either slice them up or batter and fry them as is. This works especially well if you want to make a Nashville hot chicken sandwich.
- Sugar: if you don’t have dark brown sugar on hand, light brown sugar works just fine.
- Hot Honey: For a shortcut glaze, you can just combine butter with hot honey!
Variations
If you're looking for a classic hot chicken tender recipe, follow the directions as written. However, if you want to switch up the flavors a bit, try one of the following ideas:
- Honey dip: instead of brushing the chicken tenders with glaze, you can serve them with a small ramekin of honey to dip.
- Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich: Serve hot honey chicken pieces topped with pickle slices on a soft roll for a delicious chicken sandwich. Add chipotle mayo for extra flavor.
- Scale back the spice: if you adore a fiery flavor but your guests do not, use a creamy wing sauce in place of the hot sauce and scale back on the cayenne pepper. Then, serve your chicken tenders with hot sauce to dip into on the side.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Skillet with deep sides
- Tongs
- Paper Towels
- Wire rack
- Baking sheet with low sides
Related Recipes
- Pretzel coated chicken tenders
- Cilantro Lime Chicken With Fresh Corn Salsa
- Parmesan herb chicken
- French onion chicken tenders
- Hot Honey Chicken Wings
What To Serve With The Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders Recipe
These chicken tenders have a kick to them, which means that they’re best served with items that are not spicy in nature.
Know that these hot chicken tenders can be used as a full meal or an appetizer so serve them with a side of any of the following depending on the occasion:
- Dill pickles
- Collard greens
- Honey corn
- Mac and cheese
- Cornbread
Ingredients
For the chicken tenders you’ll need:
- Cayenne pepper
- Dark brown sugar
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Chicken tenders
- Buttermilk
- Hot sauce
- All-purpose flour
- Vegetable oil
For the sticky glaze you need:
- Unsalted butter
- Honey
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
Storage
- Store leftover chicken tenders in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Make sure to cool them fully first.
- Reheat the chicken in the oven at 350F until heated through.
- Do not reheat them in the microwave as they won’t crisp up the way you like.
What can I use in place of buttermilk?
In place of buttermilk, use a combination of milk and vinegar. The acid in buttermilk makes the chicken extra tender because it breaks down the proteins in it.
How do I know if my oil is hot enough for frying?
If you think your oil is ready, flick a tiny bit of flour into it. It should begin to sizzle and fry. If it does, the oil is ready to cook. If not, keep heating.
Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders Recipe
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Ingredients
Chicken:
- 2 Tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 2 Tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 12 chicken tenders , about 1 1/2 pounds
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons hot sauce
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups vegetable oil
Glaze:
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
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Instructions
Chicken:
- Line a baking sheet with low sides with paper towels and top with a wire rack.
- In a small mixing bowl combine the cayenne pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt and pepper.
- In another bowl, combine the flour and 2 Tablespoons of the spice mixture; set aside.
- Rub both sides of the chicken tenders with the remaining spice mixture, coating the chicken pieces.
- Transfer the chicken to a shallow bowl and pour the buttermilk and hot sauce over the chicken, mix well and marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. If marinating for longer than 30 minutes, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet with deep sides.
- Remove each chicken tender from the marinade and coat with the reserved flour mixture.
- Let the chicken stand for another 5 minutes.
- Fry the tenders, in batches, until golden brown on both side, turning once.
- Remove the chicken from the oil and transfer to the prepared wire rack so any excess oil can drain off.
Glaze:
- In a small mixing bowl combine the melted butter, honey, paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt and pepper, stirring until blended.
- Brush the glaze over the hot chicken and serve.
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