Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders

No need for take-out. This copycat recipe for Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders is easy to make so you can have that sweet and spicy chicken you love without ever having to leave the house.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword chicken, hot, nashville, tenders

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 10

Idle 5

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 5343kcal

Equipment

Frying Pan, Deep Dryer or Dutch Oven
Tongs
Paper Towels
Cookie Sheet for draining

Ingredients

Chicken

8 chicken tenders or 2 breasts cut into strips
3 tbsp cayenne can increase to 5 tbsp if you like it hotter
2 tbsp brown sugar light or dark
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
hot sauce your favorite
10 cups vegetable oil

Glaze/Sauce

¼ cup oil from the chicken - or 3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp honey
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Instructions

Chicken

Place the chicken in a shallow dish.
Add the cayenne, brown sugar, black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and paprika to a bowl and stir.
Add ¾ of the seasoning mixture to the chicken.
Rub in and coat the chicken well.
Add the remaining ¼ of the seasonings to the flour and set aside.
Pour the buttermilk and hot sauce over the chicken, mix well, and let marinate for at least 30 mins but up to 4 hours.
When you are ready to fry, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Remove each piece of chicken from the marinade and coat it with the flour mixture.
Let sit for 5 mins on a wire rack before frying.
Fry until golden brown on both sides (about 8 mins total)
Remove, place on a wire rack, and let the oil drain. (see notes)

Make the glaze

Add the oil, honey, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl and stir until combined then brush over the hot chicken!

Notes

Using a wire rack will help the chicken maintain its crispiness.

Nutrition