This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.
Nashville Chicken Tenders Recipe
Nashville chicken tenders are crispy and spicy fried chicken marinated with various spices, including cayenne pepper, Cajun spices, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. Dip them with an extra hot spiced oil is the best way to enjoy this hot fried chicken in Nashville.
This is the best homemade Nashville fried chicken recipe that tantalize your palate with a savory, smoky, and semi-spicy taste.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Nashville Hot Chicken Ingredients
What are the ingredients for the chicken marinade?
- Cayenne Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cajun spice
- Oregano
- Salt
- Pepper
- Buttermilk
What are the ingredients for the flour mixture?
- All-purpose flour
- Paprika
- Cayenne Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Salt
Hot spiced oil
- Cayenne pepper
- Paprika
- Frying oil
How to Make Nashville Fried Chicken?
Simply mix the chicken strips with all the spices and buttermilk in a bowl and marinate for 4 hours in the refrigerator.
Next, prepare the frying mixture in a bowl. Coat the chicken with the mixture and deep fry.
Serve the hot Nashville chicken tenders with the spiced oil or drizzle on top of the chicken.
Cook’s Tips
For the best and crispy Nashville hot chicken tenders, please follow my cooking tips below:
- Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator. This allows the flavors to be fully absorbed and also helps to tenderize the chicken meat.
- Double coating the flour mixture makes an extra crispy and crunchy crust. Let the chciken sit at room temperature for 20 minutes after the first coating, so the crispy crust won’t fall apart from after deep frying. Next, coat the chicken strips in the flour mixture again, right before deep frying.
Frequently Ask Questions
What Are the Best Sides to Serve with the Nashville Hot Fried Chicken?
- This hot chicken tenders are commonly served with white bread and pickles in Nashville. They are also great with green salads and baked potatoes.
Can You Fry Homemade Nashville Chicken Tenders Without Buttermilk?
- Yes, you can mix 1 cup of milk with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to substitute for buttermilk. Set this mixture aside for 5-10 minutes before adding it to the frying batter.
How Many Calories per Serving?
This recipe is 765 calories per serving.
What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
For more great recipes like this, sign up for our newsletter. We’ll send daily recipes you’ll love!
Sign up for our newsletter!
Nashville Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 12 oz. boneless and skinless chicken tenders ((preferred) or chicken breasts (cut into long strips))
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Cajun spice
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 300 ml buttermilk
Flour Mix
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Oil (for deep frying)
Spiced Oil
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon frying oil
Instructions
Chicken Marinade
- Place the chicken tenders in a bowl. (If you use boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut them into long strips.) Add cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Cajun spice, oregano, salt, pepper and buttermilk.
- 2. Mix well and marinate for 4 hours in the refrigerator.
Fry the Chicken Tenders
- Combine all-purpose flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and salt in a large bowl, stir to combine well. Set it aside.
- After 4 hours, transfer the chicken strips out of the marinade and coat them evenly with the flour mixture in the bowl. Place the chicken strips on the plate and let them sit for 20 minutes at room temperature until the coating is absorbed.
- After resting, dip the chicken strips in the flour mixture one more time before frying.
- Heat cooking oil to 350°F - 375°F (176°C-190°C) in a frying pan. Deep fry the chicken for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Dish out the fried chicken to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Drizzle the Spiced Oil over the fried chicken and serve immediately.
Spiced Oil
- After frying the chicken tenders, let the frying oil cool down for 10 minutes. Combine 1 tablespoon of the frying oil with cayenne pepper and paprika in a sauce dish. Whisk well.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Best
What kind of frying oil do you suggest?
Can I do this in the oven?
Vegetable oil. You can try oven but it won’t be fried.
Can we use Air fryer ?
You can try.