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Nashville hot chicken tenders

Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders Recipe

Martin Earl
Crispy, juicy, tender, spicy chicken for your gatherings.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course dinner, lunch, Snack
Cuisine American

Equipment

Red ChefAlarm
ChefAlarm
Thermapen ONE
Thermapen ONE

Ingredients
  

For the chicken and marinade

  • 12 chicken tenders 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each sliced into about 3 strips
  • 1 ½ C buttermilk
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 ½ tsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp Frank’s Red Hot or other hot sauce
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper

For the breading:

  • ¾ C panko breadcrumbs
  • ¾ C regular breadcrumbs
  • ¾ C all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ Tbsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp granulated garlic
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper

For the Nashville sauce

  • 6 Tbsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp paprika

Instructions
 

Prepare and marinate the chicken

  • Mix the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl by whisking together.
  • Add the chicken to the marinade, mix to coat all the meat, and allow to marinate for 20–40 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make the breading by combining all the breading ingredients in a wide bowl or shallow dish. In a separate heat-proof bowl, mix the ingredients for the Nashville hot sauce.
  • Also meanwhile, start preheating the oil in a large, heavy pot. Set up your ChefAlarm probe using the pot clip and set the high-temp alarm for 365°F (185°C) and the low-temp alarm for 345°C (174°C).

Cook the chicken

  • Bread the strips one at a time by taking them from the marinade, dripping off the excess, and placing them in the bowl with the breading. Turn and cover them with the breading and set aside.
  • Once the strips are breaded and the oil is hot, start cooking. Place 3–5 strips in the oil at a time and cook, watching the oil temperature and adjusting the heat accordingly, for about 3–5 minutes.
  • As they start to brown, check their internal temperature with your Thermapen ONE, looking for a lowest temperature no lower than 158°F (70°C).
    Temping the chicken
  • As the strips finish cooking, remove them to a paper towel-lined cooking sheet to drain.
  • Cook the next batch, allowing the oil temperature to recoup before adding more strips. Repeat until all the tenders are cooked.
  • Take 1 C of the hot oil from the fryer and whisk it (carefully!) into the bowl of Nashville hot ingredients.
  • Brush the sauce onto the strips or dip them into the sauce, mixing before each strip to get all those spices mised up in the oil.
  • Serve! Have cold drinks on hand.
Keyword chicken strips, chicken tenders, party food
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