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nashville hot chicken tenders on bread

Air Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders

4.34 from 9 votes
Author: Laurie Fleming
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
30 minutes
Total Time: 57 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings

Description

Crispy, juicy air fryer Nashville hot chicken tenders with a real pickle-juice brine and a blooming cayenne-oil glaze. Customizable heat from mild to "Shut the Cluck Up."

Ingredients 

For the brine and chicken

  • 1½ lbs chicken tenderloins, about 8–10 pieces
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • ¼ cup dill pickle juice, straight from the jar
  • 2 tbsp hot sauce, Frank's or Louisiana
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

For the dredge

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup buttermilk, extra, for the wash

For the Nashville hot oil

  • ½ cup neutral oil, vegetable, canola, or grapeseed
  • 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp cayenne pepper, see heat scale below
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp kosher salt

To serve: white bread (Wonder Bread is traditional), dill pickle chips, toothpicks if you're being authentic.

Instructions

  • Brine the chicken (30 min to overnight). Whisk buttermilk, pickle juice, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Submerge tenders, cover, refrigerate at least 30 minutes — overnight is better.
  • Set up your dredge. Whisk the flour with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in one shallow dish. In a second dish, beat the egg with ¼ cup buttermilk.
  • Coat each tender. Lift one from the brine, let excess drip off. Press into the flour, dip in the egg-buttermilk wash, then back into the flour. Press hard the second time to build those craggy bits — that's where the crunch lives. Rest the coated tenders on a wire rack for 5 minutes so the coating sets.
  • Preheat air fryer to 380°F (193°C). Don't skip preheating. A cold basket steams the coating instead of crisping it.
  • Air fry. Spritz tenders generously with oil on both sides — every spot of dry flour will stay dry and chalky if you don't. Arrange in a single layer (no touching). Cook 10–12 minutes, flipping at the 6-minute mark. They're done at 165°F internal.
  • Make the hot oil while they cook. In a small saucepan, heat the ½ cup of neutral oil over medium until it shimmers (about 2 minutes). Pull it off the heat, then whisk in cayenne, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, and salt. It will sizzle — that's the spices blooming. Let it sit 1 minute.
  • Glaze. While the tenders are still hot from the air fryer, brush each one generously with the hot oil. Both sides. Use it all.
  • Serve immediately on a slice of white bread with pickles on top, toothpick straight through the stack.

Equipment

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 707kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 45gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 156mgSodium: 2132mgPotassium: 864mgFiber: 2gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 934IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 106mgIron: 3mg