The dish is made up of chicken tenders that have been floured and fried, and then coated in a spicy sauce. Many restaurants in Nashville serve this dish, and it has become increasingly popular throughout the United States. Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders are typically served with a side of ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing, and celery sticks.
The famous Nashville recipe for the dish involves marinating chicken tenders in a mixture of buttermilk and hot sauce, coating them in a flour mix and spices, and then frying them up.
Marinade:
Butter Milk
Paprika
Cayenne
Salt
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Chicken Powder
Flour Mix:
Corn Flour
Rice Flour
Baking Powder
Potato Flour (Starch)
Paprika
Cayenne
Salt
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Chicken Powder
Hot Spicy Oil Sauce:
Hot Oil
Paprika
Cayenne
Sugar
Salt
To cook Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders, start by mixing together the ingredients for the marinade. Chicken tenders can be either purchased or made at home. If making them at home, cut chicken breast fillets into thin strips. In a bowl, mix together buttermilk, paprika, cayenne, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and chicken powder. Add the chicken strips to the bowl and coat them in the marinade. Let the chicken sit in the marinade for at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours if possible.
Next, prepare the flour mix. In a shallow dish, combine corn flour, rice flour, baking powder, potato flour, paprika, cayenne, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and chicken powder.
Once the chicken has finished marinating, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the Chicken tenders in the flour mixture and then place them in the hot oil. Fry the chicken until it is golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.
Finally, make the hot sauce by mixing together hot oil, paprika, cayenne, sugar, and salt. Serve the chicken tenders with the hot sauce and enjoy!