Air Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken
Servings 4 people
This Air Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken skips the deep-frying while still delivering juicy and tender chicken with a crunchy coating of spice that can be adjusted to taste!
Ingredients
Chicken
- 3 Chicken Breasts cut into 4 strips each
- 2 tablespoons pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon Frank's hot sauce
- 1 cup buttermilk divided
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Sweet Pickles and White Bread for serving
Hot Sauce
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar optional to reduce heat if desired
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine chicken strips, pickle juice, hot sauce, and ½ cup buttermilk in a medium bowl. Allow the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Add the remaining ½ cup of buttermilk to another bowl.
- Dip chicken in seasoned flour then buttermilk and then dredge in flour once more. Set the chicken strip on a plate and continue with the remaining strips. Mist or brush chicken with olive oil.
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 380°F and spray the air fryer basket with olive oil or coconut oil or brush with vegetable oil - do not use regular nonstick cooking spray.
- Place 6 chicken strips in the air fryer basket in a single layer making sure not to overlap. Cook for 6 minutes, turn the strips and cook for an additional 6 minutes until an instant-read thermometer reaches 165°F. Repeat with the second batch.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the hot sauce. In a small saucepan on medium heat combine all sauce ingredients. Stir and cook until the mixture has melted. Serve the sauce brushed over hot chicken strips with a side of pickles and white bread and crinkle cut fries if you like.
Notes
- Be sure to shake excess buttermilk from chicken to avoid a soggy coating. Also do not skip preheating the air fryer for the best possible texture.
- Keep cooked chicken tenders warm in a 200°F oven while preparing the second batch.
- Start with 1 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper at a time to ensure it’s not too spicy. Add brown sugar to balance heat if desired. If you choose to add the brown sugar, keep the heat on medium-low, or the sugar will caramelize and turn to a taffy texture and will not coat the chicken properly. Coleslaw is also a nice accompaniment to this chicken to cool down the heat as well.
- If you would like to fry the chicken instead, bring 2 cups of vegetable oil to 350°F, fry chicken strips for about 5 to 6 minutes turning halfway through cooking time until it registers 165F° on an instant-read thermometer and is a golden brown color. Drain on paper towels before brushing with spicy sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 496kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 1221mg | Potassium: 817mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1318IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 3mg
Find it online: www.sugarandsoul.co/air-fryer-nashville-hot-chicken/