Best Nashville hot chicken, good by itself as tenders or on a sandwich with coleslaw. Made in an Air Fryer.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken tenders
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 Tablespoon hot sauce
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Oil for spraying Canola, Olive Oil, or any oil with a high smoke point
Hot Paste
- ½ cup peanut oil
- 2 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Season tenders with a little salt and pepper. Set aside. Create a dredging station by whisking milk and hot sauce in one bowl. In a separate bowl, mix panko bread crumbs, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Start by coating chicken tenders with milk mixture and drain off excess milk, then coat chicken in panko bread crumbs mixture, ensuring all of the chicken is coated.
- Place chicken in greased air fryer basket or use a parchment sheet liner. Cook on 375 degrees for 14-16 minutes, flipping and spraying chicken halfway through cooking, until chicken is fully cooked and has reached a temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Meanwhile, when there are about 5 minutes left on the chicken, create the hot paste. Add peanut oil, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, paprika, dry mustard, garlic powder, and salt to a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat and whisk to combine. Once your mixture starts to bubble and simmer, remove from heat.
- Once chicken tenders are done, remove from air fryer and add them to a large bowl. Pour the hot paste over the chicken and toss to combine, making sure hot sauce covers all of the chicken. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Be sure to pre heat your air fryer before you add your chicken, so that the tenders cook through evenly.
- Place the tenders in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook them in two batches if you need.
- This chicken is really really really hot. If you’d like a milder chicken, reduce the cayenne pepper.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat them in the air fryer at 400F for 3 to 4 minutes.