Nashville hot chicken tenders are juicy, extra crispy, and coated in a fiery homemade Nashville hot sauce. Serve the spicy tenders on white bread with more sauce, a light dusting of cayenne, and—of course—plenty of pickle slices! Just be ready for their addictive heat—perfect for dipping, stacking on a sandwich, or grabbing straight from the plate.
What Is Nashville Hot Chicken?
If there’s one thing Nashville does best, it’s hot chicken! The fiery dish starts with marinated chicken that’s breaded and deep-fried to crispy perfection—just like classic Southern fried chicken. But what sets this chicken apart is the buttery, cayenne-infused sauce or oil you brush on after deep frying to give the chicken its signature heat and flavor.
Traditionally, it’s served on white bread with pickle slices to help cut the heat. The spice levels range from mild to burn-your-mouth-off, depending on how much cayenne and other spices you add to the spice blend.
The most famous place to try it is Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack, which is said to have invented the dish decades ago in—you guessed it—Nashville. As the story goes, in the 1930s, a man named Thornton Prince had a reputation with the ladies. After a night out, his partner decided to teach him a lesson. She whipped up a batch of fried chicken but doused it with an ungodly amount of cayenne pepper, expecting to set his mouth on fire.
To her surprise, Prince loved it—and even asked for more! The fiery twist on fried chicken became a family legend, inspiring André Prince Jeffries to open the restaurant. While Prince’s is credited as the originator, Nashville hot chicken has taken on a life of its own, with popular restaurants like Bolton’s and Hattie B’s serving up their own versions.
Key Ingredients
- Buttermilk: Brining the chicken in buttermilk tenderizes the strips while adding a slightly tangy flavor. The acid in buttermilk breaks down the protein, making the chicken extra tender. If you’re out of buttermilk, add a teaspoon or two of distilled white vinegar or lemon juice to milk and let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
- Pickle Brine: Pickle juice adds flavor and works alongside the buttermilk to tenderize the meat.
- Eggs: Eggs help bind the breading to the chicken while also improving the texture of the chicken through a process called silkening.
- Hot Sauce: It’s called hot chicken for a reason! I like to mix a little Crystal’s hot sauce into the marinade and hot chicken sauce, but Louisiana Hot Sauce, Tabasco, or Texas Pete’s work just as well.
- Breading: Coat the tenders with all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder for an extra crispy finish.
- Spices: The breading is boldly flavored with coarse black pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, kosher salt, and onion powder.
- Chicken: Use trimmed chicken tenderloins or cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts into strips.
- Oil: For the best results, fry the chicken in a neutral oil with a low smoke point like vegetable, peanut, or canola oil to maintain an even temperature.
- Nashville Hot Sauce: Toss the homemade chicken tenders with a buttery homemade sauce spiced with cayenne pepper, brown sugar, kosher salt, dark chili powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
- Extras: Nashville hot chicken is traditionally served over white sandwich bread to soak up the spicy sauce, and pickle slices are a must-have topping for a tangy contrast.
Additions and Substitutions
- Adjust the spice level. Customize the heat by adjusting how much cayenne you include in the sauce. Add more hot sauce or a pinch of something spicier, like ghost pepper powder, to the glaze for those who can handle the spice. I always recommend starting with less and taste-testing before adding more. You can always spice it up, but you can’t take it away!
- Experiment with the coating. Add panko crumbs or crushed cornflakes to the breading mixture for extra crunch.
- Double-coat for extra crunch. After the first flour coating, dip the chicken back into the buttermilk and then coat it with the flour mixture again. A second coating of the flour mixture will give you a thick, crispy finish to hold onto all the spicy glaze.
- Can I bake the chicken in the oven? Bake the chicken on a wire rack set into a rimmed baking sheet at 400°F (200°C) for 20-25 minutes, flipping the tenders halfway through.
Tools You’ll Need
- Mixing Bowl: Use a few large bowls to combine the marinade ingredients and toss the chicken tenders with the hot chicken oil.
- Wire Rack & Baking Sheet: Place the fried tenders on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet to drain excess oil and keep them crispy. I also like to arrange the breaded chicken strips on a separate wire rack beforehand so they’re ready to go straight into the oil.
- Heavy-Bottomed Pan: A stainless steel skillet, saute pan, cast-iron skillet, or Dutch oven works best for frying the chicken.
- Thermometer: Keep an eye on the oil temperature with a food or candy thermometer—aim for 350°F (176°C) for the best results.
- Tongs: Use kitchen tongs to safely flip and remove the tenders from the oil.
- Basting Brush: Toss the fried tenders in spicy Nashville hot sauce using a large mixing bowl, or brush the sauce with a basting brush.
How to Make Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Make the Marinade
Step 1: Whisk the buttermilk, pickle brine, eggs, and hot sauce in a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken tenders, making sure they’re fully coated. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 4 hours (at least 30 minutes).
Bread the Chicken
Step 2: Mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, black pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, kosher salt, and onion powder in a shallow bowl or plate.
Step 3: Remove the chicken from the buttermilk mixture, allowing any excess marinade to drip off. Dredge each piece in the seasoned flour mixture, pressing firmly into the breading to help it adhere.
Step 4: Gently shake off any excess, and transfer the chicken to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Set the chicken aside for 10-15 minutes.
Fry the Chicken
Step 5: Heat about 2-3 inches of oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat to 350°F (176°C). Fry the chicken tenders in batches (4-5 tenders), careful not to overcrowd the pan.
Step 6: Cook for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Transfer the tenders to a clean wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet to drain excess oil.
Cooking Tip
Is the oil hot enough? Flick a bit of flour or water into the oil. If it begins to sizzle, the oil is ready.
How do you know when the chicken is done? You know the chicken is done when it reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). You can check the temperature by inserting a food thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken tender.
Make the Nashville Hot Sauce
Step 7: Whisk the melted butter, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, dark chili powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika in a heatproof bowl. Add warm water as need to get the consistency you want. While the chicken is still warm, generously spoon or brush the spicy oil over the chicken tenders.
Expert Tips
- Marinate the chicken. Coat the chicken tenders thoroughly with the marinade ingredients. Cover and let them marinate for 4–6 hours (at least 30 minutes if short on time) to ensure they soak up the flavor and stay juicy.
- Season every layer. The secret to perfect hot chicken is a balance of spice, sweetness, and crunch. Add seasoning to every step—the marinade, flour coating, and sauce—to build deep, bold flavor.
- Rest the breaded chicken. After coating, let the chicken rest for 10–15 minutes to helps the breading adhere so it doesn’t fall off in the oil.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry in batches—too many tenders at once will lower the oil temperature, making the chicken greasy instead of crispy.
- Use a thermometer. Use a food thermometer to monitor the oil temps (keeping it around 350°F | 177°C ) in between batches and to ensure the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) internally.
- Drain the chicken. Don’t drain on paper towels—they make the bottom of the tenders soggy. Instead, place them on a wire rack over a baking sheet to drain the excess oil and let them rest after frying.
- Extra measures to keep it warm. You can transfer the fried chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet while the other chicken fries. Pop them in a 250°F (121°C) oven until ready to serve.
If you enjoy Nashville hot chicken tenders, try more like it!
What to Serve With Nashville Hot Chicken
Traditional hot chicken is a Southern staple with white bread to soak up the extra sauce and a few tangy pickle slices. Enjoy these Nashville hot chicken tenders with the same classic side dishes they serve at Prince’s Hot Chicken—baked beans, coleslaw, collard greens, potato salad, or seasoned French fries.
Pair them with cornbread and honey butter, hush puppies, Dutch oven mac and cheese, Southern potato salad, corn on the cob, or a simple side salad to mellow the heat. And don’t forget dessert—creamy banana pudding cups or a warm peach cobbler from cake mix are the perfect way to end the meal.
Turn them into a salad or spicy chicken sandwich by piling the crispy, golden-brown tenders onto a toasted brioche bun, Hawaiian rolls, or buttery Texas toast. Top it with pickle slices, crunchy vinegar coleslaw, and a drizzle of hot honey, ranch dressing, blue cheese, or ancho aioli.
No matter the occasion—game day, a family dinner, or when you’re craving fried chicken—you’ll want to keep this recipe handy.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store leftover Nashville hot chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat: Warm the chicken strips in the oven or air fryer at 350°F (176°C) to keep them nice and crispy. You can also use the microwave, but the chicken won’t be as crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How spicy is Nashville hot chicken?
Nashville hot chicken packs some serious heat! The spice comes from multiple layers—the chicken is marinated in hot sauce, the breading has extra seasoning, and it’s finished with a cayenne pepper sauce.
You can adjust the spice level to your liking, and if you’re sensitive to spice, try adding more brown sugar or honey to balance the heat for a milder version.
More Chicken Recipes:
Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup pickle brine
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons hot sauce
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons coarse black pepper
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 pounds chicken tenders, (or boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips)
- 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, melted
- ¼ cup hot sauce
- ⅓ cup cayenne pepper, adjusted to taste
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dark chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- warm water, as needed
- white bread
- pickles slices
- Whisk the buttermilk, pickle brine, eggs, and hot sauce in a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken tenders, making sure they’re fully coated. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 4 hours (at least 30 minutes).
- Mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, black pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, kosher salt, and onion powder in a shallow bowl or plate.
- Remove the chicken from the buttermilk mixture, allowing any excess marinade to drip off. Dredge each piece in the seasoned flour mixture, pressing firmly into the breading to help it adhere.
- Gently shake off any excess, and transfer the chicken to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Set the chicken aside for 10-15 minutes.
- Heat about 2-3 inches of oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat to 350°F (176°C). Fry the chicken tenders in batches (4-5 tenders), careful not to overcrowd the pan.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Transfer the tenders to a clean wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet to drain excess oil.
- Whisk the melted butter, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, dark chili powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika in a heatproof bowl. Add warm water as need to get the consistency you want. While the chicken is still warm, generously spoon or brush the spicy oil over the chicken tenders.
- Complete the meal by serving the tenders on slices of white bread. Top it with pickle slices and serve immediately!
- Marinate the chicken. Coat the chicken tenders thoroughly with the marinade ingredients. Cover and let them marinate for 4–6 hours (at least 30 minutes if short on time) to ensure they soak up the flavor and stay juicy.
- Season every layer. The secret to perfect hot chicken is a balance of spice, sweetness, and crunch. Add seasoning to every step—the marinade, flour coating, and sauce—to build deep, bold flavor.
- Rest the breaded chicken. After coating, let the chicken rest for 10–15 minutes to helps the breading adhere so it doesn’t fall off in the oil.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry in batches—too many tenders at once will lower the oil temperature, making the chicken greasy instead of crispy.
- Use a thermometer. Use a food thermometer to monitor the oil temps (keeping it around 350°F | 177°C ) in between batches and to ensure the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) internally.
- Drain the chicken. Don’t drain on paper towels—they make the bottom of the tenders soggy. Instead, place them on a wire rack over a baking sheet to drain the excess oil and let them rest after frying.
- Extra measures to keep it warm. You can transfer the fried chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet while the other chicken fries. Pop them in a 250°F (121°C) oven until ready to serve.