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!
Pair this Nashville Hot Chicken with my Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles and Homemade White Bread to tame the heat!
Nashville Hot Chicken In The Air Fryer
I love this recipe because it lets you control the level of spice by simply adjusting the hot sauce ingredients! Want more spice? Add more cayenne pepper! Need to tame it a bit? Mix in some light brown sugar!
This Air Fryer Chicken uses basic ingredients to add a ton of flavor to a mid-week meal or weekend snack! With a spice you crave that requires under 30 minutes of hands-on time you may find yourself making it often!
My Air Fryer Chicken Wings make for another great meal or snack option that’s just as tasty and quick to make!
This is my favorite Friday night indulgence and it is so good. I’ve even done it with leftover pasta and I like think I even like it better than the fries I use broccoli slaw to make it healthier and can’t say enough good things about this recipe.
Ingredients for Nashville Hot Chicken
Chicken breasts are marinated in a homemade brine made up of pickle juice, franks hot sauce, and buttermilk. All-purpose flour, salt, and pepper are used for coating the chicken strips before air frying.
To make the fiery hot sauce use salted butter, paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. If desired you can mix in light brown sugar to reduce the heat!
Just cook the sauce on medium-low or the sugar will caramelize and turn to a taffy texture that won’t coat the chicken properly.
How To Make Nashville Chicken In The Air Fryer
- Marinate the chicken strips in pickle juice, franks hot sauce, and buttermilk in a medium bowl covered in the refrigerator.
- Dip the chicken in the seasoned flour then buttermilk and dredge it in the flour mixture a second time.
- Prepare the air fryer by preheating it and spraying the basket with olive or coconut oil, or brushing on vegetable oil.
- Cook chicken strips in a single layer in the air fryer tray. I also like to brush chicken with olive oil before air frying to ensure it doesn’t stick. Repeat with the second batch.
- Combine the ingredients for the hot sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat while the chicken cooks. Cook until the mixture has melted together.
- Brush the air-fried chicken with the spicy sauce mixture before serving. Pair with a side of sweet pickles, white bread, or crinkle-cut fries if you’d like!
If you love heat then you’re going to go crazy for this flavorful and easy dinner that’s ready in less than 30 minutes! Plus here are a few more tips for preparing it!
How To Keep The Chicken Warm!
While preparing the second batch of strips, you can keep the cooked chicken warm in the oven at 200°F.
Can I Fry This Recipe In Oil?
Absolutely, just heat vegetable oil to 350°F and fry the strips for about 5 to 6 minutes, turning halfway through. The chicken is done when it has an internal temperature of 165°F.
Can I Use This Recipe For Chicken Wings?
Yes, cook them at 380°F for about 12 minutes. Then turn the air fryer to 400°F and cook for another 6 minutes or until they reach your desired crispiness. If using boneless wings, keep in mind that you may need to adjust temperatures and cooking time.
This Nashville Hot Chicken is perfect when you’re looking for a bite that has a kick of spice! Try out another chicken recipe that has less kick but is still jam-packed with delicious flavor!
- Oven Fried Chicken – Crunchy chicken that’s been dredged in a spiced breadcrumb mixture yet is still tender on the inside!
- Salsa Chicken – Baked in the oven after being prepared with just 4 ingredients!
- Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets – Homemade nuggets breaded in crushed tortilla chips and rice krispies!
- Garlic Chicken – Uses garlic, olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper for perfectly flavored chicken!
- Baked Chicken Wings – Skips the hassle of deep frying but still delivers crispy chicken!
More Recipes from Sugar and Soul
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Air Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken
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.
Video
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
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Comments & Reviews
Elaine says
Terrible recipe. I don’t understand how this is so highly rated. The breading completely fell off in to a sticky mushy mess and it barely browned. Just wasted 2 chicken breast an a lot of time. Now I have to fine something edible for my families dinner. Avoid this recipe.
Suzanne says
This is my favorite Friday night indulgence and it is so good. I’ve even done it with leftover pasta and I like think I even like it better than the fries I use broccoli slaw to make it healthier and can’t say enough good things about this recipe.
Mike says
Never crisped up properly. Breading completely fell off the chicken and ended up in the bottom of the air fryer when trying to turn. Ended up buying pre-cooked chicken tenders and just tossing them in the sauce. Way less effort for similar result. Absolutely horrible recipe
Ryan says
Pretty bad recipe if you use chicken thighs. The breading never crisped up for sure. Sauce was too thick with spices.
Greg B says
Breading didn’t stick to chicken and stayed in the air fryer. A lot of work for poor results.
Noah H says
Had the same experience. Flavor was good (although the butter in the sauce was a bit overwhelming and I think I’ll do half oil half butter in the future). Breading totally fell off – disappointing!
Sam says
Great recipe! Taste just like the hot chicken in Nashville! Put 4 teaspoons of cayenne to give it the extra extra kick. Breading only fell apart a little bit. Didn’t rub olive oil on it before frying though
Kennedy says
So yummy! I am obsessed with this sauce 🙂 My boyfriend and I will be making it again
Tania says
This recipe was delicious! Not all of the breading stayed on, but most of it did, and once you brush the hot sauce on, it’s great.
Rebecca Hubbell says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
De says
Breading doesn’t stay on. Terrible recipe. Avoid.
David Ellena says
The breading fell off immediately. Didn’t get crispy at all. Not sure what I missed, but this was not a good dinner to serve.
Craig says
Really didn’t work well at all. Didn’t crisp up and everything fell apart
Michelle says
The breading did not stay on at all.
Kim says
Why can’t I keep the breading on the chicken.? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Rebecca Hubbell says
Hi Kim, are you having issues with the breading before or after the cooking process?
Chris Ehmett says
Recipe portion needs to be updated on what to do with Frank’s hot sauce. It’s listed in the ingredients but never referenced in the instructions.
Rebecca Hubbell says
Thanks for pointing that out, I just fixed it!