Air Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe Cooks in 10 Minutes by Ann Marie G. Halstead

Two years ago I bought my husband an air fryer for Christmas. I knew he’d love it. What I didn’t expect was how much I’d love it. It’s versatile, easy and quick to use and a healthier way to fry chicken, appetizers, chicken wings and more. One of the best parts of using the air fryer, which I didn’t even think of initially, is less mess!

This Nashville hot chicken recipe results in crispy, juicy, delicious fried chicken. There’s a recipe for hot sauce, too, that you can pour on top if you’d like a little kick (my hubby and younger son love a spicy kick!). Serve as chicken tenders or nuggets or make a sandwich.

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Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 1 1/2 hours (chilling and rest time included)
Cook Time: 10 minutes (will vary depending on size of chicken pieces used)
Total Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless chicken breast tenders (you could also use boneless breasts)
• 1 teaspoon salt (divided)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (divided)
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce (divided)
• 2 tablespoons pickle juice (straight from the pickle jar)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Sauce 

• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Here's how to make it: 

1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, 1 tablespoon hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1 tablespoon of pickle juice until thoroughly combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour and then mix in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk and remaining tablespoon of hot sauce. Place each piece of chicken in the flour and coat evenly on both sides, then place it into the buttermilk mixture and then back into the flour again. Place each breaded chicken piece on a baking sheet in a single layer. Continue to bread the other tenders. Allow chicken to air dry for 10 minutes.
3. Set the air fryer to the chicken setting or 375 degrees F. Place tenders in the air fryer basket, in batches, in a single layer and spray lightly with cooking spray. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes (or according to the air fryer chicken settings). Turn the chicken over and spray with cooking spray. Cook until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes more.
4. To make the sauce, whisk together cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, brown sugar and 1/2 cup of olive oil until well combined. As soon as sauce is ready, pour over the fried chicken. Serve with pickles and cole slaw, if desired.

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