Air Fried Nashville Hot Chicken Strips

Air fried Nashville hot chicken strips have all the sweet and heat that we love about this classic chicken comfort food. This homemade Nashville hot chicken recipe is loaded with spicy and sweet goodness, and a crispy crust that will satisfy anyone hankering for some crispy comfort food.

Give this air fryer Nashville hot chicken a try, and you won’t be disappointed!

Air Fried Nashville Hot Chicken Strips – A Sweet and Spicy Classic

Nashville hot chicken has been a staple in the city from which it gets its name for decades. Many believe it originated in the 1930s as a revenge-driven accident. That’s right, this sweet and spicy fried chicken recipe was actually the result of revenge gone wrong. 

Back in the 30s, Thorton Prince III, a notorious womanizer, was served a breakfast of fried chicken with an extra big kick of hot pepper as revenge for a particularly late night out the day before.

Fortunately for all of us, Thornton actually loved the dish. In fact, he loved it so much that by the mid-30s, he and his brothers had created their own recipe, opening up the BBQ Chicken Shack. 

Fast forward 80 years, and this Nashville staple is still going strong. In fact, it’s spread all across the United States and made its way all the way up here to Canada.

I make this homemade Nashville hot chicken quite often, and it’s not because I’m mad at my hubby! It’s because we love that classic combination of a sweet, spicy, and crispy coating surrounding tender, juicy chicken. 

These Nashville hot chicken strips are the perfect weeknight meal, game day eat, movie night snack, or potluck addition. Make up a single batch for an at-home meal, or bust out a ton of these and serve them up for a crowd. They’re so easy that they’re always a great decision. 

Ingredients

There are two ingredient lists for this recipe. One for the chicken and one for the Nashville sauce. In both cases, the ingredient list is short.

Like many of my air fryer recipes, this homemade Nashville hot chicken is quick and easy and is made up almost entirely of ingredients you probably already have at home. So let’s take a look. 

For the Chicken

For the chicken, you’ll only need a handful of ingredients. You’ll need two basic ingredients for the dry portion of the batter and eggs for the wet portion. That’s it. 

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup flour
• ½ tablespoon cayenne pepper
• ½ cup dill pickle sandwich slices
• 2 eggs, whisked

For the Nashville Sauce

Nashville sauce is sweet and spicy and is really what makes Nashville hot chicken what it is. Again, you’re only looking at a handful of ingredients here, but those ingredients combine to create a hot and sweet sauce that has a little extra kick of sour with the addition of the pickle juice. 

• 4 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoon pickle juice

As you can see, there aren’t many ingredients at all for this air fried Nashville hot chicken strips recipe or for the tasty sweet and spicy sauce that goes along with it. This ties into the overall theme of the recipe which is this: delicious and easy. 

Making Air Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken

Making these sweet and spicy chicken strips is just as easy as gathering the ingredients. It only takes a few minutes of mixing and dredging, and after that, it’s simply a matter of popping the strips into the air fryer to get nice and crispy golden delicious. It’s really as easy as that. 

1. Place chicken breast on a cutting board and cut into strips.
2. Prepare the dredging station. Add flour and cayenne pepper to a bowl and stir to combine. Whisk eggs in a separate bowl. Add panko bread crumbs to the final bowl.
3. One by one, dredge the chicken first into the flour, then the eggs, and last the panko crumbs. 
4. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper. Place chicken tenders into the basket, carefully space to prevent them from sticking to one another. Spray the chicken tenders with canola oil or cooking spray. 
5. Set air fryer to 400*. Cook for 5 minutes. Flip, then spray lightly with canola oil. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
6. While the chicken tenders are cooking, prepare Nashville sauce. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in brown sugar, cayenne pepper, garlic, paprika, and pickle juice. Cook for 5 minutes over medium low heat. Remove from heat, then pour into a large mixing bowl.
7. Remove chicken from the air fryer. Add to the bowl with Nashville sauce and toss to coat. Serve immediately with dill pickles. Enjoy!

There you have it. See? I told you it was easy. It takes less time to make this than it does to watch most TV sitcoms. Heck, you can even make them while you watch the TV. This recipe is so straightforward, you won’t have to worry about missing an important step. 

Tips

This is such a simple recipe, there’s hardly anything that can go wrong. That being said, there are a couple of things to remember when making these sweet and spicy air fried Nashville hot chicken strips. 

Be Careful When Battering

Remember, you’re using an air fryer to cook this chicken, not deep frying it. That means you need to be careful not to overdo it when battering these chicken strips. The key is to get just enough batter on them to get an even coating. A heavily battered chicken strip won’t cook with the right kind of crispy texture and it could make a real mess in your air fryer. 

When dredging your dry ingredients, always give your tenders a gentle tap to remove any excess flour. After you dredge the floured tenders through the egg, give a gentle shake to get the excess egg off. Finally, when dredging your tenders for the final time in the batter, give another tap to ensure that any excess flour is removed. 

Add Just Enough Cooking Spray

With this recipe, we spray the chicken strips rather than spraying the air fryer basket. However, the same idea applies. Don’t overspray, but don’t underspray, either. You want just enough on your tenders to keep them from sticking without them becoming soggy. 

As I’ve said in other posts, the idea is a smooth, gentle spray, coating evenly without soaking. Use an even back and forth motion to coat the tenders lightly, but don’t overapply. You’ll end up with soggy chicken strips.

Serving Air Fried Nashville Hot Chicken

Serving these air fried homemade Nashville hot chicken strips is just as straightforward as making them. There are no bells and whistles here. That’s not what this recipe is about. No, this recipe is all about enjoying the pure pleasure of fried coating, tender chicken, and that sweet and spicy sauce that will leave your tastebuds satisfied and your brow with a few beads of sweat. 

These tasty chicken strips are best served the way they have been for years – with french fries, that signature sauce, and nothing else. For a bit of fast food flair, you can buy food baskets, line them with paper, and serve your chicken strips and fries in them. The presentation becomes as authentic as the flavors, and it makes for a great night of watching the big game, a movie, or just a family meal that feels like you’re at a restaurant while at the kitchen table. 

Storing Air Fried Nashville Hot Chicken

You can store these air fryer Nashville hot chicken strips for up to four days in the refrigerator in an air-tight container. For longer storage, you can freeze them in an air-tight freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag for up to a year. 

Whether you refrigerate them or freeze them, be aware that they will lose that crispy texture, so it’s much more ideal to simply snarf them all down the same day you make them!

FAQ

This is one of the easiest recipes you’ll ever make, but before you dive into it, be sure to read the highlights in this FAQ. There aren’t many, and they’ll give you all the important points you need to remember to ensure you make the best air fried Nashville hot chicken strips possible. 

Q: Why did my chicken strips come out soggy?
A: If your chicken strips came out soggy or simply not crisp, you probably battered them too heavily. The key to this recipe is a nice, even coating that isn’t too thick. If you apply the batter to heavily, it won’t be able to crisp up properly.

Q: How do I make sure I don’t use too much batter?
A: Always be sure you tap your chicken strips when dredging through the flour, egg, and final flour and panko breading coating to remove any excess batter. 

Q: How long will these chicken strips last?
A: You can store these chicken strips for up to four days in the refrigerator in an air-tight container. For longer storage, freeze them for up to a year in an air-tight freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag. 

Try These Air Fried Nashville Hot Chicken Strips Today

Whether you want an easy weeknight meal, a special treat for game day, or a big time winner at your next get-together, these homemade Nashville hot chicken strips fit the bill perfectly. They’re golden and crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, and have a sweet and spicy flavor that everyone will love. 

These delicious air fried Nashville hot chicken strips are so good and so easy, there’s no reason not to give them a try. Whip up a batch as soon as you can, and I’m sure you’ll agree that these are some of the tastiest chicken tenders you’ve ever had. Be sure to keep a drink handy, though, because these tenders pack a wallop – just like they’re supposed to!