Air Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders
Air Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken is a new healthy twist on the classic Southern dish that people rave about! With iconic sweet heat flavors of honey, cayenne, and hot sauce coating crispy air-fried chicken, this recipe will have you licking your lips and your fingers to savor every amazing bite.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 435kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenders
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ cup hot sauce (whatever brand that you like)
Instructions
- Mix the flour, all-purpose flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Add the buttermilk to a separate shallow bowl.
- Dip each chicken tender into the seasoned flour, then the buttermilk, and into the flour mixture a second time. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and let it rest 30 minutes on the counter.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Lightly spray the basket of the air fryer and the chicken tenders with cooking spray. Place the chicken in the basket in a single layer. Cook at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.
- Flip the chicken and continue to cook for approximately 8 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and cooked through. Test with an instant-read thermometer, which should register 165 degrees.
- While the chicken is cooking, in a small saucepan, mix together the honey, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce. Bring to a low boil, then reduce and simmer for 2–3 minutes, whisking until smooth.
- When the chicken has finished cooking, remove it from the air fryer and drizzle with the hot honey. Serve immediately with your favorite sides.
Video
Notes
Tips for making:
- After coating the chicken with the seasoned flour and buttermilk, let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes. This will ensure that it cooks evenly and results in juicy meat.
- Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. I cook the chicken in batches to ensure it cooks evenly.
- Lightly spray the basket of the air fryer and the chicken strips with cooking spray before cooking. This will help the chicken brown up just like traditional fried chicken.
- Make sure to flip the chicken halfway through the cooking process.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 6g