Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders
Who doesn’t love chicken tenders. They are classic and delicious and bring us all to a happy place. Now, we’re taking an already delicious food and in the words of Emeril Lagasse “we’re gonna kick it up a notch” and toss those fabulous little tenders in Nashville sauce. This meal is everything- to complete it, make the Homemade Herby Ranch to use as a dipping sauce.
Marinade
2 lbs chicken tenderloins
1.5 cups buttermilk
1.5 tsp salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
In a small bowl, mix salt, cayenne, garlic powder, paprika, and white pepper. In a large mixing bowl, add the buttermilk, then add the seasoning mix and stir to combine. Add the chicken and fully submerge and mix, then cover and refrigerate for 4-24 hours.
Flour Mix
2 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons creole seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
*Canola Oil for Fying*
In a large bowl, mix everything together. Set aside.
When the tenders are done marinading, get a rack ready to place the floured chicken on. Dip each tender in the flour mixture and then place on the rack- make sure to fully coat each tender! Let the tenders rest for 30 minutes to an hour- this helps the breading stick to the chicken when you fry them.
While the chicken is resting, heat the oil in a deep large pan on medium high until temperature reaches 375. Throughout the cooking process, you’ll need to turn the temperature up after adding chicken depending on how it fluctuates.
Slowly add one tender at a time to the hot oil, make sure not to crowd the pot- I did 3 at a time. Cook for 3-4 minutes and then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes until golden brown. If they’re not getting golden in that timeframe, then turn the heat up and also check the temperature. If they’re getting dark too fast, turn the heat down.
When they’re done, transfer to a plate lined with paper towel or a wire rack.
Nashville sauce
1/2 cup butter- I used salted, but you can use unsalted if you want to control the saltiness OR use clarified butter
3 tablespoons cayenne- you can use more OR less
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
In a medium saucepan, melt butter on LOW.
Once it’s melted, add the spices and stir until mixed and remove from heat. Don’t cook too long or the sugar will caramelize and then you won’t be able to toss the sauce on the tenders. You can even microwave the butter to melt it and then add the seasonings to mix together if you want to play it safe. Mixture will be pasty.
When the tenders are done frying, add a couple at a time to a medium bowl and spoon on some sauce and toss gently or brush on. Eat immediately and dip in Herby Ranch!
