Air Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken

Name: Air Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1½ pounds chicken tenders (they're called mini chicken fillets in the UK); 1 cup buttermilk; 2 tablespoon vinegar-based hot sauce; 1½ cup Panko breadcrumbs; 1 tablespoon salt; ½ cup vegetable or canola oil; 2 teaspoons brown sugar; 2 teaspoons cayenne powder; ¼ teaspoon chili powder; ¼ teaspoon paprika; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; 4 white toast slices; bread and butter pickle chips

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By: Diana Posted: 3/10/21 Updated: 4/28/21

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Air Fryer Nashville hot chicken is made so easy in the Air Fryer without deep-frying! Brushed with Nashville’s iconic homemade hot sauce, and served with pickles and thick slices of bread.

Nashville style hot chicken tenders with bread and butter pickle chips.

Nashville hot chicken is on rotation in our house, I love deep frying and do it regularly as I do with my Nashville-style hot chicken sandwich, but sometimes the Air Fryer is just an easier option and of course healthier. So I opt for Air Frying to make crunchy chicken that tastes as good as the deep-fried.

While the texture of the chicken does not turn out the same as dipped in flour then deep-fried, but it turns out pretty good considering that it’s easier to make and doesn’t require much oil. It results in chicken that is very similar to my crispy oven-baked chicken tenders.

The chicken is marinated and tenderized or just dipped in buttermilk and hot sauce, and then breaded with panko before it’s air fried. Let me show you how!

The Ingredients

To Nashville-style hot chicken in the Air Fryer, here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients needed for Air Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken including chicken tenders, panko, buttermilk, hot sauce, salt and pepper.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Chicken – use any chicken parts that you like! Just keep in mind that the cooking time will be different depending on what you use. I used chicken tenders here (they’re called mini chicken fillets in the UK).
For the marinade/dipping – use buttermilk and any vinegar-based hot sauce such as Frank’s or Tabasco. I substitute the buttermilk with yogurt and thin it out with water when I’m out of buttermilk.
For the breading – use panko or regular dried breadcrumbs.
For the hot sauce/paste – you will use about half a cup of any neutral-tasting oil, cayenne, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and brown sugar for a touch of sweetness.
For serving – thick slices of white bread, and bread and butter pickle chips.

How to Make Air Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken

A collage with 6 images on how to bread and air fryer chicken tenders and coat them in nashville hot sauce

In a bowl, combine buttermilk with hot sauce and place the chicken pieces in the marinade (I used chicken tenders). Cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 1-24 hours. Alternatively, if you don’t have time to marinate the chicken, then just dip in the buttermilk mixture followed by seasoned panko.

Season the panko (or regular dried breadcrumbs) with salt and pepper, and place in the Air Fryer. I like to use these parchment Air Fryer liners for easy clean-up (they’re a game-changer!).

Preheat the Air Fryer to 390°F (200°C). Spray the chicken with oil, and Air Fry for 9-10 minutes if using chicken tenders, or 10-12 minutes if using chicken breasts that aren’t very thick. Flip the chicken halfway through, and check the internal temperature of the chicken to know when it’s ready. It should register at 165°F/73°C.

As the chicken is being cooked, prepare the Nashville hot sauce. In a saucepan, heat about half a cup of neutral-tasting oil, then add brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, and chili powder. Give it a quick mix, and remove it from heat. Do not allow the oil to smoke.

Alternatively, you can combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, then microwave until the oil is hot but not boiling.

Brush the Nashville sauce over the warm chicken using a pastry brush, and serve over slices of bread with bread and butter pickle chips.

Golden brown nashville style chicken tenders, stacked.

Top Tips

Season the breadcrumbs well, don’t skimp on the salt as that makes a huge difference.
Buttermilk can be substituted with plain yogurt diluted with a splash of water.
Use any vinegar-based hot sauce such as Frank’s, Louisiana, or sriracha.
Make sure that the chicken is well coated in the breadcrumbs/panko.
The Air Fryer won’t turn the breading golden and dark as it air fries, but applying the sauce will.
When making the Nashville sauce, don’t omit the brown sugar as it adds SO much to the flavor!
Baste the chicken with the Nashville sauce while the chicken is still hot. If you wait until everything has cooled down, you might end up with greasy chicken.
Keep the chicken warm in the oven if you’re air frying chicken in batches (I could only fit 6 tenders at a time). But make sure you’re using an oven-proof wire rack that does not melt in the oven.
I often get asked what Air Fryer do I use and recommend, I love this Cosori Air Fryer as it comes with a large square basket and can fit a lot of food. It also has a great design, works very well and I’m really happy with it.

Hot chicken tender with a bite shot to show the doneness of the chicken inside.

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