Nashville Hot Chicken Strips

These Nashville Hot Chicken Strips are a riff on the famous spicy bone-in Nashville hot chicken. They’re melt in your mouth tender, and guaranteed to add a pleasing kick to your meal.

Easy Nashville Hot Chicken Strips Recipe

What exactly is Nashville Hot Chicken? There’s a fun story regarding the origin of the now-famous Nashville hot chicken. It dates as far back as the 1930’s, and is said to have its roots in the revenge of a woman whose significant other was a womanizer. The story goes, she doused the fried chicken she prepared for him with cayenne pepper making it impossible to eat. While this recipe for Nashville hot chicken strips does include cayenne, I assure you it’s quite edible. How to make homemade Nashville Hot Chicken Strips Recipe: (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

• Marinate Chicken – Place chicken into a non reactive bowl or large plastic storage bag. Add 1 cup buttermilk, pickle juice and 3 Tbsp hot sauce. Mix, then cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Dry Ingredients – In a shallow bowl, whisk together flour, corn starch, salt, paprika, cayenne and granulated garlic.
• Egg Wash – In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together reserved buttermilk, eggs and hot sauce.
• Dredge Chicken – Remove chicken from buttermilk brine allowing excess to drip off. Dredge chicken strips in flour, then into buttermilk-egg wash and back into flour. Repeat until all chicken pieces are breaded. Have nearby a pan fitted with a rack, placing breaded chicken strips on rack.
• Set Breading – Let chicken sit on counter for 20 minutes, or place into the fridge to chill for 1 hour to help coating adhere.
• Heat Oil – In a deep heavy pot or dutch oven, heat oil to 325-335°F.
• Cook – Fry chicken strips in batches for a total of 2-3 minutes per side, adjusting depending on the size of the pieces. Place on a paper towel lined pan to drain. Keep warm.
• Make Chili Oil – In a small saucepan, whisk together 1/3 cup hot oil from frying with melted butter, cayenne, brown sugar, paprika, salt and chili powder. Warm over low heat or melt setting to prevent seasonings from burning. Stir occasionally.
• Brush cooked chicken pieces with hot chili oil. Serve immediately.

How to Make the Best Nashville Hot Chicken Strips Recipe

This fried chicken recipe does include several steps beginning with the buttermilk marinade. The ingredients however, aren’t difficult to find and none of the steps are difficult. Plan ahead and you’ll be good to go.

• Ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe for Nashville Hot Chicken Strips: Boneless skinless chicken breasts, buttermilk, dill pickle juice, hot sauce, all purpose flour, salt, paprika, cornstarch, cayenne, eggs, and oil for frying.
• To make the homemade hot chili oil for brushing on the chicken after frying you’ll need these ingredients: 1/3 cup of reserved frying oil, butter, cayenne, brown sugar, paprika, salt and chili powder.
• Kitchen tools you’ll need: Dutch oven, fry thermometer, stainless steel spider, sheet pan, shallow bowls, small saucepan, measuring cups and spoons and basting brush.
• I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips for this recipe. Depending on the size of the chicken pieces,  the actual yield may vary.
• Should you choose to use chicken tenders, they will cook much more quickly, so adjust the cooking time to prevent overcooking accordingly.
• I highly recommend buying buttermilk, not fat free, for the marinade and the dredging ingredients. If you’re hard pressed, you could make your own. To do so, add 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar or fresh lemon juice to each cup of whole milk. Let stand on the counter for 5 minutes, then proceed.
• The spices in the breading for the fried chicken can burn if cooked at too high a temperature. Watch the oil temperature and adjust while frying.
• Toss the chicken strips with chili oil just before serving to prevent the breading from losing its crispy fried texture.
• You may like to make your own Homemade Dill Pickles recipe from Chef Billy Parisi.
• Store Nashville Hot Chicken Strips chilled in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Reheat in an air fryer or a preheated 375°F oven to crisp.

How to Make Chili Oil for Nashville Hot Chicken Strips

The hot chili oil for this chicken must be cooked over low heat to avoid burning the spices. The spices won’t completely dissolve, they’re purpose is to season the oil. Gently tip the saucepan to separate the oil from the seasonings and brush the oil, not the seasonings, onto the chicken pieces.

More Southern Chicken Recipes to Make

• Treat the family to homemade Crispy Chicken Sandwiches.
• The kiddos will love this recipe for Easy Popcorn Chicken.
• Chicken Fried Chicken and Gravy with a side of mashed potatoes.
• Southern Fried Chicken and Waffles drizzled with maple syrup.
• Easy Oven Fried Chicken Tenders cook in no time flat.
• Decadent Honey Pecan Fried Chicken.
• Fried Chicken Cakes and remoulade sauce is a fan favorite.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Dutch Oven
• Breading Pans
• Fry Thermometer
• Stainless Steel Spider