Air Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders

All your favorite hot chicken flavors in this Air Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders recipe. Crispy chicken tenders cooked perfectly in the air fryer, slathered in Nashville hot chicken sauce. Another delicious air fryer recipe!

If you haven’t purchased an air fryer yet, this recipe may be the reason you run out and get one, STAT! Delicious Nashville hot chicken tenders made right at home in your air fryer.

Ingredients Needed

• 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken tenders
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. Louisiana hot sauce – divided
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup canola or avocado oil
• 1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• dill pickle slices
• cooking spray

How to make air fryer Nashville hot chicken tenders

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1. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and 1 Tbsp. Louisiana Hot Sauce. In a separate bowl, add the flour.
2. Dip the chicken pieces, one at a time, into the flour mixture, then into the milk mixture, then back into the flour mixture.
3. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray, then place the chicken tenders into the air fryer basket. Continue until the air fryer basket is full. You want a single layer of chicken pieces that are not touching.
4. Spritz the tenders with oil, then cook in the air fryer at 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes. At the ten minute mark, open the air fryer basket and flip the chicken pieces.
5. While the chicken is cooking, combine the ingredients for the Nashville hot chicken sauce – canola oil, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and 1 Tbsp. Louisiana hot sauce – in a small bowl and stir to combine.
6. Once the chicken has cooked for 20 minutes, remove from the air fryer and, using a basting brush, coat both sides heavily with the Nashville hot chicken sauce.
7. Continue this process until all of the chicken has been cooked.
8. Serve with sliced dill pickles and your favorite french fries.

Recipe FAQs and Variations

Is Nashville hot chicken spicy?

There is some heat to Nashville hot chicken, but it’s not unbearable. The heat comes from the cayenne pepper more than the hot sauce. If you like milder sauces, you may want to reduce those down just a tad.

Is the air fryer hard to clean up afterwards?

No! Simply remove the air fryer basket and clean with mild soap and brush, if needed. Cooking in the air fryer is much less messy than traditional oil frying or pan frying.

Can you stack food in an air fryer?

You can stack some items, such as french fries or vegetables. However, food cooks better when spaced apart. For best cooking results, the food needs space for the hot air to circulate around it.

Do you have to put oil in an air fryer?

No oil is needed for an air fryer. You can spritz the food with oil to help give it a boost in crispiness, but it is not required.

Recipe Variations and notes

• You can replace the Louisiana hot sauce with Frank’s hot sauce or another hot sauce if needed.
• Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour for a gluten-free version.
• Spritzing the tenders with oil before cooking with help get the outside crispy and lessen any flour pockets.

Recommended kitchen resources for this recipe

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Enjoy these other Hot Chicken Recipes!

• Air Fryer Nashville Chicken Bites – a bite-sized party appetizer
• Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich – a delicious Nashville hot chicken sandwich with a tangy homemade slaw
• Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Meatballs – another hot chicken party app!
• Hot Spicy Chicken Wings Recipe – for the heat lovers

Air Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders Recipe