air-fryer-nashville-hot-chicken

Chicken Recipe Collection

Air-Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken

I live in Tennessee and absolutely love our state's famous Nashville hot chicken. To make cooking it easier, I thought I’d try air-frying. I’m so glad I did—this Nashville hot chicken recipe is almost better than the original.

Ingredients

  • Chicken: Debating whether to use chicken tenderloin vs. breast? We prefer tenderloins in this recipe because they’re naturally tender and they cook up quickly in the air fryer.
  • Brine: A brine of dill pickle juice, hot pepper sauce (this is our Test Kitchen’s favorite) and a little salt injects tangy, spicy flavor into the chicken. Plus, the acids in the pickle juice break down proteins and lock in moisture, making the meat juicier as it cooks.
  • Dredge mixture: The coating in this Nashville hot chicken recipe is straightforward: flour, salt and black pepper. You can also add cayenne pepper or chili powder to the dredge mixture if you want your chicken even spicier.
  • Hot oil mixture: This seasoned oil gives Nashville hot chicken its signature kick. It’s a combination of olive oil, hot spices (cayenne pepper, paprika and chili powder) and savory garlic powder. We add a little dark brown sugar to give it a sweet-and-spicy vibe.

Directions

Directions

Step 1: Mix up the marinade

To start, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the pickle juice with 1 tablespoon of the hot sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a bowl or shallow dish. Add the chicken to the mixture, and turn to coat. Cover the dish, and chill in the fridge for an hour or more.

Drain the chicken, and discard any marinade.

Step 2: Make the coating

Preheat the air fryer to 375ºF. Meanwhile, grab a shallow bowl, and whisk together the flour, pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. This is your dry mixture to create the crispy chicken coating. In another shallow dish, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and remaining 1 tablespoon pickle juice and 1 tablespoon hot sauce.

Dip the marinated chicken in the flour mixture, making sure you coat both sides. Shake off excess. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture, then back in the flour mixture.

Step 3: Fry it up

Working in batches, arrange the chicken in a single layer on the well-greased tray inside the air-fryer basket. Give the chicken a quick spritz of cooking spray (this air-fryer trick helps things cook perfectly golden brown). Cook until golden brown, five to six minutes. Turn the pieces over, and cook until golden brown and cooked through, an additional five to six minutes.

Step 4: Create the Nashville hot sauce

Whisk together the olive oil, cayenne, brown sugar, paprika, chili powder and garlic powder in a small bowl.

Transfer the cooked chicken to a large bowl, and pour the oil mixture over the top. Toss to coat the chicken. Serve the chicken over white bread to soak up all the extra sauce. And don’t forget a hefty side of pickles. Cold, briny pickles are a great complement to the fiery heat.