Description

Melt-in-your-mouth tender Nashville Hot Chicken Strips with a spicy chili glaze, perfect for appetizers or family dinners.

Ingredients

Scale

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 4 long inch strips)
2 cups buttermilk (divided)
1/2 cup dill pickle juice
4 Tbsp hot sauce (divided)
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
2 large eggs
6 cups vegetable oil for frying (reserve 1/3 cup for chili oil)
1/3 cup frying oil (for chili oil)
1/4 cup salted butter (melted)
2 Tbsp cayenne pepper (for chili oil)
2 Tbsp light or dark brown sugar
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt (for chili oil)
1 tsp dark chili powder

Instructions

Marinate: Place chicken in a bowl or bag with 1 cup buttermilk, pickle juice, and 3 Tbsp hot sauce; cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Prepare Dredge: Whisk together flour, corn starch, salt, paprika, cayenne, and granulated garlic in a shallow bowl.
Prepare Wash: Whisk together reserved 1 cup buttermilk, eggs, and 1 Tbsp hot sauce in a separate bowl.
Bread Chicken: Dredge chicken in flour, then buttermilk-egg wash, and back into flour. Place on a rack.
Rest: Let chicken sit on the counter for 20 minutes or in the fridge for 1 hour to help coating adhere.
Fry: Heat oil to 325-335°F and fry chicken in batches for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown; drain on paper towels.
Make Chili Oil: Whisk 1/3 cup hot frying oil with melted butter, cayenne, brown sugar, paprika, salt, and chili powder over low heat.
Glaze: Brush the oil from the chili oil mixture onto cooked chicken and serve with pickles and white bread.

Notes

Cook chili oil over low heat to avoid burning the spices. Tip the saucepan to brush only the oil, not the spices, onto the chicken. For homemade buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of whole milk and let stand for 5 minutes.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Appetizer, Main Course, Poultry
Method: Deep Frying
Cuisine: American, Southern

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 802 kcal
Sugar: 8 g
Sodium: 2048 mg
Fat: 47 g
Saturated Fat: 33 g
Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
Trans Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 54 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 42 g
Cholesterol: 188 mg

Keywords: nashville-hot-chicken, nashville-hot-chicken-recipe, nashville-hot-chicken-strips