Nashville Chicken Tenders (KFC Copycat)

Name: Nashville Chicken Tenders
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds raw chicken tenderloins (or frozen and thawed) ((to use chicken breasts see notes below)); 2½ cups canola oil or vegetable cooking oil; 1½ cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon garlic salt; 1 teaspoon ground pepper; 3/4 cup buttermilk; 2 teaspoons hot sauce ((I prefer Frank's Red Hot or Louisiana Hot Sauce)); 3 tablespoons butter, melted; 2 teaspoons ground paprika; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or ground red pepper

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Looking for a delicious and spicy chicken tenders recipe? Look no further than this Nashville chicken tenders recipe! We’ll show you how to make them at home using simple ingredients. Also, this recipe is perfect for pan frying in a cast iron skillet. So, get ready to enjoy some of the best-cast iron chicken tenders you’ve ever had!

A white serving platter of fried chicken with a basting brush and spicy hot butter sauce in the background.

If you love KFC’s Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders, you’ll love this copycat recipe that you can make right at home. And this crispy, crunchy, and spicy chicken tenders recipes for dinner is ready in just 25 minutes!

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Perfectly Fried Chicken

Oven fried chicken has been a southern staple for generations. And while there are many ways to fry chicken, we think the best way is in a cast iron skillet.

Cast iron skillets help create a crispy exterior on the chicken while keeping the meat moist and juicy.

When it comes to Nashville chicken tenders, we think the best way to enjoy them is with a dipping sauce.

Our personal favorite is a mixture of honey hot mustard, but you can also try ranch or blue cheese dressing, BBQ sauce, or even easy Asian dipping sauce.

Nashville chicken tenders dipped in a blue cheese dressing.

Also, this delicious, crispy, golden brown Nashville spicy chicken tenders recipe is the perfect pair for a slice of bread and pickles.

So what are you waiting for? Give this cast iron chicken tenders recipe a try today!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Chicken – You can use chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts (sliced) fresh or thawed from frozen. Chicken tenders are the best cut to use since they cook quickly and evenly.
Oil – Use any cooking oil like canola or vegetable oil.
Flour – All-purpose flour gives the chicken a crispy and crunchy exterior. You can also use almond flour if you want.
Spicy butter sauce – We used butter, cayenne, ground paprika, and salt, but you can adjust the spices to your taste.
Buttermilk – Buttermilk and Frank’s Red Hot or Louisiana Hot Sauce combine for amazing flavor! But, you can use the hot sauce of your choice or even Sriracha for more heat.

You might notice that the ingredients do not include brown sugar. Well, I designed this Nashville Chicken Tenders copycat recipe without sugar. But, if you prefer a sweeter spicy sauce, add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar to the butter-basting sauce at the end.

A collage of Nashville Chicken Tenders ingredients.

Cutting Chicken Breasts Into Strips

Take the chicken breast and find the piece that hangs off the side and pull it from the breast. That’s your first tenderloin strip.
Next, slice the rest of the breast from top to bottom with a sharp knife into 2-inch strips. If the breasts are very large, slice them in half by placing your hand flat against the top of the chicken and carefully slicing horizontally through the chicken away from you.

Recipe Variations

If you want a spicy, and no breading option, you can try our Cajun chicken tenderloins.
If you’re busy and looking for a quick chicken tender recipe, then chicken tenders in Instant Pot are for you.
You can also enjoy this recipe with our fresh kale salad and dressing, and Tex Mex salad bowl recipe for sides.
To make extra crispy chicken, you can double-dip it in the flour and buttermilk mixture.

You may also want to check out our other chicken recipes like shake n’ bake chicken, recipe for caprese chicken, and chicken and asparagus baked.

Equipment Used For This Recipe

11″ – 12″ cast iron skillet (or heavy skillet)
Shallow bowls or dipping trays
Instant-read thermometer
Small saucepan
Basting brush

How to Make Nashville Spicy Chicken Tenders

Use a shallow bowl or dipping tray to mix flour, garlic salt, and pepper with a whisk. Then, in another shallow bowl or dipping tray, mix the buttermilk and hot sauce together with a whisk.

Preparing the tenders, from left going clockwise: the dipping tray of dry batter and a tray of wet batter and a tray of chicken, dipping the strips into the dry batter, dipping the tenders into the wet buttermilk batter, then dipping the chicken tenderloins into the dry flour batter before frying chicken tenders.

Dredge best breaded chicken tenders in the seasoned flour, then the buttermilk mixture, and back in the flour. Shake off excess buttermilk and flour.

Chicken tenders that are coated in flour and buttermilk mixture on a white serving platter along with flour mixture and buttermilk mixture on separate trays.

Add the cooking oil to a large skillet, and heat oil over medium-high heat until hot (350°F).

Then, when the oil is ready fry the tenders in hot oil in batches of 4 – 5 tenders for about 6 minutes on each side.

Frying chicken in the oil on a cast iron skillet.

The chicken should be a deep golden brown before turning.

Frying the Nashville chicken tenders in the oil on a cast iron skillet.

Be sure to check the internal temperature of the chicken tenderloins (at least 165°F in the center) before removing them from the skillet.

Frying the chicken strips in a cast iron skillet with a instant read thermometer showing the temperature of 166 degree Fahrenheit.

Place on a wire rack with paper towels underneath to soak up the excess oil.

Fried hot chicken on a baking rack tray with paper towels at the bottom to catch the grease and oil.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in paprika, salt, and red pepper with a whisk.

Use a basting brush to brush the fried chicken tenders with the spicy butter sauce.

Basting spicy butter sauce on the Nashville hot chicken tenders.

This recipe is also best served with our brown rice in an Instant Pot and brown basmati rice in Instant Pot.

Other Cooking Methods

Cooking in the Air Fryer

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.

Place coated chicken tenders in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook for 12 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point.

Brush with butter mixture and serve immediately with your dipping sauce of choice.

Fried chicken strips on a white serving platter.

Cooking in the Oven

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place chicken tenders on a greased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Then, Brush with butter mixture and serve with the dipping sauce of your choice.

Best Sauces for Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders

3 Ingredient BBQ Sauce – gives the chicken a sweet and smoky flavor.
Mango Sweet Chili Sauce – this adds a tangy and sweet kick.
Spicy Honey Mustard – gives a creamy, tangy, sweet, and spicy flavor.

Spicy tenderloins dipped in blue cheese dressing.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make Nashville Chicken tenders without buttermilk?

Yes, you can make Nashville Chicken tenders without buttermilk. To do this, simply substitute the buttermilk for milk and lemon juice. Get substitutes for buttermilk here.

Can I make Nashville Chicken tenders with chicken breasts?

Yes, you can make these cast iron chicken tenders with chicken breasts. To do this, simply cut the chicken breasts into strips or tenders – see above for how to cut chicken breasts into tenders.

What goes well with Nashville hot chicken?

Nashville hot chicken is often served with a side of bread and pickles. Because this allows you to enjoy the crispy, juicy chicken. Also, other sides that go well include mashed potatoes, tater tots, coleslaw, and green beans.

More Easy Weeknight Recipes To Love…

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