Description
These Nashville Hot Chicken Sliders feature spicy, crispy fried chicken tenders marinated in buttermilk, coated with a seasoned flour mix, twice-fried for extra crunch, then dipped in a fiery Nashville hot sauce. Served on soft slider buns with creamy coleslaw, tangy pickles, and a zesty slider sauce, these sliders are perfect for a flavorful and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Marinade / Dredge
- 6-8 chicken tenders
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup buttermilk (240 g)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Flour Coating / Breading
- 1 cup all purpose flour (130 g)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Deep Frying
- 2 inches vegetable oil for frying
Nashville Hot Sauce
- 2-3 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1½ tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ cup hot vegetable oil (from frying)
Coleslaw
- 1½ cups shredded cabbage (mix of purple and green)
- ⅓ cup mayo
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp vinegar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Slider Sauce
- ¼ cup mayo
- ¼ cup ketchup
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of pepper
Assembly
- 12 mini slider buns or 6-8 full sized buns
- 2-4 pickles, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken: Remove tendons and fat from chicken tenders. If using mini slider buns, cut each tender in half. In a bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg whites, salt, and pepper. Add chicken tenders, ensuring they are fully coated, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Prepare Coleslaw and Slider Sauce: Mix shredded cabbage, mayo, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a bowl for coleslaw. In a separate bowl, combine mayo, ketchup, salt, and pepper for the slider sauce. Thinly slice the pickles and set all aside.
- Coat the Chicken: In a shallow dish, mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Remove each chicken piece from the marinade, shake off excess liquid, then coat thoroughly in the flour mixture. Dip back into the marinade, shake off excess, and coat again with flour. Place coated chicken on a wire rack and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Heat Oil: In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough for frying.
- First Fry: Fry about one-third to half of the chicken tenders at a time for 5-6 minutes, flipping halfway through. The chicken will cook through but remain light in color. Remove and drain on a wire rack. Repeat for remaining tenders.
- Rest Between Fries: Allow the chicken to rest for 10-15 minutes after the first fry to set the crust and prepare for the second fry.
- Second Fry: Reheat oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry chicken tenders again for 2-3 minutes to achieve a crispy, deep golden crust. Remove and drain on a wire rack.
- Make Nashville Hot Sauce: In a bowl, combine cayenne pepper, paprika, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Carefully pour ½ cup of hot frying oil over the spices and whisk thoroughly to create the spicy sauce.
- Coat Chicken with Hot Sauce: As you remove fried chicken from the oil, use tongs to quickly dunk each piece in the Nashville hot sauce, coating all sides. Place back on the wire rack with a baking sheet underneath to catch drippings.
- Assemble the Sliders: Warm slider buns on stovetop or microwave. Spread slider sauce on the bottom half of each bun, then add sliced pickles. Place the Nashville hot chicken tenders on top, add a generous amount of coleslaw, then cover with the top bun half. Serve immediately while hot and enjoy!
Notes
- For best flavor and texture, eat Nashville hot chicken sliders fresh.
- You can halve the recipe for a smaller batch or freeze coated chicken before frying for later use.
- To reheat fried chicken, use an air fryer at 300 degrees Fahrenheit until crispy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini slider
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
