Tennessee Hot Fried Chicken Tenders Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN

Steps:

• Toss chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Transfer chicken to a bowl; cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Whisk buttermilk, pickle brine, hot sauce, and egg together in a mixing bowl. Pour marinade over chicken and stir to ensure each piece is thoroughly coated. Cover and let chicken marinate in refrigerator 2 to 4 hours.
• Mix flour and salt together in a shallow flat dish. Remove chicken from marinade and blot with paper towels. Reserve marinade. Toss chicken in flour until thoroughly coated. Return chicken to marinade, coating all sides; remove chicken from marinade allowing excess to drip back into the bowl. Coat the chicken once again in flour mixture. Place on a rack. Repeat with all chicken pieces. Allow to sit out about 15 minutes to allow coating to dry out a bit.
• Place butter and lard in a large pot. Add cayenne pepper, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Place over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until fats melt. Remove from heat; keep sauce warm.
• Fill cast iron skillet about 1/3 of the way with vegetable oil. Heat oil to 350 degrees F over medium-high heat. Carefully place chicken into hot oil, skin side down. Maintain an oil temperature of 325 degrees F, adjusting heat as need. Fry until instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees F, 8 to 10 minutes per side.
• Transfer chicken to a rack to drain. Brush with the sauce on both sides.

TENNESSEE HOT FRIED CHICKEN TENDERS

Steps:

• Season chicken tenders with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper.
• In shallow bowl, mix flour, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper with whisk. In another shallow bowl, beat buttermilk and hot sauce together with whisk. Dredge chicken tenders in seasoned flour, then in buttermilk mixture, and back in flour.
• In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot (350°F). Fry tenders in hot oil, all at once, about 5 minutes, turning once, until deep golden brown and no longer pink in center (at least 165°F). Place on rack lined with paper towels to drain, with paper towels underneath rack.
• In 1-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Beat in paprika, red pepper and garlic powder with whisk. Brush fried chicken tenders with spicy butter. Serve with slices of white bread and sweet pickles, if desired.

HATTIE B'S HOT CHICKEN

Steps:

• Dry-brine the chicken: In a bowl, toss the chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper; cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.
• Make the dip and dredge: In a bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and hot sauce. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and 2 teaspoons sea salt.
• Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, then dip in the milk mixture, then in the flour mixture again, shaking off the excess after each step.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a deep-fryer to 325 degrees F. Set a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. Working in batches, lower the chicken into the fryer and fry until crisp, 15 to 17 minutes for breast quarters and 18 to 20 minutes for leg quarters. Remove the chicken and let it drain on the rack.
• Make the spicy coating: Carefully ladle the lard or frying oil into a medium heatproof bowl and whisk in the cayenne pepper, brown sugar, 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, the paprika and garlic powder. Baste the spice mixture over the hot fried chicken and serve immediately; garnish with pickles.

TENNESSEE HOT FRIED CHICKEN TENDERS

Steps:

• Season chicken tenders with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper.
• In shallow bowl, mix flour, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper with whisk. In another shallow bowl, beat buttermilk and hot sauce together with whisk. Dredge chicken tenders in seasoned flour, then in buttermilk mixture, and back in flour.
• In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot (350°F). Fry tenders in hot oil, all at once, about 5 minutes, turning once, until deep golden brown and no longer pink in center (at least 165°F). Place on rack lined with paper towels to drain, with paper towels underneath rack.
• In 1-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Beat in paprika, red pepper and garlic powder with whisk. Brush fried chicken tenders with spicy butter. Serve with slices of white bread and sweet pickles, if desired.