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Nashville Hot Chicken Tacos

Nashville Hot Chicken Tacos- crispy fried chicken tenders are coated in a cayenne pepper sauce and served in tortillas with

  • Serves 6
  • Prep 25 minutes
  • Cook 4 minutes
  • Total 29 minutes

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Nashville Hot Chicken Tacos

Fantastic for gameday, lunch or dinner. Such a great fusion of southern and Mexican food. I love to think outside the box when it comes to tacos. Just about anything tastes good in a taco.

What I Like About These Nashville Hot Chicken Tacos

The chicken tenders are double coated in flour mixture for a crispy coating.

There’s tons of seasoning. The flour coating is seasoned with cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and white pepper. The spicy sauce that coats the chicken has lots of cayenne pepper and a little brown sugar.

The pickles and the creamy mayonnaise flavored with pickled jalapenos add another flavor dimension.

Fried Chicken Tacos with hot sauce topped with dill pickles.

What Is Nashville Hot Chicken?

It’s a super spicy southern fried chicken that’s flavored with hot sauce and lots of cayenne pepper. It is usually served on white bread with dill pickle chips to help tame the heat.

Use either flour or corn tortillas. Corn tortillas are more authentic, but I prefer flour. Use what you like.

Serving Suggestion

A creamy coleslaw is a really great addition to these tacos. You can use either store-bought or homemade.

Great Sides To Serve With This Recipe

I like to serve southern sides with these tacos.

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Two Nashville Hot Chicken Tacos in a tray with more in background.

More Taco Recipes To Try

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Recipe

Nashville Hot Chicken Tacos

Nashville Hot Chicken Tacos- crispy fried chicken tenders are coated in a cayenne pepper sauce and served in tortillas with pickled jalapeno mayonnaise and dill pickle slices. These southern tacos are HOT & SPICY!

  • Serves 6
  • Prep 25 minutes
  • Cook 4 minutes
  • Total 29 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders (cut each one in half)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup milk

Flour Coating

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Pickled Jalapeno Mayonnaise

  • 2/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped pickled jalapenos
  • 1 tablespoon juice from the jar of pickled jalapenos

Remaining Ingredients

  • vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 12 small flour tortillas
  • shredded iceberg lettuce and sliced grape tomatoes
  • chopped dill pickle chips

Instructions

  1. 1

    Whisk together the eggs and milk in a medium bowl. Add chicken. Set aside.

  2. 2

    In a medium bowl, combine all the flour coating ingredients.

  3. 3

    Stir together the pickled jalapeno mayonnaise ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until needed.

  4. 4

    Pour about 1 1/2 inches of oil into a Dutch oven. Heat oil to 350 degrees.

  5. 5

    Remove chicken from milk mixture and dredge in flour mixture. Dip back in the milk mixture and then coat in flour a second time. Working in batches so you don't crowd the pan, cook chicken for abour 4 minutes per batch or until cooked all the way through. Place on a paper towel-lined plate when done cooking.

  6. 6

    Place the cayenne pepper, light brown sugar, paprika, and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the cooking oil. Add chicken and toss to coat. Note: Or you can drizzle the mixture on the chicken if you want to control how spicy it gets.

  7. 7

    Warm the tortillas in a large nonstick skillet. Fill them with lettuce, tomatoes, and chicken. Top with mayonnaise and pickles.

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven

Nutrition

  • Calories777 kcal
  • Carbohydrates67 g
  • Protein37 g
  • Fat39 g
  • Saturated Fat8 g
  • Polyunsaturated Fat19 g
  • Monounsaturated Fat9 g
  • Trans Fat0.1 g
  • Cholesterol150 mg
  • Sodium1160 mg
  • Potassium670 mg
  • Fiber4 g
  • Sugar7 g
  • Vitamin A868 IU
  • Vitamin C2 mg
  • Calcium167 mg
  • Iron5 mg