Making KFC Hot Chicken Tenders At Home | But Better

KFC has already been defeated on but better and now they want to try to conquer Nashville hot chicken? How you going to do Nashville like that?! Papa will not allow it.

Prep
Cook
1 hour, 30 minutes
Total
30 minutes
Serves
6
people
Making KFC Hot Chicken Tenders At Home | But Better
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Ingredients

Items Used:

Spicy Oil:

  • 4 Tbsp (35g) cayenne pepper
  • 1 Tbsp (8g) smoked paprika
  • 1 Tbsp (8g) garlic powder 
  • 1 Tbsp (10g) kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp (7g) MSG
  • 2 Tbsp (30g) packed brown sugar
  • 1.5 cup hot oil (from the fry oil for the chicken)

Hot Chicken Tenders:

  • 5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
  • 2 Tbsp kosher salt, plus 1 Tbsp (10g) 
  • 2 tsp (6g) MSG, plus 2 tsp (6g) 
  • season chicken with MSG salt and let cure for 2 hours or up to overnight
  • 3.5 quarts (3.3L) vegetable oil, for frying 
  • 3 cups (450g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp (8g) smoked paprika
  • 1 Tbsp (8g) garlic powder
  • 2 tsp (5g) ground white pepper
  • 2 tsp (5g) onion powder
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups (475ml)  buttermilk
  • 3 Tbsp (45ml) hot sauce (such as Crystal brand)
  • 2 Tbsp (30ml) pickle juice

Assembly:

  • Sliced white bread 
  • Thick-cut dill pickles

Directions

Spicy Oil:

  1. In a large heat-proof bowl, whisk together the cayenne, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, MSG and brown sugar.
  2. Set aside to use immediately after the chicken is fried.

Hot Chicken Tenders:

  1. Cut the chicken breasts lengthwise into strips, to look like tenders, and place on a quarter-size baking sheet.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and 2 teaspoons MSG, then season the chicken tenders on both sides with the MSG-salt (you won’t use all of it). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour up to overnight.
  3. Fill a 7-8 quart (6.6-7.5L) heavy bottomed pot just over halfway with the vegetable oil. Heat to 335℉ (170℃). Line a baking sheet with a cooling rack and place that next to the hot oil.
  4. To make the dredge, in a large bowl whisk together the flour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, white pepper, onion powder, remaining 1 tablespoon of salt and the remaining 2 teaspoons of MSG. Set aside.
  5. For the buttermilk dip, in a separate, large bowl with the beaten eggs, gradually whisk in the buttermilk, hot sauce, pickle juice and; optionally, a good pinch of the leftover MSG-salt used to season the chicken. 
  6. Drizzle a small amount of the buttermilk dip into the seasoned flour and stir vigorously to form little nuggets of dredge.
  7. Sprinkle a thin layer of the dredge onto a baking sheet and set next to the dredging station.
  8. To dredge: add the chicken tenders into the seasoned flour to fully coat, leaving no bare spots. Shake off the excess flour and then add into the buttermilk dip to submerge. Add back into the flour and press the chicken to completely cover, every crevice, in a thick coating of flour. Transfer to the prepared, flour-dusted baking sheet. Repeat the dredging with all of the chicken tenders.
  9. To fry, carefully lay 3-4 tenders into the hot oil and fry for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown and the internal temperature reads 165℉ (73℃). Remove the chicken from the oil onto the prepared cooling rack to drain of excess oil. 
  10. Once all of the chicken is fried, immediately and carefully add 1.5 cups of the hot fry oil into the reserved cayenne spice mixture.
  11. Dunk the chicken into the spicy oil to thoroughly coat  then return to the cooling rack to drain.

Assembly:

  1. To serve, place a slice of white bread onto a plate.
  2. Top the bread with 2-3 hot chicken tenders and finish with a pickle.