Recipes

Nashville Hot Chicken Bites

By
Jamie Milne

Published: 

Recipes from Everything Delish by Jamie Milne. Photography by Maya Visnyei. Penguin Publishing.

Nashville Hot Chicken Bites (Maya Visnyei)

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

  • 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups pickle brine (I like kosher dill)
  • 1/2 cup hot sauce of your choice (I like Tabasco)

For the Dredge:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Cooking spray (if air frying)

For the Nashville Hot Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1/2 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil

For Serving:

  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • Sliced pickles (optional)
  • Ranch dressing (optional)

Directions

Marinate the chicken:

  1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Transfer to a large bowl and season with the garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, a good pinch of salt, and a few cracks of black pepper. Toss until the chicken is well coated.
  2. Pour in the pickle brine and hot sauce and coat the chicken well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least
  3. 1 hour or up to overnight.

If baking: When the chicken is done marinating, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a 9 × 13-inch sheet pan with parchment paper.

Make the dredge:

  1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, chili powder, paprika, a good pinch of salt, and a few cracks of black pepper. Mix well.
  2. Add 1/4 cup of the marinade to the dredge and stir to combine.
  3. Working in batches, shake any excess marinade from the chicken and add the chicken to the dredge. Toss to coat well.
  4. Arrange the chicken on the prepared sheet pan and bake until it is crispy and an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F, 20 to 25 minutes. Give the chicken a sprinkle of salt.

If air-frying: Arrange the dredged chicken in the basket of an air fryer in a single layer. Lightly coat the top with cooking spray and air-fry at 350°F for 15 minutes, flip, and spray the second side with cooking spray. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is crispy and an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F. Give the chicken a sprinkle of salt.

While the chicken cooks, make the sauce:

  1. In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, red pepper flakes, chili powder, and paprika. Set aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a medium or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sauce mixture to the pan and stir just to combine. Add the chicken and toss to coat well.

Serve:

  1. Arrange the chicken on a platter and drizzle it with the honey.
  2. Serve with pickles and ranch, if that sounds tasty. Serve immediately!