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Nashville Hot Chicken Tacos
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Nashville Hot Chicken Tacos

After a trip to Nashville, I was craving hot chicken, but wanted to try it in taco form. The homemade tortillas, creamy slaw, and tart pickles balance the chicken to make these tacos amazing!
Prep Time1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
resting time1 hour
Total Time3 hours 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Soul, Southern, Tex-Mex
Keyword: fried, Mash-Up, Spicy, Taco
Servings: 12 tacos
Calories: 518kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Slaw

  • 1/2 head cabbage sliced very thin
  • 2 carrots peeled with a julienne peeler
  • 3 red fresno chile peppers sliced very thin
  • 3 scallions finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup mayo
  • 2 tabespoons dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning

Ranch

  • 1 cup greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 1 lemon (juice)
  • 2 cloves garlic grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon Korean chili flakes
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste

Chicken marinade

  • 1 pound chicken tenders
  • 1.5 cups flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
  • salt and pepper

Flour Tortillas

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/3 cup lard
  • 1 cup hot water

Chicken fry and dredge

  • oil for frying
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/3 cup corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper

Spice blend for hot chicken

  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper or more if you want it really hot!
  • 1 tablespoon mexican chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

Topping

  • 45 dill pickle slices

Instructions

Slaw

  • Mix all the slaw ingredients together in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Make the ranch

  • Mix all the ranch ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Marinate chicken

  • If any of the tenders are huge, you can slice them in half the long way. Also remove some of the large tendon.
  • Toss the chicken with the milk, vinegar, seasonings, and salt and pepper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. You could alternatively use buttermilk instead of milk and vinegar.

Make the tortillas

  • Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to a large bowl. Stir to combine.
  • Use a pastry cutter to blend the lard into the flour. Once there are no remaining large pieces of lard, stir in about half of the hot water. Once combined, add as much more water as needed to form the soft dough.
  • Knead the dough for 5 minutes on a flat surface. Once smooth, split the dough into 12 small rounds of dough. Cover with a towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat a cast iron pan over medium high heat.
  • Roll the dough rounds very thin. as thin as you can without them breaking apart.
  • One by one, cook the tortillas in the hot pan, about 2-3 minutes per side. If you see them puffing up after you flip the first time, you know you are doing it right! If they don't puff, you might need to roll them thinner.
  • As they finish, add them to a plate or shallow bowl and wrap with a clean kitchen towel.

Fry the chicken

  • Add the oil to a large cast iron pan or fryer. Preheat to 375.
  • Add the flour to a shallow plate, and mix in the cornstarch and spices.
  • One by one, use a fork to grab a tender from the marinade. Let the excess marinade drip off. Dredge it in the flour mixture, then a quick dip back into the marinade. Again, let the marinade drip off and go back into the flour. Place it on a baking sheet or plate while you do the remaining tenders, or at least until you finish a few for the first batch of frying.
  • Fry the tenders in batches until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack. Repeat until you have cooked all the tenders.

Make the hot chicken sauce

  • Mix the spices in a metal bowl. When you are done or close to being done with the chicken, use a ladle to scoop about 1 cup of the hot chicken frying oil into the metal bowl. Whisk to combine.
  • Use a spoon to drizzle the oil onto the tenders on the rack.

Finally build the tacos!

  • Tortilla first, then some slaw, then a chicken tender. Next add some pickles, and drizzle on the ranch. Serve!

Nutrition

Calories: 518kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 638mg | Potassium: 457mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2620IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 4mg