Sweet and spicy chicken tenders, cut up and served over a freshly prepared salad and drizzled with a creamy dill pickle dressing! Trust me, your taste buds won’t know what they just walked into!
When I worked as a caterer, I can remember the chef coming back from one of his trips to Nashville and was just raving about this new chicken dish he tried. He then proceeded to recreate the dish for all of us in the restaurant and you know what?! After one bite, I completely understood his hype! From that day on I haven’t been able to forget that dish and now I’m so excited to finally share with you all my version of it. So without further adieu, here’s my take on a healthier Nashville hot chicken tender salad!
What is Nashville hot chicken?
Ok, so some of you might not know what Nashville hot chicken is and that’s totally ok! Nashville hot chicken is a dish that originated in Nashville, Tennessee (hence the name) and is usually made with spicy fried chicken that’s been drizzled with a cayenne pepper sauce. It’s then served with some type of bread or pickles to help cool it down. With this recipe though, we’re baking the chicken instead of frying it and toning down the cayenne pepper sauce just a touch. (I like to still be able to talk after eating my food, if you know what I mean… 😉 )
And to help cool this spicy chicken down even more, I thought it’d be absolutely perfect to pair it with Taylor Farms’ brand new Dill Pickle Salad Kit!
What’s in Taylor Farms Dill Pickle Salad?
I’ll be completely honest, most of the time I don’t usually prefer pre-made salad kits. But so far, every one that I’ve tried from Taylor Farms has been spot on. And this dill pickle version was definitely unique in it’s own right! Check out the ingredients below:
- Shredded cauliflower
- Crinkle cut radish
- Red & green cabbage
- Green leaf lettuce
- Kale
- Dill pickle brioche crouton crumbles
- Dill pickle ranch dressing
I was actually very pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this salad, even without the chicken on top. The pickle flavor wasn’t over powering and the radishes brought a nice crunchy/zestiness to the salad as a whole. But I have to say my favorite part was the dressing. If you like dill pickles, then you’re going to love that dressing babe! It’s creamy and pickle-y and just ties everything together so well! I also added a few more components to “beef” mine up a bit and honestly, no one could tell that this once started out as a pre-packaged salad kit! Here are the other components I added:
- Sliced red onion
- Avocado
- More dill pickles!
How to make nashville hot chicken tenders
- 1 1/2 lbs. chicken tenders
- 1 Tbsp cayenne powder
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp chili powder
- tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place the chicken tenders in a plastic bag and set aside. Combine the cayenne, honey, apple cider vinegar, chili powder, paprika and garlic powder in bowl and pour it into the bag with your chicken tenders, Shake the bag to fully coat the tenders.
- Pour your coated tenders into the prepared baking dish and place them in the oven to cook for 15 minutes. Once they’re done, let them cool slightly before cutting them and topping your salad.
What else can I serve with Nashville hot chicken tenders?
If this dill pickle salad caught your eye, then make sure to checkout the Taylor Farms store locator to find it near you or browse any of their other salad kits too! You can also CLICK HERE to receive a discount on ANY of their salad kits!
Here are a few other ideas you can serve these spicy tenders with too:
- Regular ranch dressing
- Garlic bread
- Bread/rolls and butter
- Sweet potato fries
- Your own side salad
- Mashed potatoes/mashed cauliflower
More recipes like this:
- Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche (One of my most popular recipes on the blog!)
- Grilled Jerk Chicken Kabobs
- Chipotle Salmon Tacos with Fresh Mango Salsa
- Baked Cajun Chicken Wings with Avocado Cilantro Lime Sauce
[Made one of my recipes? Make sure to tag my social media @kalefornia_kravings – I love seeing what you create!]
Nashville Hot Chicken Tender Salad
Ingredients
For the Nashville hot chicken tenders:
- 1½ lbs chicken tenders
- 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
For the salad:
- 1 package Taylor Farms Dill Pickle Salad kit
- 1 large avocado, chopped
- Dill pickles, chopped
- Red onion, sliced thin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a large baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Whisk the cayenne, honey, apple cider vinegar, chili powder, paprika and garlic powder together in a bowl. Place the chicken tender in a large plastic bag and pour the sauce in with them. Shake the bag until all of the chicken tenders are fully coated.
- Place the coated chicken tenders in your prepared baking dish and bake for 15 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, pour all the salad kit contents into a large servings bowl. Add your chopped avocado, dill pickles and red onion and toss the salad with the dressing from the kit. Set aside.
- Once the chicken is done, cut it into cubes or slices and top it over your salad just before serving.
