Nashville Hot Chicken Loaded Fries

Looking for a spicy chicken loaded fries recipe? Add some heat to your tailgates and game days with these hot chicken loaded fries! Grown In Idaho Super Crispy Hand Cut Style fries (made from 100% real Idaho Potatoes) seasoned with cayenne and cooked until crispy in the air fryer. They’re loaded with spicy, Nashville-style hot chicken strips, coleslaw, and pickles to balance out the spice. You’ll be dreaming of these hot honey chicken fries! Looking for more recipes with a similar flavor to this Nashville hot chicken fries recipe? Try my Quick Nashville Hot Honey Chicken with Rice for dinner! Keep reading to see tips for making this fried chicken loaded fries recipe, or click the Jump to Recipe button above to go directly to the hot honey chicken loaded fries recipe at the end of this post.

More recipes using French fries like this Nashville Hot Chicken Loaded Fries recipe:

• Cheeseburger and Fries Casserole
• Texas Poutine (BBQ pulled pork poutine recipe)
• Barbecue Fries Recipe

What you need to make these spicy chicken loaded fries

Making this spicy chicken loaded fries recipe is a multi-part process, but SO worth it. In addition to your air fyer, here are the ingredients you’ll need for each component.

For the Slaw:

• 3 cups shredded coleslaw mix (about half of a 14-ounce bag)
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced and chopped red onion
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

For the Fries:

• 1 (28-ounce) bag Grown In Idaho Super Crispy Hand Cut Fries, divided (look for them in your store’s freezer aisle)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided

For the Chicken:

• 16 ounces frozen breaded chicken strips, cooked to package directions
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Topping:

• 1/4 cup dill sandwich pickle chips, cut into strips

How to make hot chicken loaded fries

If you want to see the visuals for how this Nashville hot chicken fries recipe comes together, you can watch a video of me making it on Pinterest here. As I said earlier, the recipe is done in sections before being assembled together. The first step in making these spicy chicken loaded fries is to prepare the coleslaw topping so it can chill and allow the flavors to meld while you prep the rest of the recipe. To make the slaw: In a large bowl, toss coleslaw mix, mayonnaise, red onion, vinegar, sugar, and salt together with tongs until everything is well mixed. Refrigerate the slaw until the hot honey chicken fries are ready to serve.

Next, you’ll prepare the fries in the air fryer: Preheat air fryer to 360 degrees F. Fill the air fryer basket with half the bag of frozen fries and toss them with 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. Cook for 5 minutes, then slide out the air fryer basket and shake. Cook the fries for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until crispy. Transfer the fries to a large skillet or serving dish and repeat the instructions to air fry the second half of the bag of frozen fries with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, then add to the serving dish. Since Grown In Idaho frozen potatoes stay super crispy, they’re perfect for recipes like this. It’s the crispiness, quality, and taste that set them apart, and why you’ll never go back once you try them (and why they’re the only brand of frozen potatoes I grab for recipes).

Now, prepare the crispy chicken and hot honey sauce for the fried chicken loaded fries: While the fries are air frying, bake frozen chicken strips to package directions. Cut the chicken into small, bite-sized strips.

Meanwhile, add butter, honey, brown sugar, cayenne, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper to a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently until the sugar has dissolved and the ingredients are well incorporated. Toss the chicken pieces into the hot sauce.

Finally, we assemble and top the hot honey chicken loaded fries: Arrange the sauced chicken pieces on top of the fries in the serving dish. Top the chicken with the reserved coleslaw mixture and sliced pickles.

The flavor, texture, and heat/cool combinations in this spicy chicken loaded fries dish are DELISH!

Here’s the Nashville Hot Chicken Loaded Fries recipe! I can’t wait for you to try them!