The Absolute Best Entree At Chili's Does The Flavors Of Nashville Proud
Everyone has their favorite menu item at Chili's. It might be the classic fajitas or the decadent mozzarella sticks. Perhaps it's the chain's famous lava cake or the house margarita that you typically crave. But if you're looking to venture out of your comfort zone, there's one dish we absolutely recommend trying out on your next Chili's visit: Nashville Hot Chicken Crispers.
Sure, it's not exactly the first dish you think of when envisioning Tex-Mex, but when one of our expert testers ranked seven Chili's entrees from worst to best, the Nashville Hot Chicken Crispers blew the rest of the competition out of the water. The crunchy white meat tenders were extremely flavorful and perfectly crisp, with the just the right level of heat. Each one was generously coated with a sweet and spicy oil that any pooling liquid on the plate made for a great dipping sauce, so much so that our expert didn't think there was any need for the house-made ranch served on the side.
The entree also comes with a cup of white cheddar mac and cheese, as well as fries, which left a lot to be desired, but the Chicken Crispers were so good that it didn't really matter. Our expert was thoroughly impressed by what Chili's has managed to achieve with its Nashville hot chicken – and it seems like they aren't the only one, if online reviews are anything to go by.
'The best chicken I've had at a restaurant'
Customers were excited when Chili's launched the Nashville Hot Chicken Crispers three years ago and they've remained a staple menu item since. One person who took to Reddit in search of the recipe wrote, "I love them. Flavor is great and I love the texture of the sauce." Another Redditor said the dish was among the "best chicken" they've ever eaten at a restaurant, adding, "I really liked the flavor but the really impressive thing was how juicy the chicken was. It was amazing."
A reviewer on YouTube described the Chicken Crispers as "spicy ... salty ... tender ... very crunchy," while another on TikTok wrote that the "satisfying crunch and fiery flavor" made for an "irresistible treat." However, some customers weren't blown away by the dish. An authentic Nashville-style hot chicken recipe is tough to perfect and some feel that Chili's version is lacking. A few customers have expressed a desire for more spice, while others have called the texture grainy.
Either way, our expert thought it was much better than some of the other dishes available, like our pick for the worst Chili's entree, and it even fared better than the Original Trio Fajitas in our ranking. If you don't want to commit, you can order the tenders as part of a Triple Dipper or get the sauce drizzled on the fried Nashville Hot Mozzarella appetizer. A Nashville Hot Big Crispy Chicken Sandwich is available, too, if you become a fan.