Marinade:

• Prep the tenders by removing the tendons / fat. If using mini slider buns, cut each tender into 2 halves so they fit inside the buns
• Mix the buttermilk, egg whites, salt and pepper in a bowl, whisking to break down the egg whites
• Add the chicken tenders and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and up to overnight

Prep:

• While the chicken is marinating, prep all the other components of the sliders. Make the coleslaw by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl. Mix the slider sauce ingredients in a separate bowl. Thinly slice the pickles

Coating / breading:

• When the chicken is done marinating, it is time to coat / bread it
• Mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and pepper in a low bowl / plate
• Working one chicken piece at a time, remove from the buttermilk dredge and shake off any excess liquid. Dip into the flour mix, and use your other hand to coat thoroughly with flour on both sides. Lift, shake off the excess, and dip back into the buttermilk dredge. Lift, shake off any excess liquid, and then give it another coating of the flour mix. Place on a wire rack
• Repeat until all the chicken tenders have 2 coatings of the flour
• Rest for ~20 minutes while the oil heats up

Deep frying:

• Heat the oil on medium high heat until it reaches 350F (it should be quite hot)
• Carefully add a third to a half of the chicken tenders into the hot oil. Fry for 5-6 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through. This is the first fry, it will get the chicken cooked inside but it will still be a light color. Remove, drain, and rest on the wire rack while you give the rest of the chicken its first fry
• Wait 10-15 minutes after the first fry, then fry the chicken again. Make sure the oil is still very hot (~350F) and fry for 2-3 minutes this time. The chicken should get a deep golden color and crispy texture quickly during this second fry

Nashville hot sauce:

• Add the cayenne, paprika, brown sugar, salt, pepper and garlic powder to a bowl
• When the chicken is almost done with the second fry, carefully remove 1/2 cup of hot oil from the skillet and pour it over the spices. Whisk thoroughly. This is the Nashville hot sauce
• As you remove the chicken from the skillet (when it is done cooking), quickly dunk each piece into the Nashville hot sauce with tongs, making sure to get each side coated with the spices. Rest on a wire rack as you work through the chicken with a baking sheet underneath to catch the oil drippings

Assembly:

• Warm up the sliders buns on the stovetop or microwave
• Slather a generous amount of the slider sauce on the bottom half of each bun, then layer some sliced pickles. Add the Nashville hot chicken, then top off with a generous amount of coleslaw and cover with the top half of the bun
• Serve the sliders while still hot and enjoy!