Open the chicken section of the Nash & Smashed menu and you will find three distinct ways to order hand-breaded, fried-to-order poultry outside of a sandwich bun (plus bone-in Party Wings for wing night): Bone-In Fried Chicken, Whole-Muscle Chicken Tenders, and Boneless Chicken Bites. Every single one starts with clean, inspected poultry tossed by hand in our seasoned flour dredge—yet each cut delivers a noticeably different ratio of crust, juiciness, dipping ease, and table pace.
Knowing when to reach for bone-in pieces versus tenders or bites ensures you order the exact format your appetite, commute, or dinner table calls for.
Bone-In Fried Chicken (2, 4, 8, and 12-Piece)
Cooking chicken on the bone is the gold standard for deep, traditional Southern richness. Available in 2-piece and 4-piece plates for solo appetites or 8-piece and 12-piece buckets for families and gatherings, bone-in pieces bring two irreplaceable advantages:
- Maximum Moisture & Savory Depth: Bones insulate the interior muscle gently while natural collagen along the joint melts during frying, keeping drumsticks, thighs, wings, and breasts remarkably succulent beneath a thick, craggy golden shell.
- Mix of Dark and White Cuts: Unlike single-muscle boneless boxes, a bone-in plate or bucket gives everyone at the table their favorite anatomical cut—from rich dark-meat thighs and drumsticks to meaty white breasts.
- Best Occasion: Sit-down family dinners, Sunday spreads with Mashed Potatoes, Mac & Cheese, and Corn Bread, and backyard graduation buffets.
Whole-Muscle Chicken Tenders (3, 5, 7, and 12-Piece)
Cut from juicy all-white chicken breast strips and hand-breaded fresh to order in our kitchen, our Chicken Tenders balance substantial white-meat tenderness with effortless one-handed dipping across 3, 5, 7, and 12-piece boxes:
- Built for Heavy Sauces: Long, sturdy strips with deep hand-breaded flour ridges plunge cleanly into Signature Sauce, Honey Mustard, Hot Honey Sauce, or Garlic Pepper Sauce without crumbling.
- Classic or Hot Choice: Tenders let you pick between classic golden zero-heat seasoning and fiery Nashville spice—making a split 12-piece order ideal for mixed groups.
- Best Occasion: Workday lunches (including our 2-Piece Tenders and Waffle Lunch Special), post-practice youth sports meals, and sauce-flight tastings.
Boneless Chicken Bites (2, 8, and 12-Piece)
Hand-trimmed from whole white-meat chicken breast into poppable morsels and breaded to order, Chicken Bites maximize crispy surface area in every mouthful across 2, 8, and 12-piece portions (plus our 6-Piece Chicken Bites Kids Meal):
- Highest Crust-to-Meat Ratio: Because every bite is fully surrounded by jagged seasoned flour ridges, crunch lovers get maximum crackling texture on every piece.
- Fork-Free Grazing & Commuting: Easy to share across a coffee table during a game or eat neatly between errands with cups of Garlic Parmesan Sauce and BBQ Sauce.
Where Bone-In Party Wings Fit Into the Lineup
What if you crave the rich, juicy flavor of cooking poultry on the bone, yet want quick finger food built for dipping cups and halftime platters? That exact middle ground belongs to our Party Wings, available in 5-piece, 8-piece, 12-piece, and 16-piece boxes. Hand-breaded flats and drumettes fry up with blistered, crackling skin while keeping tender dark-wing richness right against the bone—giving you bone-in moisture with effortless one-handed dunking into BBQ Sauce, Hot Honey Sauce, or Garlic Pepper Sauce. When feeding a family of four or an office team with mixed preferences, combining one 8-piece Bone-In Fried Chicken bucket alongside a 12-piece Chicken Tenders or 12-piece Chicken Bites box guarantees white-meat dippers and dark-meat traditionalists both get their favorite piece hot from the fryer.
Quick Decision Cheat Sheet
Sitting Down for a Slow Comfort Feast? Order 4-Piece or 8-Piece Bone-In Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Corn Bread. Craving Serious Sauce Dipping? Grab 5-Piece Chicken Tenders with Lattice Waffle Fries and three house dips. Hosting Friends or Eating on the Move? Pick 12-Piece Chicken Bites, add your favorite house dipping cups on the side, and grab a cold Mango Smashed Blend Mojito at one of our neighborhood locations, or Start Your Order online right now for fresh pickup or delivery.