There is nothing quite like biting into a juicy, flavorful Nashville hot chicken sandwich. This Southern delicacy features a perfectly seasoned, fried chicken breast coated in a sweet and spicy hot sauce, then topped with crunchy pickles, a creamy sauce, and more. Every bite is even more delicious than the first!

Take your sandwiches to the next level by topping the hot chicken with Comeback Sauce , Fried Pickles, and crunchy Sandwich Slaw. Serve this Nashville specialty at cookouts, game day events and parties!

What is Nashville hot chicken?

Hot chicken, the spicy sister to fried chicken, is typically marinated in buttermilk, breaded, and fried, then coated in a spicy cayenne paste. The dish is usually served with white bread and sliced pickled to help offset the heat.

Nashville Hot Chicken has a fascinating, though unofficial, history that dates back to the 1930s. Legend has it that Thornton Prince’s girlfriend created a prototype of the dish as a form of revenge after he stayed out all night. However, instead of being punished by the unbearably hot dish, he loved it so much that he decided to perfect the recipe and open Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack. Since then, hot chicken has become a permanent fixture in Nashville’s culinary scene and has surfaced all across the United States.

Ingredients for Nashville hot chicken sandwiches

• Brine: The chicken will need to spend some time in a simple buttermilk brine. Plan on 6-12 hours. I usually start the process in the morning and give them at least 7-8 hours of brine time.
• Spice and sugar: This chicken sandwich is meant to be spicy, but you can certainly tone down the amount of cayenne used in the recipe. Just add more paprika for that deep red color or smoked paprika for a deeper flavor. We recommend using dark brown sugar for a deeper molasses flavor.
• Frying oil: I recommend using peanut, soybean, canola, or vegetable oil for this recipe. My number one pick is peanut, but I understand that people have allergies and may need substitutes. You can also use Crisco or some variant thereof.
• Chicken: This recipe skinless, boneless chicken breast. However, you can also use deboned, skinless chicken thighs.
• Toppings: Try this recipe topped with southern chow chow (a green tomato relish) or any sandwich topping of your choice.
• Buns: I highly recommend brioche buns for this recipe. Because of its high butter and egg content, this style of bread is tender and delicious. If you cannot find brioche buns at your local market, try potato buns or standard hamburger buns.
• Cast-Iron Skillet: You’ll need a 12″ cast-iron skillet or pot for this recipe.
• Instant-read thermometer

Making Nashville hot chicken sandwiches

• For chicken breasts, place them between two pieces of plastic wrap and flatten them with a kitchen mallet to an even thickness of 1/2-inch.
• Whisk 1 ½ cups of buttermilk with 1 ½ tablespoon of coarse salt. Let the mixture stand for a few minutes until the salt has dissolved.
• Place chicken into a resealable plastic bag and pour buttermilk mixture over the top. Turn chicken to coat both sides. Seal the bag and place it into the refrigerator for 6-12 hours.
• Once brined, remove chicken from bag, blot them dry with a paper towels, and place them on a clean plate. Discard the bag and the marinade.

Frying and Assembling

• Heat a 12″ skillet and add oil until it is about 3″ high. Heat until it reaches between 375-385 degrees F.
• While the skillet is heating, combine 1 ½- 2 cups buttermilk with egg on a large low-rimmed bowl and set aside. Combine flour with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and onion powder. Dredge chicken in the buttermilk-egg mixture, then coat both sides with the flour mixture. Set onto a parchment-lined platter until all 4 breasts have been coated.
• Once the oil is up to temp, add 2 chicken breasts and fry each side for 5 minutes (depending on size and thickness). Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, it is done.
• Place the cooked chicken on a wire rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet to remove excess oil. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining two breasts.
• While the chicken is frying, it’s time to prepare the spicy sauce. Melt butter in a medium skillet and add sugar and spices to it. Let mixture sizzle for a minute or two until spices start to bloom and mixture forms into a paste.
• Promptly remove sauce from heat and brush mixture onto both sides of the fried chicken breasts (or thighs). Serve in toasted brioche buns, topped with pickles (fresh or fried), sandwich slaw, and comeback sauce. Enjoy!

More Recipes

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• Blackstone Monte Cristo Sandwich
• Coca Cola BBQ Sauce

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Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches

You haven’t lived till you’ve tried a Nashville hot chicken sandwich! Topped with a little comeback sauce, fried pickles, and sandwich slaw, these sandwiches will have you coming back for more.

Course Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword fried chicken sandwich, Nashville hot chicken, Nashville hot chicken sandwich, southern cooking

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 979kcal

Ingredients

• 4 medium chicken breasts or 4 large thighs boneless and skinless
• 4 brioche buns toasted and buttered
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt
• comeback sauce
• sandwich slaw
• dill pickle slices or deep-fried pickles
• For frying:
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 1/2-2 cups buttermilk
• 1 egg beaten
• Frying oil
• After sauce:
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon paprika or 1/2 Tbsp regular paprika and 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Place chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and flatten them to an even thickness with a kitchen mallet. Aim for 1/2″ thickness.
• Combine 1 ½ cups of buttermilk with 1 ½ tablespoon of coarse salt. Let the mixture stand for a few minutes until the salt has dissolved.
• Place chicken into a resealable plastic bag and pour buttermilk mixture over the top. Turn chicken to coat both sides. Seal the bag and place it into the refrigerator for 6-12 hours.
• Once brined, remove chicken from bag, wipe them off with a paper towel, and place them onto a clean plate. Discard the bag and the marinade.
• Heat a 12″ skillet and add oil until it is about 3″ high. Heat until it reaches between 375-385 degrees F.
• While the pan is heating, combine 1 ½- 2 cups buttermilk with egg on a large low-rimmed bowl and set aside. Combine flour with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and onion powder. Dredge chicken in the buttermilk-egg mixture, then coat both sides with the flour mixture. Set onto a parchment-lined platter until all 4 breasts have been coated.
• Once the oil is up to temp, add 2 chicken breasts and fry each side for 5 minutes (depending on size and thickness). Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, it is done.
• Once cooked, remove and place them onto a write rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet to drain. Add the next two breasts to the skillet and repeat the process.
• While the chicken is frying, it’s time to prepare the spicy after sauce. Melt butter in a medium skillet and add sugar and spices to butter. Let mixture sizzle for a minute or two until spices start to bloom and mixture forms into a paste.
• Promptly remove sauce from heat and brush mixture onto both sides of the fried chicken breasts (or thighs). Serve in toasted brioche buns, topped with pickles (fresh or fried), sandwich slaw, and come back sauce. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 979kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 71g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 410mg | Sodium: 4494mg | Potassium: 1255mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 2897IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 311mg | Iron: 5mg

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