Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich Recipes

NASHVILLE-STYLE HOT CHICKEN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Coleslaw: Whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon, and vinegar. Pour over cabbage and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Coleslaw will keep in the refrigerator, covered, up to 3 days.
• Hot Chicken Sauce: Stir together Frank's RedHot sauce, melted unsalted butter, hot paprika, and brown sugar.
• Sandwich: Remove oyster from chicken thigh and set aside. Working one at a time, pound each thigh between two pieces of plastic to an even 1/8-inch thickness. Let sit, covered with plastic, at room temperature while preparing remaining ingredients, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fill a medium heavy pot, preferably cast-iron, about halfway with oil. Heat oil over medium-high to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, whisk together buttermilk and Old Bay or hot sauce in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. In a shallow dish, season 1 cup flour with salt and pepper; whisk to combine. In a separate shallow dish, season remaining 1 1/2 cups flour with baking soda, salt, and pepper and whisk to combine. Add 1/3 cup buttermilk mixture and stir together to create ragged clumps. Working with two pieces at a time, dredge chicken in plain flour mixture, then buttermilk mixture. Let excess drip off, then dip in clumpy flour mixture, pressing firmly to adhere and making sure chicken is completely coated. If wet spots are visible, press in more coating.
• Fry until golden brown and cooked through, adjusting heat as needed to keep oil between 360 and 380 degrees, about 3 minutes. Drain on a rimmed baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Repeat with remaining chicken. To serve, lightly butter both sides of roll and place in the oven to lightly toast. Brush chicken with hot chicken sauce, then place on white or Texas toast with pickles and coleslaw.

NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN SANDWICH

Steps:

• For the slaw: In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cabbage, carrots and shallot. Stir until evenly coated. Set aside while you prepare the chicken. The longer the slaw sits, the better it gets.
• For the hot chicken: Heat 4 inches of vegetable oil to 365 degrees F in a Dutch oven. Prepare 2 sheet trays with wire racks. Generously sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with Miss Brown's House Seasoning.
• Create a dredging station by putting the flour in a medium bowl. Next, whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce in a second medium bowl. Working with one piece at a time, dredge the seasoned chicken in the flour to coat, then dip in the buttermilk mixture and back into the flour. Place onto one of the prepared sheet trays (keep the other tray clean). Continue until all the chicken is coated.
• Carefully add the chicken, skin-side down, to the oil and cook, turning once, until it is golden brown on the outside with an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to the clean prepared sheet tray when ready.
• While the chicken is frying, make the hot butter sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the hot sauce, brown sugar, cayenne and Miss Brown's seasoning. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. When ready to serve, dip each piece of fried chicken in the hot butter sauce. Place each piece of chicken on the bottom of a potato roll and top with slaw and pickles. Drizzle extra sauce on top. Close each sandwich with a top bun.
• Whisk together the onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt and black pepper in a medium bowl. Store any extra seasoning mix in an airtight container. Makes 5 teaspoons.

NASHVILLE-STYLE HOT CHICKEN SANDWICH

Steps:

• In a large heat-resistant bowl, whisk together the cayenne, brown sugar, chile powder, granulated garlic, paprika, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Sprinkle the spice mixture on all sides of the chicken. Transfer the chicken to a container and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. Leave the remaining spice mixture in the bowl.
• In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil registers 350 degrees F. Position a wire rack on a baking sheet.
• Whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce and eggs in a shallow bowl. Put the flour in a second bowl and season with salt and pepper. Dunk the chicken first in the buttermilk mixture, then dredge in the seasoned flour and coat thoroughly. Gently drop the chicken into the oil, in batches if necessary, and fry until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to the wire rack.
• Carefully add about 1 large ladleful (6 to 8 ounces) of the frying oil to the reserved spice mixture to let it bloom. Be careful, as it will bubble aggressively. Whisk until smooth. Brush the fried chicken with the bloomed spiced oil as desired.
• For the sandwich build: Meanwhile, halve the Hawaiian rolls, spread with butter and toast on a griddle. Put the hot chicken on the griddled buns, top with pickles, lettuce and a schmear of mayo.

BAKED NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Mix water, 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup sugar, and hot sauce together in a large bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved into the brine. Place chicken pieces in the brine and refrigerate, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Pour brine from the bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place a baking rack onto a baking sheet and coat rack with cooking spray.
• Combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and black pepper in a shallow bowl until coating is well mixed. Press chicken pieces into the coating until both sides are evenly coated; place on the prepared rack.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Spray each chicken piece with cooking spray; flip and spray the other side. Continue baking until chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat until shimmering. Mix 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder together in a bowl; add to oil and cook for 30 seconds. Brush oil mixture onto cooked chicken, adding more layers for extra heat.

AIR-FRYER NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a bowl or shallow dish, combine 1 tablespoon pickle juice, 1 tablespoon hot sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour. Drain, discarding any marinade., Preheat air fryer to 375°. In a shallow bowl, mix flour, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. In another shallow bowl, whisk egg, buttermilk, and the remaining 1 tablespoon pickle juice and 1 tablespoon hot sauce. Dip chicken in flour to coat both sides; shake off excess. Dip in egg mixture, then again in flour mixture., In batches, arrange chicken in a single layer on well-greased tray in air-fryer basket; spritz with cooking spray. Cook until golden brown, 5-6 minutes. Turn; spritz with cooking spray. Cook until golden brown, 5-6 minutes longer., Whisk together oil, cayenne pepper, brown sugar and seasonings; pour over hot chicken and toss to coat. Serve with pickles.

CHEF JOHN'S NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN

Steps:

• Toss chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Transfer chicken to a bowl; cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Whisk buttermilk, pickle brine, hot sauce, and egg together in a mixing bowl. Pour marinade over chicken and stir to ensure each piece is thoroughly coated. Cover and let chicken marinate in refrigerator 2 to 4 hours.
• Mix flour and salt together in a shallow flat dish. Remove chicken from marinade and blot with paper towels. Reserve marinade. Toss chicken in flour until thoroughly coated. Return chicken to marinade, coating all sides; remove chicken from marinade allowing excess to drip back into the bowl. Coat the chicken once again in flour mixture. Place on a rack. Repeat with all chicken pieces. Allow to sit out about 15 minutes to allow coating to dry out a bit.
• Place butter and lard in a large pot. Add cayenne pepper, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Place over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until fats melt. Remove from heat; keep sauce warm.
• Fill cast iron skillet about 1/3 of the way with vegetable oil. Heat oil to 350 degrees F over medium-high heat. Carefully place chicken into hot oil, skin side down. Maintain an oil temperature of 325 degrees F, adjusting heat as need. Fry until instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees F, 8 to 10 minutes per side.
• Transfer chicken to a rack to drain. Brush with the sauce on both sides.