Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich Recipe (Milder Version)

Inside: Learn how to make the popular Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich from scratch with this slightly milder version that everyone can enjoy.

I have mentioned on many occasions that I enjoy trying new foods from different places. In Mexico, we like spicy food, so it was only natural for me to give the traditional Nashville hot chicken a try, since I had heard it has a nice spicy kick.

I have never been to Nashville, but there are a lot of different recipes online to try this, so I tried a few, made some changes to give it my own twist, and I have to say, these Nashville hot chicken sandwiches turned out great!

Even though I do like really spicy food, some of the recipes I found were way too hot. This is especially the case when I am making them for my whole family. That is why my version is a milder recipe, but it still has that traditional flavor that makes this such a great recipe.

Of course you can experiment with different heat levels by adjusting the amount of cayenne pepper, so this recipe is very versatile.

What is Nashville hot chicken?

Nashville hot chicken is a type of southern fried chicken that has a delicious blend of spices. It is a very spicy chicken, which has grown in popularity over the past few years. It consists of pieces of chicken, marinated and breaded, before being deep fried.

After they are cooked, you add a spicy sauce on the top which gives it an amazing flavor. You can use this same process for making individual chicken pieces, like drumsticks, wings, or tenders, or you can use it to make a fried chicken sandwich, which is what I did on this occasion.

What kind of chicken should you use for Nashville hot chicken sandwiches?

You can use boneless chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs for this recipe, depending on what you have. With that said, I think that boneless skinless chicken thighs are the best option because of how tender and juicy they are. In either case, you will want to pound the chicken out to have a uniform thickness for each piece before frying them.

How do you make homemade Nashville hot fried chicken sandwiches?

The secret to this recipe is in the spice mix, the marinade, and the Nashville hot sauce that is added at the end. If you get the chicken right, then you really only need simple ingredients for the sandwich so you can let the crispy chicken be the start.

Most recipes call for marinating the chicken in a buttermilk brine that consists of buttermilk, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. My recipe isn’t much different, but instead of straight buttermilk, I combined heavy cream with the juice from one lime and used that instead.

I think that it gave it a great tender flavor and helped the dredge stick to the chicken really well. Of course you can use a buttermilk mixture instead and it will have a similar outcome.

To start, you will want to trim some of the fat from the chicken thighs. Then, you may want to cut them into similar sizes before pounding them to a uniform thickness. After that, set them aside while you make the buttermilk or heavy cream brine.

In a large bowl, combine one cup of heavy cream and the juice from one lime and mix well. Next add black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and paprika and mix well before adding the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours.

When you are ready to fry the chicken, in a baking dish or shallow bowl, prepare the dry flour mixture which consists of all purpose flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, onion powder, salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper and mix well.

At this point, you will line a baking sheet with aluminum paper and place a cooling rack over the top. Carefully remove each piece of chicken from the brine and coat in the flour mixture and place on the cooling rack.

I like to double dip the chicken to give it a crispier crust, so once you have breaded each piece, you can add each one back to the brine and then bread it one more time, allowing the excess flour to fall through the cooling rack.

At this point, you are ready to fry the chicken.

It is good for the breaded chicken to rest for a few minutes before frying, so I like to start heating the oil only after the last piece has been dredged. You can use whatever kind of oil you want, including canola oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil or something else. In my case, I used this avocado oil which I use for most of my recipes and it worked well.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a deep pot, and when it is ready, fry each thigh one at a time. I found that the perfect amount of time to get the chicken perfectly crispy and cooked through was 5 minutes per side. If you have a meat thermometer, you will want the chicken to reach 165 degrees fahrenheit before removing from the hot oil.

Once cooked through, place each of chicken on another cooling rack placed on top of a baking sheet that is lined with paper towels. This will ensure that it is as crispy as possible. Add the nashville hot sauce mixture (recipe below) and then serve on a toasted brioche bun with spicy mayo, iceberg lettuce, and butter pickles.

How do you make Nashville hot sauce?

The hot sauce that you will brush or drizzle onto the top of the fried chicken is easy to make. Start by taking a cup of the cooking oil that you used to fry the chicken, and combine it with brown sugar, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.

Stir well and immediately brush or drizzle over the top of the chicken. You can also serve this on the side if your guests want more.

I add less cayenne pepper than most recipes, and a little more brown sugar. The result is a slightly sweet glaze with enough heat to feel it, but not enough to make you cry. Of course you can add more if you like it hot.

What are some good sides for this Nashville hot chicken sandwich recipe?

This sandwich is good on its own, but to make a full meal, you can add your favorite sides. Some popular options are creamy coleslaw, potato salad, fries, or a side salad.

Let me know in the comments below how this turned out for you!