Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches are bursting with the most delicious spicy, slightly sweet flavor! Perfectly seasoned fried chicken with a super crunchy crust and juicy, moist center is coated in an irresistible hot sauce, served on a toasted bun with mayo, coleslaw, and pickles.

Incredible crispy, crunchy, sweet & spicy, after one bite of these Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches your mouth might be burning but you will be obsessed! Plus, you can totally adjust the spice level by tweaking the amount of cayenne pepper.

Nashville hot chicken is a deep-fried, crispy chicken, smothered in a fiery hot paste and served on white bread with pickles. It is thought to have originated at Prince’s hot chicken in Nashville, and has since become a classic in Nashville, and is even gaining popularity in other cities and states.

For that amazing crispy, shaggy crust on the outside and tender meat on the inside, a three-step dipping process is required. First, the chicken is dredged in a spiced flour, then it is dipped in a mix of buttermilk and hot sauce. Next, it is dredged again in the seasoned flour and deep-fried to dark and crunchy perfection.

When all of the chicken is cooked, you’ll baste it in Nashville hot sauce for blazing but sweet heat, beyond wonderful flavor. To complement the spicy taste of the fried chicken, we’re serving it sandwich-style with a mayo, coleslaw and pickles. Nothing too fancy because it’s all about the hot chicken!

Ingredients needed

This Nashville hot chicken recipe is made with simple ingredients, most of which are pantry staples. Here’s everything you’ll need:

Chicken: To make these sandwiches, we’re using 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
Buttermilk: Highly recommend buttermilk and not regular milk because of it’s acidic enzymes that will break down the proteins in the chicken and tenderize the meat.
Hot sauce: Whisk your favorite hot sauce into the buttermilk for extra heat.
Breading: For extra crispy chicken, we’re dredging it in a mixture of all-purpose flour, cornstarch, cayenne powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
Nashville hot sauce: Our tasty homemade sauce includes frying oil (or melted butter), brown sugar, cayenne powder, chili powder, smoked paprika and garlic powder.
For assembly: To assemble the sandwiches, you’ll need toasted burger buns, coleslaw, mayonnaise and pickles.

How to make this recipe

Fried chicken is way easier than you might think to make! Don’t worry if you’re intimidated, we’re walking you through with step-by-step instructions and giving you all the tips you’ll need, below in the ‘expert tips’ section. Here’s the simple process:

Prep the chicken: Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to make 4 thin cutlets. Season each side of the chicken with salt & pepper. Whisk buttermilk and hot sauce in a small shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch and spices.

Bread the chicken: Dredge the chicken in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in buttermilk, and back into the flour, pressing firmly to coat both sides of the chicken. Shake of excess flour in order to create small (crumbs) which will become the crunchy bits of the sandwich.

Fry the chicken: Heat about 2 inches of oil in a large heavy-duty pan to 350ºF. Cook chicken breasts for 3 minutes per side or until the exterior is dark and crunchy and the interior reaches 165ºF. Remove from oil and transfer to a cooling rack.

Make the Nashville hot sauce: When all of the chicken is fried, take a 1/2 cup of the hot cooking oil and add it to a small bowl. Add the sugar and spices and whisk to combine. Baste the chicken with the hot oil mixture while the chicken is still hot. If the oil is too burned, feel free to use a combo of melted butter and oil or just melted butter.

Assemble the sandwiches: Spread about 1 tablespoon of mayo onto the bottom of a toasted bun. Add the chicken sandwich followed by some coleslaw and pickles. Serve immediately.

Expert tips

Fry immediately: Don’t wait after breading the chicken to fry it. If you let the breaded chicken sit for too long, it could become soggy and won’t crisp up as well.
Use a thermometer: For perfectly fried chicken, the oil should be 350ºF. Using an instant read thermometer or deep frying/candy thermometer ensures the temperature of the oil is perfect for frying.
Adding chicken to oil: Very carefully slide the chicken into the hot oil. If you drop it in, the oil could splatter and potentially burn you.
Adjust the heat: Feel free to use just a half tablespoon of cayenne powder for the sauce. You could even omit it completely, if you want a mild sandwich with just a slight kick of heat.
Adding sauce: Baste the chicken with the hot sauce just after frying and while it is still hot. It will have the best texture and won’t become too greasy.
Keep the chicken warm: If frying in batches, place cooked cutlets on a wire rack and place in a 170-degree F oven to keep warm.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich made of?

The hot chicken for this sandwich is made with a spiced buttermilk and flour breading that includes hot sauce, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Once it’s fried, it’s basted in a sauce made with oil, brown sugar, cayenne powder, chili powder, smoked paprika and garlic powder. You’ll also need buns, mayo and pickles to assemble the sandwiches.

Why is Nashville chicken so hot?

The traditional Nashville hot chicken sauce is a paste that joins cayenne pepper, brown sugar, garlic, chili powder and paprika with oil for a spicy, complex taste with a hint of sweetness. The sauce uses up to 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper, which is quite a large amount, to make it so hot. However, this amount can be decreased, depending on preference.

Why is Nashville hot chicken served on bread?

We like to serve Nashville hot chicken as a sandwich on white bread or buns with coleslaw and pickles to balance out the heat.

Serving suggestions

Nashville hot chicken sandwiches go well with a variety of side dishes. Serve them with the classics like potato chips, waffle fries, French fries, potato wedges, tater tots, or macaroni and cheese. Other sides that would be great are air fryer Brussels sprouts, roasted cauliflower or zucchini fries.

Storage recommendations

If you have leftover chicken patties, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or in an air fryer until warm and crispy.

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Recipe by: Layla Atik // Gimme Delicious | Photography by: Eat Love Eats

Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches