Nashville hot chicken is one of those dishes that once you try it, you’ll never forget it. The explosion of heat and flavor is like no other fried chicken out there. But what exactly makes Nashville hot chicken so special and stand out from all the rest?
A Brief History Lesson on How Nashville Hot Chicken Came to Be
Unlike many iconic dishes, we know the exact origins of Nashville hot chicken It all started back in the 1930s when a man named Thornton Prince came home late one night after a night of partying. The story goes that his girlfriend at the time was none too happy about his late night antics So when she made his breakfast the next morning, she decided to teach him a lesson. She made fried chicken, his favorite, but added a heavy dose of spicy cayenne pepper to really heat things up.
But the joke was on her because Thornton loved it! He thought the spicy fried chicken was amazing. Soon after, he opened up his own restaurant called BBQ Chicken Shack in Nashville and began serving his spicy creation, which came to be known as Nashville hot chicken. And a culinary legend was born.
It’s All About the Heat
The most obvious thing that sets Nashville hot chicken apart is the spicy heat. This dish is meant to bring some serious fire. Most restaurants categorize the heat levels from mild to extra spicy. For example, Hattie B’s offers six levels: Southern (no heat), Mild (a touch of heat), Medium (warming up), Hot (feel the heat), Damn Hot (fire starter), and Shut the Cluck Up (burn notice).
The fiery flavor comes from a blend of cayenne pepper and other dried peppers both in the marinade and the breading. Nashville hot chicken is meant to burn your mouth in the most delicious way possible. That’s where much of the magic lies. You get the juicy crispy fried chicken flavor coupled with an addicting spicy kick.
The Signature Spice Blend Adds Unique Flavor
In addition to spicy heat, Nashville hot chicken boasts its own special blend of spices and herbs. While each restaurant and home cook might have their own special recipe, common seasonings include cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, brown sugar, oregano, and black pepper.
This signature spice blend gives the chicken a complex, dynamic flavor profile. You get sweet and savory flavors playing off the heat. The spices penetrate the meat while also coating the crispy outer shell. This seasoning is truly what sets Nashville hot chicken apart from other fried chicken.
Double-Frying Yields Maximum Crunch
You can’t have Nashville hot chicken without the crunch factor. To achieve the crispy exterior, the chicken must be double fried. The chicken is first fried at a lower temperature to cook the meat, then fried again at higher heat to make the coating ultra crispy.
The chicken is also always fried in large pots of oil or even deep fryers, rather than pan frying. This allows the chicken to become fully submerged in the oil to get evenly crispy. The result is hot chicken with a shatteringly crispy crust that provides textural contrast to the spicy, juicy meat.
It’s Served With White Bread and Pickles
No Nashville hot chicken experience is complete without the traditional sides: white bread and pickles. After being fried, the chicken is served atop simple white bread slices, which soak up the spicy oil and juices. This helps diffuse some of the heat.
Then brined, ice-cold pickles are served on the side. The tart, salty pickles are the perfect counterpart to the fried chicken, helping provide relief from the intense spice level. These components came about originally as a necessity to deal with the extreme heat of the dish. But they’ve become beloved parts of the entire presentation.
The Heat Goes Mainstream
For many decades, Nashville hot chicken remained an iconic local dish, popular primarily in Nashville’s African American neighborhoods. But over the past 10-15 years, Nashville hot chicken has exploded in popularity nationwide.
The city’s population boom brought more exposure to hot chicken restaurants like Prince’s and Hattie B’s. Celebrity chefs started featuring the dish on cooking shows. Fast food chains like KFC began putting their own spin on Nashville hot chicken sandwiches. And people across America started seeking out this spicy, crunchy delight.
Best Places to Sample Authentic Nashville Hot Chicken
While you can find variations on Nashville hot chicken in restaurants everywhere now, you really need to visit Nashville to get the real deal. Two of the most famous and long-standing spots are Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack and Hattie B’s Hot Chicken.
Prince’s is credited for originating the dish back in the 1930s and still serves the classic Nashville hot chicken experience. Hattie B’s has grown into a local favorite, with numerous locations around Nashville. Bolton’s and Pepperfire are also excellent hot chicken purveyors in Music City.
Creative Ways to Enjoy Beyond Sandwiches
The traditional Nashville hot chicken sandwich is hard to beat. However, more and more restaurants are getting creative and incorporating the chicken into other dishes. Nashville hot chicken works great in waffles, on top of salads, as a pizza topping, chopped up in tacos or nachos, and more.
You can also buy Nashville hot chicken tenders or boneless wings to use in appetizers. And various brands sell bottles of Nashville hot sauce that you can add to all kinds of recipes. So get creative and spice up dishes beyond just sandwiches.
Tips for Making Perfect Nashville Hot Chicken at Home
You may not live in Nashville, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy authentic Nashville hot chicken from your own kitchen. Here are some tips for nailing the dish:
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Marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours or up to overnight in buttermilk and spices like cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar, and salt. This infuses flavor and keeps the meat moist.
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Double dip the marinated chicken in seasoned flour or cornbread crumbs to get a thick, crispy coating. Make sure to really pack on the breading.
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Use a thermometer and fry the chicken twice: once at 325°F to cook through and then again at 350-375°F to get ultra crispy.
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Adjust the amount of cayenne pepper and other dried peppers in the coating to your desired spice level. More cayenne equals more heat.
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Mix up a sauce with cayenne pepper flakes, hot sauce, oil, and spices and toss the fried chicken in it to coat.
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Serve the chicken over white bread with pickle chips to get the true Nashville style presentation.
The Unique Flavors of Nashville Hot Chicken Keep Fans Coming Back for More
Nashville hot chicken has earned its place as a legendary regional dish with a cult-like following. Its origins from a fiery lover’s quarrel, the ultra-crispy and juicy fried chicken, the signature spice blend, and the tongue-searing heat all combine into something truly special and memorable.
It’s no wonder Nashville hot chicken has exploded onto the mainstream food scene, while still retaining its core identity. This is a dish you have to experience for yourself to truly understand. So next time you’re in Nashville, make sure to stop by one of the famous hot chicken spots and be prepared for your taste buds to get blitzed with an amazing one-two punch of spice and crunch.
So, what is Nashville hot chicken?
Nashville hot chickens fiery history lives on today as a beloved dish in Nashville and beyond. The dish starts with brining chicken in hot sauce, buttermilk, and sometimes pickle juice, before breading and frying it. The secret to this recipe is its seasoning — a spice blend with a bit of brown sugar and plenty of ground cayenne gets mixed with hot oil and then brushed onto the chicken. Then, the chicken is usually loaded onto a sandwich with pickles and often coleslaw, although traditionally, you may find it served on white bread. Advertisement
Although you can order Nashville hot chicken to your spice liking, the truly spicy ones are not for the faint of heart. In fact, Anthony Bourdain said during his Nashville hot chicken sandwich experience, “Oh, oh that hurts. I think Im hallucinating.” The ground cayenne pepper in this recipe is likely to blame, as cayenne peppers register at a Scoville level 12 times hotter than lowly jalapenos. However, many enjoy the painful heat from peppers, as the chemical compound capsaicin simulates a burning pain response, which triggers the release of feel-good endorphins.
Nashville Hot Chicken
FAQ
What makes Nashville hot chicken different?
Before digging into their origins, the basic difference between these chickens is that Nashville hot uses spices mixed with oil, while Buffalo chicken uses a …Apr 22, 2024
What is the difference between Nashville and Southern fried chicken?
Southern fried is seasoned with chicken salt seasoning; Nashville is dipped in a spicy oil seasoned with our Super Nash seasoning and then dusted with more of that signature spice mix It has a kick – but is balanced by sugar to hit every part of the palate!
Is Nashville hot just buffalo sauce?
One of the biggest differences is their texture. Buffalo sauce is thick and glossy whereas Nashville hot sauce has a more oily consistency. Additionally, buffalo sauce is typically made with bottled hot sauce and vinegar, but in this Nashville hot sauce recipe I just use a handful of different spices!
How is Nashville hot chicken different from Buffalo chicken?
… Nashville hot chicken is more of a dark orange-brown, while Buffalo chicken, owing to the mix of cayenne and butter, is much more likely to be violently …Jan 27, 2024
What makes Nashville hot chicken unique?
Nashville Hot Chicken stands out from other forms of Southern fried chicken due to the application of a dark, decadent, chile pepper-based paste made from lard and cayenne pepper powder. This paste differentiates it from regular buffalo chicken, which typically gets its spiciness from a hot sauce.
How is Nashville hot chicken typically cooked?
Nashville Hot is a type of fried chicken that is typically marinated in buttermilk, breaded and seasoning, and fried in a deep fryer, pressure cooker, or sometimes pan-fried.
Where does Nashville hot chicken come from?
Nashville hot chicken comes from, you guessed it, Nashville! It gets its name from the Nashville hot sauce that is slathered on top of this delicious and crispy fried chicken. The sauce has a base of cayenne pepper, which is what gives it a great kick. You can make the sauce at home! I’ve linked a recipe in the recipe card.
Is Nashville hot chicken the south’s ‘it’ dish?
In fact, some consider Nashville hot chicken the South’s “it” dish. If you’re just now getting to know about this culinary trend, you may be fascinated to find that Nashville’s hot chicken history is as wild as its flavor. From the kitchens of east Nashville to international sensation, this hot lil’ bird has come a long way.
Does Nashville hot chicken have a story?
Something as flavorful and spicy as Nashville hot chicken shouldn’t have a boring origin story — so thankfully it does not! As the legend goes, there once was a tall, handsome man with “beautiful, wavy hair” named Thornton Prince. According to his great-niece André Prince Jeffries, he was “totally a ladies’ man” with “plenty of women.”
Where can you find spicy fried chicken in Nashville?
#FuelAirExplosive.” While Nashville restaurants like Hattie B’s Hot Chicken and Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack may be two of the best-known purveyors of the very spicy fried chicken, chain restaurants like KFC, Firehouse Subs, and Boston Market also have put their own twist on the Nashville staple.