It’s fried chicken, and it’s the local specialty of Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Whether you’ve ever been to Nashville or want to know more about the city’s cuisine, you can find answers in this article. The food is best enjoyed when paired with a beer or glass of wine and is a delicious way to start a weekend. In this article, we’ll explain what is Nashville Hot Chicken? and how to make it.
If you’ve never tried it, don’t worry. It’s the best-kept secret in town. It’s scorching and uniquely delicious, and it’s now on menus everywhere from New York to Australia. To understand what makes this food so unique, you’ll need to read on to learn more about its origins, history, and strange hallucinations.
What is Nashville Hot Chicken?
It is a famous American dish, but it’s far from spicy. Instead, it’s a battered chicken that’s been deep-fried and dunked into a mixture of spices and hot sauce. The spicy flavor comes from the cayenne pepper, paprika, and sweetness. This chicken is not overwhelming despite its high heat and will keep you coming back for more.
It’s a spicy chicken dish that’s famous in Nashville, Tennessee. It is typically served on white bread, topped with sliced pickles, and topped with a tomato-based sauce. Although the chicken is delicious and can be found anywhere in the country, it is probably best to have a hot dog restaurant in your neighborhood. And it’s not difficult to find the original Nashville-style hot chicken.
Deep-fried chicken coated with a spicy hot paste and served on white bread with pickles on top is known as Nashville Hot Chicken. The dish is commonly credited to Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack, a nearly 100-year-old restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee.
It is now available across Nashville and throughout the United States. Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, one of Nashville’s most popular fried chicken franchises, has opened outlets in Alabama, Georgia, and Las Vegas, in addition to its original Nashville locations.
What is the Best Way to Make it?
Whole chicken parts are marinated in buttermilk and hot sauce, then coated in flour, deep-fried, then smeared in a spicy red-hot paste. If you’re looking for a new deep fryer, here’s a list of the best deep fryers on the market right now.
I used boneless chicken thighs and chicken breasts to make my hot chicken sandwich. This makes it easier to eat as a sandwich and cuts down on cooking time. I strongly advise cutting chicken breasts into three pieces if you’re using them. Crosswise cut the chicken in half, then lengthwise cut the thicker top half of the chicken, separating the thickest area. This enables the chicken to cook more quickly and evenly.
Changing the Temperature
The central heat comes from the spicy paste you prepare with the cooking oil, even though there is hot sauce in the buttermilk brine and a pinch of cayenne pepper in the flour combination.
If you’re sensitive to heat, reduce the cayenne to 2 tablespoons for a little spicy but not mouth-burning heat. If you like your spicy meal to burn hot, up the cayenne pepper to 4 to 6 tablespoons to get that “hurts so good” feeling!
Keep in mind that this is HOT chicken from Nashville. Make our original Buttermilk Fried Chicken or our Sweet Tea Fried Chicken if you’re seeking a non-spicy fried chicken.
What is the Flavour of it?
A blend of mild and spicy peppers – red pepper, paprika, chili pepper, and cayenne pepper sauce – are balanced by sweet brown sugar and savory garlic and onion in Nashville Hot Seasoning. Please make your own Nashville Hot Chicken at home with it. it is an iconic food in the city of Nashville.
It is a simple concept, but its aggressive flavor is hard to resist. It takes the traditional fried chicken and adds an aggressive edge, resulting in a unique and delicious experience. It’s a hot chicken that is sweet-mean and burns your mouth. This Nashville hot chicken is a must-try.
What to Serve with Nashville Hot Chicken?
A Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich is a filling lunch on its own, but it’s also delicious with potato chips, tater tots, or French fries on the side. A side of coleslaw, potato salad, cornbread, or mac & cheese are all traditional accompaniments. The main characteristic of Nashville hot chicken is its spicy, crispy exterior, and it is served with white bread and pickles. The spicy fried chicken is said to have originated at Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville, Tennessee. While the original version is not available at most restaurants, it’s still a tasty dish popular in other cities and states. Its distinctive spicy flavor and crispiness make it a popular snack.
6 Best Side Dishes to Serve with it
The following is a list of six terrific side dishes to go with your Nashville hot chicken:
1. Buns
Nashville hot chicken sandwiches are a popular delicacy that features Nashville hot chicken on a loaf of bread.
To improve the taste of your sandwich, you can add additional components such as vegetables or sauces.
This combo is ideal for a quick and filling meal.
2. French fries
French fries or potato chips are another fantastic side dish to serve with your Nashville hot chicken.
French fries are a traditional side dish and comfort meal that may be easily prepared at home or purchased from any fast-food establishment.
French fries and spicy, sticky Nashville hot chicken might be a treat dinner in and of themselves, but they’re worth trying for their flavor and satisfaction.
3. Cornbread
Cornbread can also be served with Nashville chicken.
Cornbread is a Southern favorite and one of the most straightforward baking recipes.
This simple side dish has a gently sweet corn flavor that complements the main course’s savory and spicy flavor.
4. Mac and cheese
To pair with your Nashville hot chicken, a dish of mac & cheese is a terrific choice.
Macaroni and cheese is a classic combination that produces a creamy, cheesy, salty, and delicious dish.
This supper of Nashville chicken and mac & cheese is high in calories and fat, but isn’t it nice to treat yourself now and then?
5. Dill pickle
Another fantastic side to serve with Nashville hot chicken is dill pickles.
The sourness of pickled cucumber might help you produce a balanced supper by counteracting the savory and spicy flavor of the chicken.
Dill pickles are simple to make and inexpensive; prepare them two or three days ahead of time so that these crunchy tart dills are ready to serve with your chicken.
6. Coleslaw
Coleslaw is our final recommendation for serving with Nashville chicken.
This creamy, tangy salad has long been a go-to side dish for any meat-based cuisine, particularly those that involve frying or roasting.
Coleslaw is simple to make with shredded cabbage and carrots and a store-bought mayonnaise topping.
In less than five minutes, you may have a simple but tasty side dish to accompany your hot chicken.
What Sets Nashville’s Spicy Chicken Apart?
Nashville hot chicken is, as the name implies, fried chicken with a kick. The hot sauce and cayenne in the coating and a spicy sauce drizzled over the top kick the chicken. To help balance out the heat, this kind of fried chicken is served with white bread and pickles. While you may have heard of it, this piping hot chicken is a unique dish. It’s crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The sauce is made of paprika, hot sauce, and buttermilk and is infused with a sweet and spicy flavor. Traditionally, the chicken is marinated for at least eight hours before serving. However, you can also order the dish ahead of time and prepare the sauce the night before.
What is the Difference Between Nashville Hot Chicken and Buffalo Chicken?
So, Buffalo wings aren’t the same as Nashville hot chicken. Johnny Zone has a wet sauce, similar to Frank’s or Crystal’s Hot Sauce. Keeping them crispy is challenging because they’re coated in a moist sauce. Nashville Hot Chicken is a one-of-a-kind dish. It’s not “buffalo” chicken, but rather “hot” chicken. The mix of these elements and the final flavor of the chicken is what makes it truly authentic. It’s a lot of spice, but it also has a lot of taste.
Conclusion
The first chicken you should try in Nashville is the extra hot one. You can’t go wrong with the spicy version. Using the extra hot sauce is not recommended, and it’s best to use a milder recipe. If you don’t like hot sauce, use regular hot chicken. This is just as delicious as the Nashville-style version. You’ll have to find a restaurant that offers hot fried chicken that’s slightly different.
