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This Is Where Cullinary REVENGE Meets Fantastic Flavors
Can You Handle The Heat?
Rock Your Next Meal With Nashville Hot Chicken
Nashville hot chicken is a Public Market favorite. So if you love spicy food, too – the kind that ignites a fire in your taste buds and leaves you wanting more, then this popular spin on spicy is a must for your next meal.
This versatile dish is the perfect blend of crispy chicken that’s coated in a fiery and flavorful blend of spices, creating a taste sensation that’s both irresistible and addictive.
As you probably know, Public Market shares more than just world-class food, recipes, tools, and ingredients. We love the story behind the food. And as far as Nashville hot chicken is concerned, the story is downright outrageous – fitting for the wild ride your taste buds are about to go on.
In this article, we’ll share everything you need to know including its history, its rise in popularity, and favorite versions easy to make at home. If you’re ready, turn on the AC while we turn up the heat on this devilishly delicious hot chicken.
The History Of Nashville Hot Chicken
Most recipes are built with the love of family and entertainment in mind. The satisfaction of family members and guests are what all home cooks and chefs live for.
But not when it comes to Nashville hot chicken. It was created for one purpose only: REVENGE.
Legend has it that the dish was created in the 1930s by a woman named André Prince Jeffries. Her family owned a chicken shack called Hattie B’s (in Nashville, Tennessee). One day – so the story goes – the owner of Hattie B’s was caught cheating on one of the chefs. Instead of calling him out, this scorned lover had another idea.
One night, when the unsuspecting cheater stopped in for his late-night meal, he was served up some fried chicken with a nuclear blend of cayenne pepper, paprika, brown sugar, stale flour mixture, and other murderous substances.
But the revenge plot backfired.
The cheating proprietor of Hattie B’s loved the recipe and Nashville Hot Chicken was born.
Since then, Nashville Hot Chicken has become a beloved dish in the South and beyond. Nowadays, this dish is typically prepared by being marinated in a buttermilk spice blend before being breaded and fried in hot oil. The resulting chicken pieces are crispy and juicy with a fiery kick from the cayenne paste that’s drizzled on top. Traditionally, it’s served as a chicken sandwich on white bread, with pickles.
In the next section, we’ll take a deeper look into this dish and compare it to another spicy poultry fav.
What Is Nashville Hot Chicken?
Nashville hot chicken is a southern dish, with many African-American communities laying claim to its origin. As such, you can see this dish prepared with traditional table favorites and accompanied by all sorts of sweet & savory items like biscuits, waffles, sugars, fruits, and more.
In its original form, this dish is served as a whole chicken breast, thigh, wings, or a towering fried chicken sandwich.
Now we know what some of you might be thinking. Isn’t spicy chicken just spicy chicken? Nope. Nope. And more Nope. Let’s take a look at the differences between this molten chicken recipe and another popular favorite.
Nashville Hot Chicken vs. Buffalo Chicken
When most people think of spicy chicken, a Buffalo chicken recipe usually comes to mind. So if you’re curious about what makes these two incendiaries different, here’s the Public Market break down:
Buffalo Chicken originated in Buffalo, New York in the 1960s. It typically consists of fried or baked chicken wings coated in a spicy and tangy sauce made from hot sauce, butter, and vinegar. The sauce is what really sets Buffalo chicken apart – it’s that classic hot, sticky, and sweet delight that has kept sports-bar fans drinking (and looking for extra napkins).
Call it Southern. Call it classy. Call it what you will, the key distinction between Buffalo Chicken and Nashville Hot Chicken is that the latter isn’t sticky or messy. It’s all heat and served neat – as a sandwich. Only recently has this dish found itself in some sticky situations (admittedly, a few that we love), but its origins were more humble.
Which of these chicken recipes is better? Neither. Both weapons of mass destruction can be served according to your preferences. But if you’re a lover of all things sauce, then Buffalo Chicken might be the champ. If you’re willing to prove a point that you can survive a true trial by fire, then any Nashville fried chicken recipe should be at the top of your list of meals to try.
It really comes down to your cooking style and preference. Think hot sauce vs. marinade. But either way, have a beverage on hand (and a few napkins, too).
So What's In Nashville Hot Chicken?
Nashville hot chicken includes chicken pieces that are marinated in a blend consisting of one cup buttermilk, heaps of molten flour, and later coated in a spice paste (made from cayenne pepper, paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, black pepper, and kosher salt).
Once the chicken is dunked and covered in marinade, you coat it in the flour mixture containing its own spice blend (yikes!) that includes cayenne, salt, and cornstarch, giving it the signature crunchiness.
The chicken is then fried in either vegetable oil, peanut oil, or lard until it’s perfectly crispy and golden brown. Finally, the spice paste is drizzled or brushed over the chicken to add that tongue-tingling heat that’s built to test the world’s strongest (or world’s most infidelitas).
Now, if you happen to be within driving distance of Nashville, you can always pop into Hattie B’s to get a taste of the original weapon. In more recent times, famous chefs like John Lasater and Bill Purcell have also left their mark on this establishment by including habanero and ghost peppers to more lethal versions of the original.
Humans never really learn. We tend to gravitate toward things we’ve been warned about. So how on Earth has this flamethrower as a sandwich grown into a craze?
Why Is Nashville Hot Chicken So Popular?
We’re going to get to some of our favorite recipes in a second. But let’s take a minute to take stock of this trend in chicken. This fiery fried chicken dish has been taking the world by storm in recent years and for good reason.
It’s this foodies’ opinion that the truth is more simple than the Facebook debates might indicate. Raise your hand if you have that friend, who despite knowing better, is always looking for the hottest of the hot. Anyone? Yeah, we all know someone like that.
For whatever their purpose, sweating profusely, loss of speech, and needing to change their shirts (and other garment pieces) while eating seems like a great idea to them. It’s in that spirit that Nashville Hot Chicken has risen to fame.
Some might be willing to endure the flavors to own the bragging rights, but top chefs have noted that the hotness isn’t necessarily what this dish is all about. Zebbie Carney, owner of Eugene’s hot chicken shack takes part in offering distinctive levels of flavors so that the nuanced ingredients can all take center stage – citing that discovery of all the flavors in their own time is experiencing Southern charm through food.
Now that we’ve dished out the complete story, let’s dig into our favorites.
Nashville Hot Chicken Favorites
If you’re too far from Nashville, or anywhere in the South where Hattie B spinoffs are popping up, this dish is something that you can definitely make at home in a few convenient and tasty ways. Here’s just a few of our favorites:
Classic Nashville Hot Chicken
To prepare this dish at home, begin by marinating the chicken in a buttermilk marinade, which helps to tenderize the meat and makes it more flavorful. Then, you’ll need to prepare a flour mixture with cayenne, paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt, which will form the breading. Lastly, you’ll have to whip up a paste made from chicken pieces and even more spices.
Next, you’ll want an oil with a high smoke point. So heat up some vegetable oil or peanut oil in a fryer or skillet and fry the chicken until it is crispy and golden brown. Once it is cooked, brush the chicken pieces with a spice blend or your chickpea cayenne paste for that signature flavor.
Don’t forget to serve on white bread with a healthy porting of pickles to sooth more than just your soul.
Nashville Hot Chicken In An Air Fryer
Ok. We know what you’re thinking. An air fryer? Really? While we understand that a dish like this isn’t necessarily suited for those on a calorie-counting plan, using an air fryer offers convenience. If you live in a small apartment or don’t have a stove, this is a great way to turn up the heat in small spaces.
You’ll start by marinating your chicken in the buttermilk mixture. You’ll want to coat the chicken in your special flour as in the above. Pre-heat your air fryer to 400 degrees and be sure to coat the inner tray with a high smoke point oil.
Cook the chicken on each side for a few minutes and depending on your unit, you’ll want to open it up so you can keep an eye on things.
If you’re limited in space, you can use a microwave or a hotplate to combine the ingredients of your paste.
Once the chicken is ready, remove, brush on your paste, and serve with waffle fries (which only take minutes to prepare in an air fryer)!
Share Your Spicy Story!
We trust that you’ve enjoyed this article on Nashville Hot Chicken and that you are eager to try making it for yourself. If you’re interested in being featured right here in this article, email us and let us know how your attempt went.
If you’ve got a video of the process or even a recipe you’d like to share that shows off your take on this modern classic, we’d love to feature that, too.
At Public Market, it’s all about the food. But great food always has a great story behind it. So from the crispy fried chicken joints all across this country to the kitchens in homes, apartments, and anywhere else, let’s celebrate with the best Nashville Hot Chicken recipe.
Click the button below to get our favorite Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe — includes authentic tips from one of our top Southern chefs.
Happy cooking and stay in touch!
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