Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches (Recipe Inspired by ALL WE EVER WANTED)

One of the things I love about Emily Giffin’s novels is that she really captures the soul of whatever city or town she sets her story in.

I was excited to see that All We Ever Wanted is set in Nashville, which I became more interested in since my close friends moved down there a few years ago. We’ve yet to visit them, but we hope to adventure with them in their new city soon. Honestly, given how much the food scene in Nashville has grown over the past 5-10 years, I’m surprised it didn’t land on my to-visit list earlier.

Other than country music, when I think of Nashville, I think of 1) biscuits, and 2) hot chicken. We rarely find good fried chicken, hot or otherwise, up here in the North, so whenever I venture down South, I consume all the fried chicken (and biscuits) I can get my hands on. I’ve yet to try Nashville Hot Chicken, but I’m eagerly anticipating the day that I do.

Until then, I have my Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches, which are a delicious nod (or, so I believe) to the classic recipe. And, of course, with a little modification.

I’ve mentioned before that the Cottage kitchen is poorly ventilated, which means we smell it for days if we make anything that’s deep-fried. As a result, we often “oven-fry” anything that is meant to be deep-fried, and this hot chicken is no exception.

Sorry, what was that? The crunchiness of fried chicken is the best part, you say? Oh, I hear you. I don’t like to lose any crunch, either. Which is why I’ve perfected the art of making sure anything I oven-fry comes out pretty dang crispy. The secret is a combo of two breadcrumbs – “regular” and panko – and spritzing the breaded meat with cooking spray to make sure everything gets a crispy, crunchy top. High oven heat and baking on a cooling rack helps a lot, too.

These chicken cutlets were crispy when they came out of the oven, and they were still crispy after being drenched in the hot sauce. And, bonus: since it’s not deep-fried in a vat of oil, this version of Nashville Hot Chicken is a little healthier than the usual version.

Another modification I made to this recipe was to the sauce. Authentic Nashville Hot Chicken recipes fry their chicken, then use the leftover frying oil to make the sauce. Since I baked the chicken instead of frying it (and, since I firmly believe that using fry oil in the sauce would destroy my stomach), I used melted Smart Balance in lieu of the hot oil. I chose Smart Balance over butter because it has a more oily texture when it melts than butter, which is creamier when melted. You could probably use margarine to the same effect, and, of course, you could use butter if you really want to (no judgement).

I decided to serve the chicken sandwiches on brioche buns. I realize that a buttermilk biscuit would probably be a more realistic Southern food experience, but 1) I am crap at making biscuits, and 2) this is a very saucy sandwich, and I felt like the brioche would hold up better to the saucy mess.

[Side note: I hate soggy food. HATE IT. Nothing grosses me out more than a sandwich or burger with bread that’s started to disintegrate into mushiness due to juices and/or condiments. *shudders* I hate sogginess so much that I have been known to devour a ½ lb burger in under 3 minutes simply to avoid Soggy Bun Experience. Yes, that is in caps. Because it is a thing.]

Just so you know? I was not wrong. The thick, buttery brioche stood up perfectly to the glossy, dripping sauce smothering each crispy chicken cutlet, and the egg-yness of the bread also helped tone down the raging spice of the sandwich. #WIN

Dole out these sandwiches immediately after coating the chicken in the sauce, and I recommend serving them with pickle chips and crunchy potato chips.

Confession: I intended to make my own Quick Pickles for this recipe, but like the scatterbrained blogger I am, I forgot to write “buy a cucumber” on my shopping list…and, you can’t make pickles without cucumbers. However, I’m a big fan of store-bought dill pickle chips, so I used what I had on hand already. The salty, briny crunch of the pickle was delicious with the fiery sauce.

And, yes, this is fiery. I’m actually a little terrified of trying real Nashville Hot Chicken. I made a “mild” version for this post, but I gotta tell ya  — it was still pretty dang spicy. (I may or may not be typing this while popping Tums like they’re Necco Wafers.)

If you’re someone who really likes to bring the heat, I’ve suggested some recipe tweaks to amp up the spice factor for you. But, if you’re a wimp like me when it comes to spicy foods, leave the recipe as it is.

And, maybe have some cheese slices and a glass of milk on standby. Just in case.

Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

  

• 1.5 lb thin-sliced boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (4-5 cutlets)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tbsp vinegar-based hot sauce**
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp salt + more for sprinkling
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp cayenne pepper**
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 cup Smart Balance, melted
• 4-5 brioche buns (or bread of your choice)
• dill pickle chips (optional)
• Cheese slices (optional)

Instructions

 

PREP INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 425F.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then fit a cooling rack into the foil-lined sheet. Spray cooling rack with cooking spray (like Pam) and set aside.
• Slice buns and set aside.
• Combine the cayenne pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, and paprika in a small ingredient bowl, and set aside.
• Crack the eggs into a shallow bowl and add the hot sauce. Whisk with a fork until combined, and set aside near the prepped baking sheet.
• Combine both types of breadcrumbs, 1 tsp salt, and pepper in a second shallow bowl and set aside near the prepped baking sheet.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

• Generously dredge each chicken cutlet, first in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumb mixture, on both sides until completed coated. Lay chicken cutlets in a single layer on the cooling rack of the prepped baking sheet. Spray tops of breaded cutlets with cooking spray.
• Place the baking sheet with cutlets in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through. (Baking time will vary based on the thickness of the chicken.)
• While the chicken bakes, make your sauce: Place 1 cup of smart balance in a small saucepot, preferable one that allows you to pour easily from the sides. Melt Smart Balance over low heat, whisking often, until completely melted and no longer foamy.
• Remove saucepan from heat and immediately whisk in the spice mixture you made earlier. Whisk until all ingredients blend into a smooth sauce. Set side.
• Once chicken is cooked through and crust is crispy, remove from oven. Immediately sprinkle chicken with salt.
• While chicken is still hot, pour some of the sauce into a clean shallow bowl. Using tongs, place a chicken cutlet in the bowl, then pour a little more sauce over the top. Turn cutlet over with tongs until completely covered with sauce, then place on a side platter. Repeat this process with remaining cutlets.
• Once all cutlets are coated with sauce, you can pour more sauce over the tops of them if you desire.
• Assemble sandwiches: Place a sauced cutlet on a cut brioche roll, then top with pickle chips and cheese, if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

**This recipe makes a “mild” version of Hot Chicken, which was still very spicy! If you really want to amp up the heat, use 2 tbsp hot sauce and up to 6 tbsp cayenne pepper. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.

This recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit.