Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich

A proper Nashville hot chicken sandwich is all about contrast — ultra-crispy fried chicken coated in fiery hot sauce, cool crunchy slaw, soft bread roll, and sharp pickles. It’s messy, punchy and completely addictive. You can use any hot sauce – we love Franks; give our recipe a try!

Ingredients

Serves 4

For the chicken:

-          4 boneless chicken thighs

-          250ml buttermilk

-          1 tsp salt

-          1 tsp black pepper

-          1 tsp smoked paprika

-          1 tsp garlic powder

-          Oil for frying (vegetable or sunflower oil)

For the coating:

-          200g plain flour

-          1 tsp celery salt (or sea salt if you don’t have celery salt)

-          1 tsp black pepper

-          1 tsp paprika

For the hot sauce dredge:

-          150ml hot sauce (Franks or similar)

-          50g honey

-          50g cold butter, diced

To assemble

-          4 brioche buns

-          Dill pickles, sliced

-          Ranch dressing or sour cream to garnish

-          Crunchy slaw (cabbage, mayo, splash of vinegar)

-          Butter for toasting buns

Method:

1. First - marinate the chicken. Place the chicken thighs in a bowl with the buttermilk, salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Cover and marinate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight (but not essential).

2. Prepare the coating by mixing flour, salt, pepper and paprika in a shallow tray.

3. Lift each thigh from the buttermilk, letting excess drip off, then press firmly into the flour mix. For extra crunch, dip back into the buttermilk and coat again.

4. Heat oil to 170–175°C. Fry the chicken for 6–8 minutes until deep golden, crispy and cooked through – 72 degrees Celsius if temperature probing. Drain on a wired rack or kitchen paper.

5. In a small saucepan, gently heat the hot sauce and honey together until combined and reduce for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cold butter, one cube at a time until emulsified – it is important here to add the butter slowly otherwise it may split.

6. Brush or spoon the hot sauce generously over the fried chicken.

7. Build the sandwich by layering the slaw, Nashville hot chicken, plenty of pickles and finish with the ranch dressing or sour cream - serve immediately and enjoy!