Nashville Hot Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Nashville Hot Crispy Chicken Sandwich . This crispy, deep fried chicken sandwich recipe was inspired both by Buffalo Fried Chicken (especially Brewdog‘s version) and also Nashville Hot Chicken. My take on a Nashville Hot Crispy Chicken Sandwich contains seasoned, deep fried chicken which is then tossed in a homemade hot glaze and stuffed inside a toasted brioche bun along with lettuce, pickles and garlic mayo. Hot Chicken, or Nashville Hot Chicken, is a speciality created in Tennessee, USA, and now found all over the world. Chicken pieces are deep fried in seasoned flour, before being basted by a hot glaze made mainly with cayenne pepper. Normally the chicken is served upon a thick slice of bread to soak up the hot juices and topped with bread and butter pickles, but I quite like it as a sandwich.

I’d love it if you tried out my Nashville Hot Crispy Chicken Sandwich. Please let me know if you do on Instagram using #documentingmydinner

If you liked my Nashville Hot Crispy Chicken Sandwich and want to try out more of my recipes, then I recommend my recipes for Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad and Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower

Recipe

Serves 4

Difficulty Level: Top Chef

Ingredients:

For the Crispy Chicken:

• 2 large chicken breasts, cut in half width ways or 4 skinless, boneless thighs.
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 200ml whole milk or buttermilk
• Brine from pickle jar
• 2 eggs
• Hot sauce (I used Singularity Sauce Het Sass)
• 200g plain flour
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder and cayenne pepper
• Sunflower oil, for frying

For the Hot Glaze:

• 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder, salt and pepper and brown sugar
• 60g butter
• Tablespoon each of honey, Het Sass and Franks Red Hot

To Serve:

• Brioche buns, toasted
• Romaine lettuce, separated into individual leaves or shredded
• Pickles, thickly sliced
• Garlic mayo or blue cheese mayo

Method:

1. First dry brine the chicken pieces. Season the pieces generously with salt and pepper, wrap tightly in cling film and chill in the fridge for 2-4 hours.
2. Mix together the milk, egg and a good glug of hot sauce and pickle brine. After four hours brining, add the chicken to this mixture and marinate for 2-4 hours.
3. Next, mix together the dry ingredients. Stir the flour, garlic powder and cayenne pepper and season with a little salt and pepper. Add a few tablespoons of the milk mixture and stir in to make clumps.
4. Whilst the chicken is marinating, you can make the glaze. In a saucepan, add all of the ingredients over a low heat and stir until melted and combined. Keep warm.
5. Fill a large saucepan about 1/2 full with sunflower oil. Heat to 170C. I can’t recommend getting a thermometer for this more. Whilst the oil is heating, set the oven to 180C and get a wire rack ready.
6. Time to double dip the chicken. Dip each piece of chicken in the seasoned flour, back into the milk mixture and then into the seasoned flour for a second time.
7. Once you have coated each chicken piece, it is time to fry. When the oil is at 170C, add the chicken pieces. Keep an eye on the temperature and try to maintain it at 170C. The temperature will reduce when the cold chicken is added.
8. Fry the chicken pieces for 6 minutes, turning half way through.
9. Once the chicken has fried for 6 minutes and is golden and crisp, transfer the pieces to a wire rack and place in the oven for a further 5 minutes.
10. Whilst the chicken is in the oven, toast and slice your brioche buns and prepare your lettuce and pickles.
11. Remove the chicken from the oven and immediately use a pastry brush to coat each piece all over with the hot glaze. The chicken will be so crispy that the glaze will not make it soggy.
12. Spread some garlic mayo on each bun, top with lettuce, the Hot Nashville Crispy Chicken and finally some sliced pickles and more garlic mayo. Top with the bun top and serve! Enjoy!