Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches with Crisp Fried Chicken and Tangy Coleslaw
By Emma Collins
Prep
30 min
Cook
60 min
Total
90 min
Servings
4
Make these Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches in 30 minutes. Deep-fry bite-size pieces of flaky chicken and serve on toasted brioche rolls with pink-orange sauce, pickles, and coleslaw.
The steps include recipes for coleslaw and other sauces that can be made in advance and served with fried chicken. Coleslaw ingredients and preparation: Mix mayonnaise, yellow mustard, lemon juice or white vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper, and refrigerate. Other sauce ingredients and preparation: Mix mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and garlic powder. Wet breading ingredients and preparation for fried chicken: Mix buttermilk, egg, hot sauce, and pickle juice.
The dry ingredients for breading are flour, cornstarch, spices, and baking powder mixed with a few spoonfuls of wet batter. Allow breaded fish fillets to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking in a 350°F skillet. Cook fish fillets until golden brown, flipping once. Overcrowding the pan will keep fish fillets from cooking evenly.
Serve hot sandwiches on toasted buns with other toppings in the following order: chicken, coleslaw, and pickles. According to the article, serve fries, extra coleslaw, and cucumber salad as side dishes with sweet tea to counteract spicy flavors. Keep sandwich ingredients separate until serving to preserve toasted buns and other fried ingredients.
Why this recipe works
- Preparation time is decreased by making the cole slaw and sauce mix in advance to serve with fried chicken right after it is cooked.
- One method for creating a flaky, crisp coating for chicken involves stirring wet batter into seasoned flour to coat the chicken.
- No special equipment is needed for this method.
- The heat level can be adjusted, as the spicy oil is prepared with cayenne pepper to the desired heat level in batches of varying spiciness.
- Four to six sandwiches can be made with two large chicken breasts cut into small pieces suitable for a sandwich bun and breaded and fried.
- Cleanup is less because there is no other oil to dispose of, the oil used to coat the food with spices is the same oil used for frying.
- Tangy condiments that go well with fried chicken sandwiches include pickle juice in the batter and pickles and other rich condiments served with the sandwiches
- Other condiments served with fried chicken sandwiches include coleslaw.
Ingredients
- •2 large chicken breasts (about 1.5 pounds)
- •peanut or vegetable oil (for frying)
- •1 cup all-purpose flour
- •3 tablespoons cornstarch
- •2 teaspoons garlic powder
- •2 tablespoons chili powder
- •2 teaspoons salt
- •2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
- •1 teaspoon black pepper
- •1 teaspoon baking powder
- •¾ cup buttermilk
- •1 large egg
- •2 tablespoons vinegar-based hot sauce
- •¼ cup pickle juice
- •1 teaspoon baking powder
- •1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- •2 ½ tablespoons cayenne powder (add more to taste)
- •2 tablespoons chili powder
- •1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- •1 teaspoon garlic powder
- •1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
- •¾ cup frying oil
- •3 cups coleslaw blend (or 2 cups shredded green cabbage, 1/2 cup purple cabbage, and 1/2 cup shredded carrots)
- •¼ cup mayonnaise
- •½ tablespoon yellow mustard (1/2 to 1 tablespoon, adjust to taste)
- •salt (to taste)
- •black pepper (to taste)
- •1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar
- •½ tablespoon granulated white sugar (1/2 to 1 tablespoon)
- •½ cup mayonnaise
- •¼ cup ketchup
- •2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- •1 teaspoon black pepper
- •½ teaspoon garlic powder
- •4 brioche buns
- •unsalted butter (for toasting buns)
- •pickles
Instructions
- 1
Add the cabbage blend, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, and sugar to a large bowl.
- 2
Mix the coleslaw well until everything is evenly combined.
- 3
Cover the coleslaw and transfer it to the refrigerator until the end.
- 4
Combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl.
- 5
Mix the sauce until creamy and light pink-orangeish, then set aside.
- 6
Cut the chicken breasts in half if they are too thick, then cut them into individual filets about the same size as the buns.
- 7
Pat the chicken very dry with a paper towel.
- 8
Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, mustard powder, black pepper, and baking powder in a large bowl, then set aside.
- 9
Whisk together the buttermilk, egg, hot sauce, pickle juice, and baking powder in a deep bowl.
- 10
Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of the wet batter to the dry mixture and mix around to create a flaky texture, then set aside.
- 11
Dip each filet first in the dry mixture, then into the wet mixture, then back into the dry mixture, using one hand for wet ingredients and one hand for dry ingredients.
- 12
Let any excess fall off before dipping each filet into the next mixture.
- 13
Allow the breaded filets to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before frying.
- 14
Heat oil to about 350°F in a frying pan, about 1.5 to 2 inches high.
- 15
Fry the filets in 2 to 3 batches without overcrowding the pan, flipping halfway through, until golden brown all around, about 7 to 8 minutes.
- 16
Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel to drain excess oil.
- 17
Reserve 3/4 cup of the frying oil in a cup.
- 18
Add the reserved frying oil, brown sugar, chili powder, cayenne, dry mustard, garlic powder, and salt to a deep, wide bowl.
- 19
Mix the spicy oil well.
- 20
Dunk each filet in the spicy oil and transfer to a plate.
- 21
Butter the buns and toast them in a pan over medium heat or in a 350°F oven for 5 to 6 minutes.
- 22
Assemble the toasted buns with the sauce, fried chicken, coleslaw, and pickles.
- 23
Close the sandwiches and serve warm.
FAQ
Reviews
Pin this recipe
Tap an image to save it to Pinterest.
