Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich Recipe

For the Slaw:

•   5 cups shredded white cabbage
•   ½ cup mayonnaise, plus more if needed
•   1/4 cup chopped scallions
•   1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
•   1 teaspoon salt
•   ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Fried Chicken:

•   2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour or regular flour
•   2 eggs
•   2 tablespoons milk
•   1 teaspoon hot sauce
•   8 Cooks Venture skinless boneless chicken breasts (or thighs)
•   4 teaspoons cayenne
•   2 teaspoons garlic powder
•   4 teaspoons kosher salt
•   3 cups of light olive oil

For the Sauce:

•   1 stick unsalted butter
•   1 tablespoon cayenne
•   ½ tablespoon hot paprika
•   1 teaspoon garlic powder
•   ½ teaspoon onion powder
•   ½ teaspoon kosher salt
•   ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
•   2 tablespoons white vinegar
•   1 tablespoon honey

For the Sandwich:

•   8 brioche or soft gluten-free or regular buns*
•   Dill pickles

Instructions

 

Make the Slaw: 

1. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and vinegar and stir. This will thin the mayo enough to stir in easily to the slaw. In large bowl, toss the cabbage, mayonnaise mixture, scallions, salt and pepper together and refrigerate.
   
   

Make the Fried Chicken:

1. On a sheet tray, lay out the chicken breasts and pat dry. Let them come up to room temperature on your counter for about 30 minutes.
2. Season both sides of each breast, with ½ teaspoon of salt per breast. Combine the 4 teaspoons of cayenne and 2 teaspoons of garlic powder and season both sides of the chicken breasts with this blend. (Teri likes to individually salt the breasts because she likes to know that each piece is perfectly salted. This way she avoids having some pieces under salted and some over salted.)
3. In a wide, shallow bowl mix the eggs, milk, and hot sauce.
4. Add the flour to another baking dish or large, shallow bowl.
5. With your designated dry hand, dredge the chicken breasts, one at a time, in the flour, making sure both sides are coated. With your other hand, dip the breast in the egg mixture, making sure both sides are dipped, and return to the flour. With your dry hand, dredge the breast again, fully coating the breast, and return the breast to the sheet tray.  Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
6. In a large nonstick skillet, add about 1 to 2 inches of oil, which for us ended up being about 3 cups, and heat over medium high. Heat the oil until it is hot and shimmering but not smoking. If you have a thermometer, you want the oil to be 350°F.
7. Once the oil is hot enough, fry one breast to test the oil. You’ll want to fry the breast for about 5 or 6 minutes, flipping halfway through, until it is brown and crispy and about 165°F. Set aside on a rack lined sheet tray or a paper towel lined plate.
8. If the test breast is fried well and the oil isn’t too hot, repeat with the remaining chicken breasts in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, otherwise adjust your heat level before proceeding. Everyone’s pans and stoves are different, that’s why it is important to test your cooking environment and make sure you’re getting the results you want.

Make the Sauce:

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium and add all of the remaining ingredients for the sauce.  Stir very well, turn off heat and set aside.

Assemble the Sandwich:

1. Toast the buns (watch closely, as brioche burns quickly) or warm them in the oven.
2. For each sandwich, slather the sauce on both sides of a fried chicken breast. Place the breast on the bottom half of a bun, top with a couple of pickles and top with coleslaw to your liking. Close the sandwich with the top bun and repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
3. Serve and enjoy!