Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich

With its sweet + spicy sauce and tender, juicy chicken breast, this Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich brings home all of the flavors of your favorite Nashville hot chicken. Topped with a tangy homemade slaw, this sandwich is to die for! Plus, I’ve included a gluten-free option as well!

Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich Recipe

If you’ve ever been to Nashville, and you’re a foodie, you know that the Nashville hot chicken sandwich is a MUST try! I admit I’m a sucker for almost any type of hot chicken sandwich, so recreating this experience was a no-brainer. Top it off with this sweet and tangy mustard slaw and your taste buds will be in heaven.

Ingredients needed

This is definitely not a 10 ingredient or less recipe, but for the flavors of this sandwich you’re going to want to make an exception!

Chicken + seasoning

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 Tbsp. black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. salt

Dredge

• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. Louisiana Hot Sauce

Coating

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. salt

Nashville Hot Chicken sauce

• 2 cups coconut or avocado oil
• 1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. Louisiana Hot Sauce

Creamy Mustard Slaw

• 2 cups cabbage slaw
• 3/4 cup chopped dill pickles
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. whole grain mustard
• 1-2 Tbsp. mayo

How to make a Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich

1. Rub 1 Tbsp. of both salt and pepper all over all four chicken breasts. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and 1 Tbsp. Louisiana Hot Sauce. In another bowl, combine flour and 2 tsp. salt.
3. Next, in a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 cups avocado over medium-high heat. Dip the chicken breasts into the flour mixture, then into the milk mixture, then back into the flour mixture one last time. Place into the hot oil and cook 7-10 minutes per side or until chicken breasts are cooked through.
4. While the chicken is frying, in a small bowl, combine all slaw ingredients and mix well. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
5. Once the chicken is done cooking, remove from skillet and place onto a cooling rack to allow excess oil and sauce to drip.
6. While the chicken is resting, prepare the Nashville hot chicken sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup avocado oil, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, plus 1 tsp. each salt and pepper and 1 tbsp. Louisiana Hot Sauce.
7. Using a brush, cover both sides of each breast heavily with the Nashville Hot Chicken sauce.
8. Place each chicken breast onto a bun, top with slaw, and serve immediately.

Recipe FAQs

Is Nashville hot chicken spicy?

Yes, there is a kick to a Nashville hot chicken sandwich. However, it’s not over-the-top spicy. This recipe is about as spicy as your typical mild to medium buffalo chicken wings.

Is Nashville hot chicken gluten-free?

This is going to depend on each specific recipe. Most Nashville hot chicken recipes are not gluten-free. However, I’ve included a few swaps in the recipe notes below that will help you convert this recipe to a gluten-free version.

Is hot chicken good for you?

By now you all probably know my answer to this question. I encourage you to review the nutrition information below and make the personal decision on how you see this recipe fitting into your overall diet. It does contain oil that is higher in fat and is a fried food, but again, you’ll need to make the call.

Recommended kitchen tools for this recipe

Wanderlust and Wellness participates in the Amazon affiliate program. Please see my affiliate disclaimer.

• To pan-fry chicken or any other type of meat, I recommend a large cast iron skillet. Cast iron skillets cook well with high heat.

Make it a meal with the addition of these recipes!

• Spicy Sweet Potato Fries – add a little heat to your sweet potato fries
• Gluten-free Peach Galette – what’s dinner without a delicious dessert??
• Easy Berry Mojito – a refreshing cocktail to cool down the heat

Enjoy these other Nashville hot chicken inspired recipes !

• Gluten-Free Air Fryer Nashville Chicken Bites – the perfect party appetizer
• Chicken Wing Recipes – every flavor and style of chicken wings you could imagine

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Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich

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