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Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches

John Seymour's Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich
John Seymour's Nashville Hot Chicken SandwichNathan Congleton / TODAY
Servings:
4
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(15)

Chef notes

You don't need to take a trip to the Tennessee to enjoy the crispy, spicy flavors of Nashville-style hot chicken. This recipe from Sweet Chick restaurant in New York City lets you enjoy this classic Southern favorite right at home.

Ingredients

Nashville spice
  • 2 ounces (8 tablespoons) habanero powder
  • ounces (7/8 cup) cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 ounce (2 tablespoons) Spanish paprika
  • 1 ounce (2¼ tablespoons) brown sugar
Nashville hot butter
  • 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
  • 1 tablespoon Nashville spice
  • 10 chiles de Arbol, roughly chopped
Brine
  • cup ranch dressing
  • 1/2 cup dill pickle brine
  • 2 tablespoons chicken base
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 tablespoon Nashville spice
  • 4 boneless chicken breasts
Wet dredge
  • 2 egg whites
  • 2 tablespoons brine (recipe above)
  • tablespoons all-purpose flour
Dry dredge
  • 2 tablespoons milk powder
  • cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup corn starch
  • 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
  • 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tablespoon ancho chili powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon sugar
  • 5 tablespoons brine (recipe above)
Sandwich
  • Oil, for frying
  • 4 potato rolls, preferably Martin's
  • 16 bread and butter pickle chips
  • Nashville hot butter (recipe above)
  • Nashville spice (recipe above)

Preparation

For the Nashville spice:

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir to combine well.

For the Nashville hot butter:

In a small pot, melt butter over medium-low heat until melted and foamy. Strain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer and let cool to exactly 190°F.

Add chiles and hot spice mix to the strained butter and let steep for 30 minutes. Then strain again to remove the chiles and spices.

For the brine:

In a large zip-top bag or a bowl, combine the ranch dressing, dill pickle brine, chicken base, water, flavor enhancer (if using) and Nashville spice and stir to mix well. Add the chicken breasts and seal or cover and place in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight.

For the wet dredge:

In a shallow bowl, whisk together all the ingredients.

For the dry dredge:

In a second shallow bowl, whisk together all the ingredients (the mixture with have some lumpy bits, this will give you extra crunch one the chicken is cooked).

For the sandwiches:

1.

Preheat a deep fryer or pot of oil to 350°F.

2.

Drain the chicken breasts from brine and let rest on a cooling rack for 30 minutes.

3.

Lightly dust both sides of the breasts with dry dredge and let sit of an additional 30 minutes.

4.

Dip the breasts in the wet dredge, allowing excess to drip off.

5.

Add breasts to dry dredge again and press to coat thoroughly.

6.

Carefully place the chicken in the oil and fry until golden brown and cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (about 5-10 minutes depending on the size of the chicken breasts).

7.

Drain any excess oil, and toss immediately with Nashville hot butter and dust with Nashville spice to desired heat level.

8.

Place each piece of chicken on a bun, top each with 4 pickle slices and serve.