If you’ve been to pretty much any fast-serve restaurant in the last couple of years, there’s a good chance you have seen a spicy chicken sandwich on the menu. The influence of “Nashville Hot Chicken” gets an all-Canadian makeover for the All Canadian, Crunchy Hot Chicken Sandwich.

This recipe is from our recipe pal and House of Q fan Steve Waldron. He likes his spicy food and loves Sugar & Spice BBQ Sauce! But this one is easy to make if you have the means to deep fry the chicken. We are sure you can air-fry it but trust us, no one in Nashville is air-frying hot chicken! Thanks for the recipe Steve! This is delicious!!

So What’s Nashville Hot Chicken?

It’s delicious. Especially if you like fried chicken and even more special is if you like spicy food. This Nashville, TN dish is described by Carlsbad Cravings as:

“Nashville Hot Chicken is known for its significant heat. The dish is famous for its spicy, cayenne pepper-infused coating that delivers a fiery kick. Typically, the chicken is marinated in a spicy buttermilk mixture, then fried and coated with a spicy paste made from a blend of cayenne pepper and other seasonings.”

The buttermilk is a traditional way to prepare fried chicken. Soaking in milk provides both seasoning for the poultry and also a bit of tenderness. The tanginess of the buttermilk is a key here… don’t replace with just milk. But a hot chicken marinade has plenty of spice added to it and in this recipe there is BBQ sauce and if you so chose, more cayenne.

Getting All the Texture

It can be real easy to order something at a restaurant or make something at home and miss or skip some of the key elements for a well-executed dish. For this sandwich, there is a lot of texture. The chicken is crispy on the outside. It is moist, juicy and well seasoned both on the inside of the chicken and on the outside. But there’s more…

This sandwich adds even more crunch with two more layers. There is lettuce on the bottom. This too has a double purpose. First it adds a soft crunch to the sandwich in addition to the chicken and then it acts as a barrier underneath the hot chicken so the bun remains intact.

The second layer of flavour is the pickles which also have two purposes to it… the first is yet again another layer of crunch. Some pickles are soft and those work well but a crunchy one seems to add plenty of additional character to a hot sandwich. The other element the pickles provide is the vinegar which adds some tanginess or contrast to the savoury and spicy chicken.

But amongst all of this and another one to easily miss is on the bottom bun – the mayonnaise and Slow Smoke Gold mustard. These add some creaminess, some coolness even against the spicy chicken. The mustard adds a touch of tanginess underneath and contrasting the pickles on top. Phew! There’s a lot going on in this sandwich!

All Canadian, Crunchy Hot Chicken Sandwich

Print Recipe

Course Main Course

Cuisine Grill, Kitchen

HoQ Product Slow Smoke Gold BBQ Sauce, Sugar & Spice BBQ Sauce

Author House of Q

Ingredients

Marinade:

• 2 cups Buttermilk
• 1/4 cup House of Q Sugar & Spice BBQ Sauce
• 4-6 Chicken thighs – boneless skin on

Coating:

• 3 cups Flour
• 3 tbsp House of Q House Rub
• 2 tbsp Cayenne

Finishing Sauce:

• 2 tbsp House of Q Sugar & Spice BBQ Sauce
• 1 ts red chili flakes
• 1 ladle hot oil after deep frying approximately 1/2 cup

Sandwich:

• 4-6 Buns
• Mayonnaise
• House of Q Slow Smoke Gold BBQ Sauce
• Lettuce whole leaf or shredded
• Pickles – sliced into medallions tangy ones work best, not sweet

Instructions

• Mix the Sugar & Spice BBQ Sauce well into the buttermilk. Add the chicken and make sure it is fully immersed in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours. A zip top bag works great for this step.
• In a deep skillet or a deep fryer, begin heating enough oil to 350 F to cook the chicken. In a separate bowl blend together the flour, House Rub and cayenne. Remove the chicken from the marinade keeping a cup or two to help with coating. The chicken should still be wet but not dripping. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, then dip into the reserved buttermilk. Then back into the flour dredge again for a super crispy crunch. Let chicken rest on a rack for 10 mins or so while oil gets up to temp. (Leaving in the fridge longer with air circulation is perfect and a great way to get even more texture.)
• Cook 2 pieces or chicken at a time (depending on the capacity of your cooking device) flipping if needed to ensure even browning. Cook for approximately 8 – 10 minutes and check the meat with a thermometer. It can be removed from the oil when it has reached 165 F. Place on a cooling rack while you finish cooking the other pieces of chicken (holding in a warm oven helps too!).
• To make the spicy sauce, put the Sugar & Spice BBQ Sauce and the chili flakes into a heat proof sauce pot. Carefully add the ladle of hot oil to the sauce. REAL carefully!! This mixture will splash a bit and its hot! Mix together until well blended. Brush the sauce over the cooked chicken on both sides.
• To assemble the sandwiches, toast the buns if you prefer and smear some mayonnaise on the bottom bun followed by a tablespoon or so of Slow Smoke Gold. Add some lettuce and then a piece of chicken. Top with sliced pickles.

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