Baked Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches

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Baked Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches are what happens when you combine the spicy Nashville Hot Chicken, brioche buns, and creamy coleslaw. And as a plus, the chicken’s baked so there’s no frying involved! These easy sandwiches are perfect for any Game Day.

Baked Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches with skewers in the tops of the sandwiches.

I love sandwiches of all form. Everything from my Spanglish Sandwich, Grinder Sandwich, Buffalo Chicken Wrap or Fancy Tuna Melts. All delicious

Iโ€™ve been wanting to make hot chicken, but in slider-form for a while now, so I figured what better time than now to unofficially kick off summer.

While I do think frying in the kitchen is worth it in some cases (read: Churros), I don’t always want to do it. My favorite part about this recipe is that it doesnโ€™t require a fryer or a big pot of oil. This is in the oven, baked, the whole time.

Ingredients for Baked Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches.

What is a Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich?

Nashville Hot chicken sandwiches are a sandwich that utilizes boneless chicken covered in a spicy butter layered in between a bun and coleslaw. Think of a classic chicken sandwich and add a bunch of heat!

Obviously, just like the name they’re from Nashville, Tennessee. I was lucky enough to visit Prince’s Hot Chicken on a visit and was blown away by how delicious it was. (I went to Hattie B’s and it was tasty, too!)

Dredging set-up.

How to Make a Baked Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich:

  1. Prep the dredge. Put all the breading components into their own dishes.
  2. Preheat the oven, and a baking sheet. Turn the oven on and brush a baking pan with oil. Place the pan in the oven to heat up while you prep the chicken.
  3. Dredge the chicken. Dip each piece of seasoned chicken into all the dishes of breading ingredients. First the flour, then the eggs, and finally the breadcrumbs.
  4. Bake the chicken. Place the breaded chicken on the preheated baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, flipping half way through.
  5. Meanwhile, Make the hot chicken sauce. While the chicken bakes, melt down the butter, scooping the milk solids off the top as it melts so you end up with clarified butter. Add the cayenne with the brown sugar and remaining spices. Let the butter heat up until the salt has dissolved and the spices have infused it.
  6. Baste the chicken. After the chicken has cooked, baste each piece in the hot chicken sauce.
  7. Assemble the sandwiches. Place the chicken, slaw and pickled on each brioche bottom bun, top with the other half and put a skewer through.
Assembling the sandwiches.

Why Baking Fried Chicken is Better than Frying

Less oil and easier cleanup. That being said, I think this really only works for a recipe like this.  Classic fried chicken needs to be fried but I like baking for sandwiches or chicken tenders. You’ll never get the same craggy fried chicken skin baking so if I’m making classic fried chicken with bone-in pieces I stick to the classic deep or pan fried method.

Brushing the sandwiches with sauce.

Recipe Tip

Size matters. Make these as sliders like I’ve used them here or you can use larger pieces of chicken and make full sized sandwiches.

Add Briny Things. The pickles and slaw are key, the brightness cuts through the spice and richness of the chicken.

Make Ahead. Make the slaw the day before if you’d like to save on time the day of.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use the airfryer?

Absolutely. I love using the airfryer for easy, fuss-free cooking. I’m not above it! I would spray the airfryer with cooking spray, place the dredged chicken in it and set it to 400F. Cook for 5-6 minutes per side, flipping half way through.

Can I use big pieces of chicken?

Sure. Use whole thighs or whole chicken breasts if you like. I think you should definitely pound the chicken breasts into an even layer (similar to how I make Pork Katsu) so that it cooks evenly. You could probably get two sandwiches from one chicken breast.

Baked Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches with skewers in the tops of the sandwiches.

More Cozy Sandwiches To Make

If you tried this Baked Nashville Chicken Sandwiches Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

5 from 6 votes

Baked Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Baked Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches are what happens when you combine the spicy Nashville Hot Chicken, brioche buns, and creamy coleslaw. And as a plus, the chicken's baked so there's no frying involved!

Ingredients 

Chicken:ย 

  • 2 pounds boneless/skinless chicken breasts , cut into 3-inch cubes (this doesnโ€™t have to be cut perfectly)ย 
  • Kosher salt
  • Pepperย 

Chickenย Dredge:ย 

Hotย Chickenย Sauce:ย 

  • 1/2ย  cupย  unsalted butter
  • 1ย  tablespoonย  ground cayenne pepper, orย moreย orย lessย dependingย onย yourย heatย toleranceย 
  • 1ย  teaspoonย  brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoonย  garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoonย  paprika
  • 1ย  teaspoonย  kosher salt

For Assembly:ย 

  • 12 brioche dinner rolls
  • Cole slaw, optional
  • 12 sweet bread and butter pickles
  • 12 skewersย 

Instructions 

Prep the Chicken:ย 

  • 1. Sprinkle the chicken with a few pinches of salt and pepper.ย 

To Make the Chicken Dredge:ย 

  • Prepย theย chickenย dredgeย byย addingย theย flourย toย a wide-rimmed baking dish.ย Toย another dish,ย tossย theย breadย crumbsย withย theย salt andย groundย paprika.ย Toย aย medium dish,ย beatย theย 3ย largeย eggsย together.ย Thisย willย giveย youย aย goodย assemblyย line.ย 
  • Preheatย theย ovenย toย 350ย degreesย F.ย Toย aย cleanย bakingย sheet,ย brushย theย surfaceย withย the oil andย transferย toย theย oven.ย (Theย oilย willย getย reallyย hotย whileย youย assembleย theย restย ofย theย ingredients.)ย 
  • Usingย tongs, dip chicken,ย pieceย byย piece, firstย inย theย flour,ย thenย theย eggย and,ย lastly, theย breadย crumbs.ย Feelย freeย toย sprinkleย theย topsย andย theย sidesย ofย theย chickenย withย theย breadย crumbs.ย Iย foundย itย easierย toย doย itย thisย way.ย Transferย toย aย plateย andย repeatย withย the remainingย piecesย ofย chicken.ย 
  • Placeย theย chickenย onย theย hotย bakingย sheetย inย theย ovenย andย bakeย onย theย firstย sideย for 15 minutes.ย Flipย andย cookย onย theย oppositeย sideย forย another 20 minutes.ย 
  • Whileย theย chickenย isย cooking,ย letโ€™sย makeย theย hotย sauce.ย Inย aย smallย saucepan,ย meltย theย butter.ย Skimย theย fatย solidsย offtheย topย andย discard.ย Thisย willย leaveย youย withย clarifiedย butter.ย Addย theย cayenneย pepper,ย sugar, garlicย powder,ย paprikaย andย salt.ย Warmย untilย theย sugarย andย saltย areย dissolved.ย 
  • Whenย theย chickenย isย doneย cooking, transfer the pieces to the brioche buns. I added about 1 to 2 pieces to each of the bottom of the buns.
  • Brushย theย topsย liberallyย withย theย spice/butterย mixture.ย Iย foundย thatย whatย Iย reallyย wantedย wasย theย pasteย thatย sitsย atย theย bottom;ย scoopย thatย stuff outย andย brush that on. The more the better! Top with a bit of cole slaw, if desired, and add the other half of the brioche bun to the top. Add a bread and butter pickle to the top and poke a skewer through the center so it holds its shape! Serve immediately. ย ย 

Notes

Tips and Tricks:ย 
  • Size matters. Make these as sliders like I’ve used them here or you can use larger pieces of chicken and make full sized sandwiches.
  • Add Briny Things. The pickles and slaw are key, the brightness cuts through the spice and richness of the chicken.
  • Make Ahead. Make the slaw the day before if you’d like to save on time the day of.

Nutrition

Serving: 12g | Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 4mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Calcium: 23mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
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Cozy Latin-Inspired Comfort Food Recipes

Hi! I'm Adrianna and this is my cozy space on the internet that is super-charged by butter, flour and copious amounts of pasta. Stay awhile, will you!

5 from 6 votes (1 rating without comment)

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16 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These Nashville hot chicken sliders look like the perfect combination of spicy and crispy! I love how the heat from the chicken is balanced with a cooling sauce or toppings. The mini slider format is perfect for serving at parties or just for a fun, flavorful meal at home. Thanks for sharing such a bold and tasty recipeโ€”I canโ€™t wait to make these and feel that fiery flavor!

  2. 5 stars
    This recipe comes out SOOO good!! It’s the only online food blog recipe I come back to every couple of weeks because my family and I love eating it so much. I have to tweak it a little to suit our tastes (same with all recipes, though), and the website format on my laptop cuts out some of the words in the instructions, but I can still follow them. Overall, an AMAZING recipe! Thanks so much for this!