Description
This Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich features crispy breaded chicken fillets brushed liberally with a spicy, buttery hot sauce, served on toasted brioche buns with dill pickles. The sauce blends cayenne pepper, brown sugar, honey, and classic spices for a bold, flavorful kick that’s balanced with the soft richness of brioche and the tang of pickles.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 breaded chicken breast filets
Sauce
- 0.5 cup butter
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
For Assembling
- 4 brioche buns
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- Dill pickles
Instructions
- Cook the chicken: If using frozen breaded chicken filets, air fry according to the package instructions. Alternatively, prepare fresh breaded chicken fillets and cook them in the air fryer as per your preferred recipe.
- Prepare the sauce: While the chicken cooks, melt 0.5 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add cayenne pepper, brown sugar, honey, kosher salt, cracked black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Whisk to combine and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, taking care not to burn the spices.
- Brush the chicken with sauce: As soon as the chicken is cooked thoroughly, use a pastry brush to generously coat both sides of each piece with the spicy butter sauce. Stir the sauce well before applying to ensure spices are evenly distributed.
- Toast the buns: Meanwhile, butter the insides of each brioche bun with softened butter and toast them in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown.
- Assemble the sandwiches: Place each sauced chicken filet on the bottom half of the toasted bun. Add dill pickle slices on top, then cover with the top bun. Serve immediately while warm.
Notes
- For the chicken, using frozen breaded fillets is a convenient shortcut, but homemade air-fried chicken will give the best flavor and texture.
- The sauce traditionally uses hot frying oil, but butter is used here to replicate the flavor without deep frying.
- Adjust the cayenne pepper up to 4 tablespoons if you prefer extra heat.
- The sauce will separate and clump slightly—this is normal. Stir well before applying to combine the spices into the butter.
- For a milder contrast, add creamy coleslaw or a layer of mayonnaise in the sandwich assembly.
- You may substitute honey by doubling the brown sugar, but honey adds desirable texture and moistness.
