Nashville Hot Chicken Wraps With Pickle Slaw Recipe

Nashville hot, not to be confused with Buffalo, is a style of fried chicken that is coated in an earthy, slightly sweet oil-infused hot sauce. Despite both being hot, orange-hued sauces named after their cities of origin, the two types of chicken — and sauce — are very different. Buffalo is thick, tangy, and almost creamy because it is made with butter, vinegar, and hot sauce. Nashville hot is unique in that it uses the chicken frying oil as a component of the sauce, giving it more depth of savory hot flavor. Besides the sauces, the serving styles are different, too: while you'll almost always see Buffalo chicken paired with ranch or blue cheese, Nashville hot is served with bread and plenty of pickles.

With the differences between types of famous fried chicken in mind, this spicy chicken wrap recipe written with developer Michelle McGlinn is a delicious iteration of a classic Nashville hot sandwich. Instead of large breaded chicken thighs on thick slices of white bread, this recipe uses strips of chicken breasts wrapped in large flour tortillas. The chicken is still given the saucy Nashville hot treatment, even being paired with a tangy dill-pickle slaw. Nashville hot chicken sandwiches might be a little heavy for lunchtime, but this lighter version can be eaten any time of day, making it a great option for anyone with a midweek yen for spicy fried chicken (and pickles).

For the chicken and sauce, the grocery list will look similar to if you were making Nashville hot fried chicken; instead of bone-in chicken, though, grab chicken breasts or tenderloins. Next, grab buttermilk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cornstarch, flour, and your favorite hot sauce — something Louisiana-style, like Louisiana, Frank's, or Texas Pete. From there, you'll just need brown sugar, cayenne pepper, and oil for frying. For the slaw, grab shredded cabbage (or a premade coleslaw mix), mayonnaise, pickles, and pickle juice, honey, and scallions, and then grab 10-inch tortillas to wrap it all together.

In a bowl, combine the buttermilk and hot sauce.

In a second bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.

Pat the chicken completely dry and dip it into the buttermilk mixture.

Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and set aside. Repeat with all the pieces.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. To test the heat, drop a piece of flour into the oil. If it browns, the oil is ready.

Add the chicken and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oil and drain on a paper towel-lined sheet tray.

To make the Nashville hot sauce, combine 1 cup reserved frying oil, cayenne, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder while the oil is still hot. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved.

Brush the chicken with the hot sauce until coated.

To make the pickle slaw, combine the mayonnaise, pickle juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

Toss with cabbage, scallions, and chopped pickles.

To assemble, add chicken to a tortilla with the pickle slaw.

Wrap the tortilla around the fillings.

Slice in half to serve.

Nashville hot chicken is most authentic when fried for 2 reasons: First, because the texture of the chicken should be crispy, airy, crunchy, and slightly spicy, and second because the saucy coating should be made with the leftover frying oil. Using this oil adds a spicy, savory dimension to the sauce that makes it unique; and if you use the oil immediately, you can whisk the sauce together without needing to put it back over the stove. Forgoing frying changes the texture of the chicken, the taste of the sauce, and the classic technique a bit, but it can be done.

To make Nashville hot chicken without frying, you'll need an oven or air fryer and some panko, breadcrumbs, or cornflakes. Dredge the chicken in the buttermilk mixture as written, then when breading, add the panko, breadcrumbs, or cornflakes to coat. Bake in the oven at 400 F until golden and crispy (or use this recipe for crispy baked chicken tenders, or this recipe for air fryer fried chicken as guides). To make the hot sauce without frying oil, you can use vegetable oil, ghee, or butter. Add the fat to a saucepan and melt, if needed, then add the remaining ingredients and incorporate, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. From there, brush the chicken and continue with the recipe as written.

This recipe is written to mimic the authentic taste of a Nashville hot chicken sandwich, which is made with white bread and pickles. Nashville chicken, though, is delicious with plenty of toppings aside from pickles. For starters, you can mash or slice an avocado and stuff it into the wrap with the chicken. You can also add red onion, feta cheese, and chickpeas for a Greek-inspired spicy wrap. Make it BLT style by adding bacon bits, lettuce, and tomato, or put a spicy spin on chicken-bacon-ranch by adding ranch dressing.

You can also forgo the wrap and turn this recipe into a salad. Enjoy it as-is, adding the chicken to a bed of pickle slaw, or fill it out by adding other ingredients. For example, tossing the slaw with lettuce, jalapeños, and shaved Brussels sprouts helps it become a more filling salad with extra nutrients. Add to it beans, crumbled cheese, and avocado, and you have a full dinner to enjoy. Soup and salad night, anyone? We recommend pairing it with an equally spicy jalapeño chili.