Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich

Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich

Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich -2

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes 

Ingredients:

For the Chicken:

• 8 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 4 Portofino Bakery Potato Buns
• 2 dill pickles, sliced into rounds
• 4 teaspoons mayonnaise

For the Chicken Sauce:

• ¼ cup salted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• ½ cup vinegar-based hot sauce (I use Frank’s Red Hot Sauce)

Directions:

1. Begin by preparing the chicken thighs. Use a sharp knife to remove the bone from each chicken thigh. Do not remove the skin. Place the de-boned chicken thighs on a large plate and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Mix everything to combine.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture over the chicken thighs, followed by the avocado oil. Use your hands to mix everything to combine, making sure to get the spice mixture all over the chicken thighs. Save the remaining spice mixture for making the chicken sauce.
4. Next make the chicken sauce. Add the butter and avocado oil to a small pot over medium-high heat. Once the butter and oil begin to sizzle, add the remaining spice mixture. Cook the spices for 30 seconds, then add the hot sauce. Stir everything to combine and cook for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting to keep the sauce warm while you grill the chicken.
5. Preheat the grill to 400 degrees F.
6. Lay the chicken thighs on the plate in a single layer. Sprinkle the cornstarch on each side of the chicken thighs, making sure to evenly coat them. The cornstarch will help to make the chicken crunchy!
7. Once hot, add the chicken thighs to the grill, skin-side down. Close the lid of the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes per side. In total, it should take around 10 minutes to fully cook the chicken thighs.
8. Slice each of the Portofino Bakery Potato Buns in half across the middle to make a sandwich bun. Add the Potato Buns to the grill and toast each bun for 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
9. Once the chicken is cooked, dunk each chicken thigh into the hot sauce mixture, coating them on each side.
10. Place two chicken thighs on each of the toasted Potato Buns. Top each sandwich with 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise, followed by 3-4 slices of pickles. Add the top of the Potato Bun to the sandwich. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

• This recipe truly makes a Hot chicken sandwich. Follow these ratios below for other heat levels to suit your taste:
  • Mild– 1 ½ tablespoons paprika, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (all other spice measurements stay the same)
  • Medium– 1 ½ tablespoons paprika, 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (all other spice measurements stay the same)
  • Extra Hot– 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (all other spice measurements stay the same)
• You can marinade the chicken in the spice mix for 4-8 hours to make it more flavourful. Just remember to add the cornstarch right before grilling to avoid the chicken thighs from getting soggy.