Nashville Hot Chicken Sliders
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Oil heated till shimmering. Flour mixed with onion powder, paprika, celery salt, white pepper. Chicken strips dredged with this, fried till crisp edges, golden brown. Tossed with a fiery Nashville-style sauce. Sliders built on buttery buttermilk biscuits, topped with spicy honey habanero pickles. Mayo optional. Timing judged by color and texture, not just the clock. A method learned from burns and soggy bread. Perfect balance of crunch and heat depends on tossing and frying skill. Substitutions include swapping habanero pickles for spicy dill or even roasted jalapeños. Flour spices flexible. Cast iron pan recommended for even heat retention. Total cook and prep about half hour. Serve twelve slider-sized bites.
Prep:
17 min
Cook:
16 min
Total:
33 min
Servings:
12 servings
#Southern American
#fried chicken
#spicy food
#sliders
#comfort food
Started frying chicken way too hot, oil screaming, outsized burns. Learned slow crisping beats frantic flash. Dredging mix a game changer; paprika spice balance quirky—too much and bitterness creeps in. Fried chicken strips demand attention, half-minute sides flipping, listening for that distinct pop and crackle. Tossing in hot sauce then quick assembly is chaotic but rewarding. Biting into the warm, flaky biscuit, hit by sweet heat of honey habanero pickles, well, it’s fire on fire. Mayo? Sometimes a must when heat’s too much; kind of paints a cool counterbalance. Flour mix tweakable, spices honest kitchen shelf finds. Biscuit fluffy enough to soak sauce but not collapse. Cast iron skillet my loyal friend here, retains heat, smoothing out fry temperature mistakes. Finger-licking challenge, if you ask me. Test each batch, watch colors, trust fingers more than timers. That’s the secret. Cooking is listening, seeing—not just measuring.
Ingredients
- Oil for frying (vegetable or peanut), enough to cover chicken strips halfway
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika (substitute smoked paprika for depth)
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper (can use black pepper if unavailable)
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken strips (skinless breasts or thighs, cut into uniform pieces)
- Nashville Hot Sauce (see note for homemade or store-bought option)
- 12 small buttermilk biscuits, halved, warmed
- 24 honey habanero pickles or substitute with spicy dill pickles or roasted jalapeños
- Optional: mayonnaise or chipotle mayo
About the ingredients
Flour mixture is your first defense zone. Adjust paprika and celery salt if your grocery picks taste flat or too harsh. Celery salt adds subtle depth, don’t skip. White pepper softly lifts heat differently than black; if unavailable, black pepper or even cayenne could play, but add cautiously. Oil type matters: peanut or vegetable with high smoke point, no shortcuts. Cast iron skillet ensures even heat that you won’t get from cheap pans—avoid hot spots frying chicken. Chicken strips cut consistent size for uniform cooking; thighs hold moisture but breasts feel cleaner, less fatty. Pickles: honey habanero are funky funk, spicy-sweet tartness that cuts richness, but spicy dill or chipotle slices bring alternate heat notes. Mayo—patience here, add after tasting sauce heat, sometimes a dollop saves the slider. Biscuits—homemade or store-bought; warm before serving or you risk cold bites and broken textures.
Method
- Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet (cast iron preferred) over medium-high. Look for rippling surface or small bubbles when test-dropped.
- Whisk together flour, onion powder, sweet paprika, celery salt, and white pepper in a mixing bowl.
- Coat chicken strips evenly in the flour mix. Press to adhere, tap off excess to avoid thick clumps.
- Carefully add the chicken strips to hot oil in a single layer. Should sizzle immediately. Avoid overcrowding; fry batches if needed.
- Fry chicken strips 4-6 minutes per side. Watch for deep golden edges, firm texture, and minimal pink inside, not just rely on timer. Internal temp around 165°F if you want exact.
- Remove chicken with tongs, drain on wire rack or paper towel briefly to avoid sogginess.
- Toss hot strips immediately with Nashville Hot Sauce in a large bowl, coating but not drowning them. Adjust sauce quantity depending on heat tolerance. I tend to add more after tempering the heat.
- Assemble sliders: place one piece of sauced chicken on each biscuit half. Add two honey habanero pickles on top. Mayo optional for creaminess and cooling effect.
- Serve immediately while biscuits still warm, chicken crispy and sticky with sauce.
Cooking tips
Heat oil until it shimmers, not smoking—this prevents burnt crusts. Constantly monitor bubbling sounds: a strong sizzle, not a roar, guides perfect frying temps. Dredging: better to pat excess flour loose from chicken strips; too thick coating separates, flakes off in oil. Fry in small batches; overcrowding plunges oil temp, causing soggy chicken. Flip the strips calmly; rushing tears crispy crust. Color is king: edges turn deep golden brown cue doneness rather than stopwatch. Internal pink? Not allowed. Sauce tossing needs speed and thoroughness to cover but avoid clumps; wings wrapped in napkins help contain sticky art. Assembly demands immediately after sauce to keep the biscuit from absorbing oils and falling apart. Mayo optional but recommended if you prefer mellow mouthfeel balancing the chili kick. Serve hot, warn eaters about fiery pickles. Clean oil after frying to remove residue if reusing; oil darkening hardens off-flavors.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Oil temp critical; watch for shimmering, small bubbles not roaring boil. Too hot scorches crust, too low makes soggy. Cast iron ideal for steady heat, avoid hot spots. Test with small drop of batter or flour mix, steady gentle sizzle means ready.
- 💡 Flour coating tricky; press chicken gently to flour mix, tap off excess until thin layer. Thick piles fall off mid-fry, cause clumps in oil, burns float around. Spice balance flexible; smoked paprika adds depth, adjust celery salt if pallet needs lift or flat.
- 💡 Fry in batches - overcrowd pan and oil temp nosedives, strips steam, no crunch. Flip slow, half-minute per side, flipping impatient or fast breaks crust. Listen for crackle sound, edges turn deep golden, internal pink not allowed, temp near 165°F best check.
- 💡 Sauce tossing fast, coat well but no drowning. Sauce quantity depends on heat tolerance; start small, add after tasting sauce temper. Sticky sauce means quick assembly crucial or biscuits absorb oil, fall apart. Use wings or napkins for messy sticky hands, helps contain spills.
- 💡 Pickle swaps common. Honey habanero pickles bring spicy-sweet tart bite that cuts through richness. Use spicy dill or roasted jalapeños if need lower or different heat profile. Mayo optional to cool burn; add after tasting. Biscuit texture important; warm before assembly to avoid cold bites.
Common questions
How to know oil temp without thermometer?
Look for shimmering sheen on surface. Tiny bubbles or gentle sizzle when test piece dropped. If oil smokes or roars, too hot. Too quiet means temp low, chicken gets greasy not crisp.
Can I substitute chicken cuts?
Use thighs for moist, breasts if cleaner. Cut uniform size for even cooking. Wings work too but change cook time. Skinless preferred to control crispiness and avoid uneven cooking spots.
What if coating flakes off?
Press flour firmly but tap off excess. Too thick coats separate. Avoid overcrowding pan or flipping too soon. Patience with frying edges turning golden brown helps crust set tightly around chicken.
How store leftovers?
Store chicken separate from sauce to avoid sogginess. Refrigerate in airtight container up to two days. Reheat gently in oven or crisp back in cast iron. Biscuits best warmed before serving or slightly toasted to refresh texture.
