This southern hot chicken sandwich ain’t for the faint of heart; juicy fried chicken slathered in a thick spice sauce and topped with some cool pickles. Yes, yes, and yes!

I don’t know about you but when I think of a southern recipe my mind goes straight to fried chicken. In your typical southern home on just about every major holiday or get together, fried chicken is often at the center of the family dinner table. When I was asked to participate in a #southernsummerflavors food blogger’s event- I couldn’t wait to whip up these southern hot chicken sandwiches.

Hot chicken originated in Nashville, Tennessee and is traditionally a type of fried chicken that is marinated in seasonings, then floured, and fried. Lastly, the chicken is finally sauced using a paste that has been spiced with cayenne pepper. And all good southerners know that seasonings and marinade make an excellent and flavorful piece of chicken. Now I’m going to be honest, when I say that this chicken isn’t for the faint of heart, I mean it. Since this chicken is coated in a spicy sauce, it packs a significant punch. It’s not like omg call the doctor, it’s more like, have a drink nearby type deal.

Now let’s start with the preparation for this hot chicken sandwich.

Hot chicken is also usually prepared using the breast, thigh, or wing portion of a chicken but I used boneless/skinless chicken thighs here. I begin by seasoning the chicken thighs in salt, pepper, and a little hot sauce. You’ll want to let this marinate in a ziplock bag or container preferably overnight. If you can only do a few hours that’s ok too. Let’s talk about dredging now. Pour the flour into a shallow dish (i.e a pie plate or something similar) and in another shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and hot sauce. To actually dredge the chicken, you’ll want to dip each piece of chicken into the flour then into the buttermilk, and once again into the flour. During this process the dredge mixtures will adhere and your fingers will look all clumpy but keep cool, you’re doing it right.

Alright, so we’ve almost got some hot chicken!

Next up, fill a dutch oven with about 2-3 inches of vegetable oil and let it come up to about 350°F using a deep fry thermometer. This recipe uses 6 pieces of chicken, so I cooked it in batches to ensure that the chicken does get over crowded in the pot. Fry until crispy and golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Carefully transfer the chicken onto a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack.

Lastly, once all the chicken has been fried, you can make the spicy paste that is going to be slathered onto the chicken. In a heat-proof bowl, whisk together the cayenne pepper, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, and salt. If you’re wondering where the brown sugar comes in here, the sugar adds a touch of sweetness to curb all dat spiciness. And to bring the sauce home, you’re going to ladle about 1 cup of that hot oil into the spice mixture and whisk until it dissolves. We’re getting close and I know at this point your stomach is growling. Immediately put sauce onto the fried chicken by pouring it or brushing it on. You’ve now got yourself some southern hot chicken! Prep your buns, load the chicken, top with pickles, and enjoy!

Catch myself and other food bloggers’ Southern tasty recipes on Instagram by following the #southernsummerflavors hashtag and leave a comment with your favorite Southern dish!

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Southern Hot Chicken Sandwiches

  • Author: Quin Liburd
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 35 mins
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This southern hot chicken sandwich ain’t for the faint of heart; juicy fried chicken slathered in a thick spice sauce and topped with some cool pickles. Yes, yes, and yes!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 boneless/skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp ground pepper
  • 2 tbsp Louisiana hot sauce
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 3 tbsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • Sandwich buns, pickles, and mayo, for serving

Instructions

  1. Clean chicken thighs and pat dry.
  2. Season chicken with 2 tsp salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp hot sauce.
  3. Place into ziplock bag or container and let marinate in refrigerator, preferably overnight.
  4. Fill a dutch oven pot with about 2-3 inches of oil.
  5. Using a deep fry thermometer, let oil come up to 350°F.
  6. Fill a shallow dish with flour. Fill another shallow dish with eggs, buttermilk, and remaining tbsp of hot sauce. Whisk until well combined.
  7. Dip chicken into flour then into the buttermilk mixture, then once again into the flour. Shake off excess flour.
  8. In batches, fry chicken until crispy and golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.
  9. Carefully place chicken onto a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack.
  10. To prepare the sauce, in a heat-proof bowl combine cayenne pepper, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt.
  11. Ladle in about 1 cup of hot oil into the spices and whisk until mixture dissolves.
  12. Immediately put sauce onto chicken.
  13. Serve with sandwich buns and pickles.
  14. Enjoy!