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It is that time of year to plan for the grand finale of your football tailgating parties. The Super Bowl is upon us, so there is no better time to show off your best dips, spreads, wings, chili, and sandwich recipes! So why not pull out all of the stops with a craze that is taking the South by storm, Nashville Hot chicken sandwiches…but as sliders! These handheld mini sandwiches have all of the crunch of a classic fried chicken, with a sweet heat that will knock your socks off. Top if off with a creamy cool slaw, and a pile of super briny pickles (because we Southern, okay!), and you have an instant party favorite.
Fried Chicken
These sliders are nothing without the perfect fired chicken. And for that, I will pull out some of my foolproof tips for a perfectly crunchy, juicy bite. I always use thighs for a fried chicken sandwiches. Thighs are just more tender and forgiving. The next trick is a buttermilk marinade, who’s acid helps tenderize the meat.
To begin, start with 6 boneless, skinless thighs, cut in half to make 12 slider sized portions. Next, add those to a bowl with 2 cups of buttermilk. If you dont have buttermilk on hand, use 2 cups whole ok 2% milk + 3 tbsp white vinegar, which will serve as the same acid found in buttermilk. Then, add, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, ¾ tsp smoked paprika, and ¼ tsp cayenne pepper. Now we let that sit in the fridge, covered, overnight to tenderize. When ready, take a separate bowl and combine:
- 3 cups all purpose flour sifted
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne
Next, take a piece of chicken and shake off the excess buttermilk. Dredge it in the flour to completely coat, and place on a baking rack. Coat all of the chicken, and then repeat the process, dredging each piece in buttermilk and then flour again.
Meanwhile, bring 3-4 inches of oil up to 350° in a large wide pot or deep pan. Drop the chicken, 3-4 pieces at a time (careful not to overcrowd the pan) into the oil. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the chicken reached 165° and is golden brown all over. Remove the chicken from oil and place on a cooling rack sitting on top of a lipped sheet pan. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Nashville Hot Oil
Now that we have amazing fried chicken, let’s take a moment to discuss. What is Nashville Hot chicken? Is it the same as buffalo chicken? NO! Yes it is spicy, but in a lot of ways, that is about all that is the same. Think of Nashville hot chicken as classic fried chicken with an extreme kick, and typically served with pickles and white bread to soak up the hot oil. Coming to fame in Nashville, TN, this chicken is not saucy and wet like buffalo chicken, but instead crispy and crunchy, with a pop of sweet heat.
The heat does not come from a thick sauce, but instead, a spiced oil that seeps into the crunchy coating. And making it is so simple! In a bowl, combine ¼ cup of cayenne, 1½ tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 3 tsp garlic powder, and 2 tsp chili powder. When the chicken is finished frying, or between batches, ladle one cup of the frying oil into the bowl of spices and whisk to combine. Now, use a basting brush to liberally brush the spiced oil all over the top of the crispy chicken.
Nashville Hot Sliders with Slaw
The final step to our amazing sliders is making the slaw and assembling! The slaw serves as an extra cooling element to balance out the fiery cayenne. For the simple slaw, combine the following:
- 16 oz coleslaw mix
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- 3 tbsp mayo
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ⅓ tsp celery seed
- ¼ tsp dried dill
Now we assemble! Take 12 slider buns, and place one piece of fried chicken on the bottoms of each. Feel free to drizzle any excess hot oil over the chicken to soak into that bottom bun. Pile each slider with 1-2 heaping tablespoons of the slaw. Add as few or as many pickles as you’d like- I added a bunch of really briny homemade dill pickle chips- and cover with the top bun!
If making these for a crowd or a party, feel free to secure these with a toothpick, as they can get kind of messy. The mess won’t last long, though! Whether you are making these for the Super Bowl, a game night with friends, or a casual get together with family, I promise these spicy, sweet, crunchy Nashville hot sliders won’t last long!
Want More Football Party Recipe Ideas?
- Jalapeno Popper Chicken Taquitos
- Sheet Pan Nachos
- Smoked Queso
- Fiesta Dip
- Cilantro Lime Grilled Wings
- Guacamole
- Sausage Stuffed Sweet Peppers
Nashville Hot Sliders
Ingredients
- 12 slider buns
- dill pickle chips optional
Fried Chicken
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 cup buttermilk or 2 cups milk + 3 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 cups all purpose flour sifted
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne
Nashville Hot Oil
- ¼ cup cayenne
- 1½ tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 3 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp chili powder
Slaw
- 16 oz coleslaw mix
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- 3 tbsp mayo
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ⅓ tsp celery seed
- ¼ tsp dried dill
Instructions
Fried Chicken
- To being, slice each thigh in half to yield 12 even pieces of chicken.
- Add the chicken to a bowl along with buttermilk, salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne. Mix and cover. Refrigerate 8 hours of up to overnight.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch and remaining seasonings.
- One piece at a time, shake off the excess buttermilk, dredge the chicken in the flour to completely coat, and place on a baking rack. Coat all of the chicken, and then repeat the process again, dredging each piece in buttermilk and then flour again.
- Meanwhile, bring 3-4 inches of oil up to 350° in a large wide pot or deep pan. Drop the chicken, 3-4 pieces at a time (careful not to overcrowd the pan) into the oil and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the chicken reached 165° and is golden brown all over.
- Remove chicken from oil and place on a cooling rack sitting on top of a lipped sheet pan. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Nashville Hot Oil
- In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the hot oil
- When the chicken is finished frying, or between batches, ladle one cup of the frying oil into the bowl of spices and whisk to combine.
- Use a basting brush to brush the spiced oil all over the top of the crispy chicken.
Slaw
- In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the slaw. Chill in the fridge until ready to use.
- When ready to assemble, place one fried chicken piece on the bottom of a slider bun. Top with 1-2 heaping tablespoons of slaw, a slice or two of pickle chips, and the top bun. If serving to a crowd, secure the sliders with toothpicks. Serve immediately.
