This Nashville Hot Chicken Bake takes the beloved spicy chicken sandwich and gives it a home-cooked twist. The chicken is fried until golden brown and crispy. It is then baked in a creamy sour cream sauce that cools down the heat from the hot spices. It’s a comforting, easy-to-make dish that brings the famous Nashville hot chicken flavors to your dinner table.
What is Nashville Hot Chicken?
Nashville Hot Chicken is said to have been created in the 1930s by Thornton Prince, a Nashville restaurateur. According to local lore, Prince was a notorious womanizer, and one of his girlfriends, in an act of revenge, cooked up an extremely spicy fried chicken breakfast for him, hoping to punish him.
However, Prince ended up loving the spicy chicken so much that he and his brothers decided to perfect the recipe and serve it at their family restaurant, Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack. Over the years, the dish gained popularity and became a staple in Nashville’s culinary scene, eventually spreading across the country and becoming a nationally recognized dish.
Why Make This Recipe?
- This comfort food recipe combines the beloved flavors of Nashville hot chicken with a creamy bake.
- The sour cream sauce balances the heat, making it suitable for all spice levels.
- This chicken casserole recipe is a fun way to enjoy a classic Nashville recipe.
Ingredients
- Boneless Chicken Breasts: Substitute with chicken tenders or boneless chicken thighs for a juicier texture.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, substitute with plain yogurt thinned with a little milk or lemon juice mixed with regular milk.
- Flour: Use gluten-free flour for a gluten-free option.
- Nashville Hot Seasoning: Spiceology has a great blend, or make your own using the following recipe:
- 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Sour Cream: Substitute with Greek yogurt or a dairy-free sour cream alternative.
- Hot Sauce: Use your favorite hot sauce, or if you prefer a milder flavor, use buffalo sauce.
- Pickles: Substitute with pickled jalapeños for extra heat or pickled onions for a tangy twist.
How to Prepare Nashville Hot Chicken Bake
- Marinate the chicken in the fridge for two hours, or overnight.
- Coat the chicken and fry until golden brown.
- Coat each piece of fried chicken in the buttery hot sauce mixture.
- Prepare the sour cream sauce.
- Line the bottom of a baking pan or cast iron pan with a thin coating of the sour cream sauce.
- Place the spicy buttermilk fried chicken in a single layer on top of the sauce.
- Cover and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Garnish with the diced pickles.
How To Serve and Store
- Serve with a side of coleslaw or a green salad.
- Pair with creamy homemade mashed potatoes or mac and cheese for a comforting meal.
- Garnish with pickles to enhance the Nashville hot chicken experience.
- Great for meal prep – reheat and enjoy for lunch or dinner throughout the week.
Storing and Reheating
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through, or use an air fryer for quicker reheating.
- The crispy coating may lose some texture after storing, but the flavor will remain delicious.
More Fried Chicken Recipes to Love
- Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- Crispy Parmesan Fried Chicken Cutlets
- Chicken Milanese with Tomato Salad
- Crispy Chicken Ice Cream Sandwich
- Chicken and Waffles
Nashville Hot Chicken Bake
- Total Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Nashville Hot Chicken Bake takes the beloved spicy chicken sandwich and gives it a home-cooked twist. The chicken is fried until golden brown and crispy, then baked in a creamy sour cream sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless chicken breasts
- 16-ounces buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons Spiceology Nashville Hot Chicken Seasoning (or make your own)
- 1 tablespoon pickle juice
- oil for frying
- 2 tablespoons diced pickles, for garnish
For the Dredge:
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup Spiceology Nashville Hot Chicken Seasoning
FOR THE HOT SAUCE:
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup Spiceology Nashville Hot Chicken Seasoning, or your favorite hot sauce
FOR THE SOUR CREAM SAUCE:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 3/4 cup sour cream
Homemade Nashville Hot Seasoning:
-
- 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper
-
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
-
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
-
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
-
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
-
- 1 teaspoon salt
-
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place the buttermilk into a non-reactive bowl. Whisk in the seasoning and pickle juice.
- Place the chicken into the buttermilk mixture and allow to marinate in the fridge for two hours, or overnight.
- Combine the flour and seasoning in a bowl.
- Dredge the chicken directly from the buttermilk into the flour mixture. Fully coat.
- Place coated chicken on a baking rack to dry as the oil heats up.
- Heat oil to medium/medium-high.
- Place the chicken in the hot oil and fry until golden brown on all sides (the chicken does not need to be cooked through).
- While the chicken is frying, combine the ingredients for the hot sauce (keep warm).
- Add the fried chicken directly into the sauce and toss to coat.
- Place the coated chicken on baking rack..
- Heat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Melt the butter in a pan.
- Whisk in the flour.
- Allow to cook for a few minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste.
- Slowly whisk in the chicken stock. A little bit at a time. You may, or may not use it all. It’s possible you may even need a touch more.
- Once the sauce coats the back of a spoon, remove from heat.
- Whisk in the sour cream.
- Line the bottom of a casserole dish or cast iron pan with a thin coating of the sour cream sauce.
- Place the fried chicken in a single layer on top of the sauce.
- Drizzle each piece of chicken with a touch more sauce.
- Cover and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Garnish with the diced pickles.
- ENJOY!
Notes
- For juicy tender chicken, allow to marinate at least two hours.
- Adjust the heat level to your liking.
- Allow the dredged chicken to dry while the oil is heating.
- You may have to pack the coating on with your hands to fully-coat the chicken.
- Fry the chicken until golden brown. The chicken does not have to be cooked through.
- Use a store-bought Nashville hot seasoning blend, or make your own.
- If making your own seasoning, at least triple the seasoning recipe, above.
- Bake covered until the chicken is fully-cooked.
- As the chicken bakes in the sauce, it will lose some of the crispiness on the bottom. Alternatively, bake without coating the bottom of the pan with the sauce. Just spoon on the top of the chicken prior to baking.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Marinate Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Moderate
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
GET TO KNOW ME!
WELCOME! My name is Melissa Latin aka. Charlotte Fashion Plate. Happy to meet you! I am more than just recipes. I love fashion and style too! Most importantly, I love my Family (my Hubby and my Fur Babies). My Husband (aka my “Kitchen Bitch”) means the world to me. He’s pretty damn cool too. Not only is he one of the nicest guys you will ever meet, he also has had a lengthy career in professional hockey. Not only winning two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the early ’90’s, but most recently winning the Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers, amongst many other accolades. If you live in Charlotte and play hockey, or have a family member who plays, be sure to contact him!
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2 Comments
I think you meant to put flour under the cream sauce ingredients. You have butter twice.
Can’t wait to try!
Thank you so very much! Yes…made the change!