Fire and Flavor: The Perfect Nashville Hot Chicken Burrito

If you’re craving a new twist on classic hot chicken, look no further than some Nashville hot chicken burritos. It’s filled with spicy, crispy chicken, creamy coleslaw, and a nice mayo—and every bite is packed with flavor.

It’s spicy, but the creamy coleslaw and pickles will help tame the heat. The chicken is cooked to perfection and shredded so that it mixes in with the sauce, giving it an irresistible texture and taste. It’s a perfect meal for those looking for something bold and exciting.

 

Where did Nashville Hot Chicken Come From?

Wel… The name does give it away. For those who don’t live in America, Nashville is in a state called Tennessee. Nashville hot chicken is a dish that was born out of necessity and has since become one of the most popular dishes in Tennessee. The story goes that a woman named Thornton Prince created the dish out of desperation after her husband returned home from World War II and was craving something spicy.

She made him some fried chicken with hot sauce, and Nashville hot chicken was born. Today, it’s one of the most famous dishes in Nashville, and there are plenty of places to get your fix. If you’re visiting Nashville or just want to try this spicy dish at home, here’s everything you need to know about Nashville hot chicken.

My family wants me to make it a few times a month and my wife asked me to put a twist on this batch, so what did I do? Well, I made some Nashville Hot Chicken Burritos with a delicious creamy slaw.

The slaw balances out the heat nicely, and to be honest, this was one of the best versions of Nashville Hot Chicken that I have ever had! Okay, let’s jump into the recipe! Full, printable recipe is below the instructions!

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 pounds of chicken breast, cut into tenders (you can use chicken thighs, too)
• 12” flour tortillas, for the burritos
• Mexican quesadilla cheese

Buttermilk Brine

• 6 cups buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups pickle juice
• 1 cup hot sauce

Breading for the Tenders

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups corn starch
• 3 tablespoons cayenne
• 3 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons Mexican chili powder

Nashville Hot Chicken Blend

• 3 tablespoons cayenne
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Mexican chili powder
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1-2 cups of cooking oil

Creamy Slaw

• 1/3 head of cabbage, chopped thinly
• 1 1/2 whole carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeño, diced and seeded
• 2 tablespoons mayo
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Sriracha Mayo

• 1 cup mayo
• 2 tablespoons sriracha
• 3 teaspoons honey

 

Prep Instructions:

1. Start off by cutting your chicken into tenders. Now add your buttermilk, pickle juice and hot sauce into a large mixing bowl and whisk. Add the chicken to the buttermilk brine for 12 hours or 24 hours.
2. The next day make your slaw first thing. In a medium-sized bowl add the sliced cabbage, sliced carrots, Jalapeño, mayo, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Hand mix until it’s combined nicely and place in the fridge for a few hours. This lets the flavors marry and it will taste amazing!
3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl add your all-purpose flour, cornstarch, cayenne, Mexican chilli powder and garlic powder. Whisk until it’s nicely combined.
4. Get your oil (peanut oil) heated to 350 degrees and make your sriracha mayo.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Get the bowl with the buttermilk brine and place it at your breading station. We are going to take the chicken out of the buttermilk, making sure there isn’t any extra buttermilk dripping and place it in the flour. Cover and then place back in the buttermilk and then flour again. This is double breading (provide an extra crispy crunch). Repeat this process for all of the tenders. Make sure to have a baking sheet next to you with wax paper. This is what you will place your chicken on when it’s breaded.
2. Add all of your ingredients for the Nashville Hot Chicken into a metal bowl, this is all of the seasonings, do not put any oil in at this point.
3. Add 3-4 tenders into your frying skillet (be sure to not add too much, overcrowd the pan) and fry for 4 1/2 mins or 5 mins. Internal temp of 165, be sure to check with a meat probe.
4. When you’re finished frying the chicken, place it on a wire rack and then add 1-2 cups of the cooking oil into the Nashville Hot Chicken seasoning blend. Whisk together and then coat your chicken with this mixture!
5. Warm your flour tortilla with a griddle top.
6. Assemble your Nashville Hot Chicken Burrito in this order, Sriracha Mayo, quesadilla cheese, creamy slaw, Nashville Hot Chicken, sriracha mayo and then another layer of cheese. Roll that bad boy up and toast on the griddle for 1-2 mins per side. I like using a grill press during this process.
7. Serve and enjoy with family and friends!
8. So, the next time you’re in the mood for a delicious Nashville hot chicken burrito, try out this recipe! Not only will you get to enjoy the fantastic flavors of this dish, but you can also make them at home with ease.

 

And if that wasn’t enough, we’ve even got a great coleslaw recipe to go with them! So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and give these recipes a try – we promise you won’t be disappointed.

Did you enjoy this Nashville hot chicken burritos recipe? You’ll love my other chicken recipes in the link below!

Chicken Recipes

Items used in This Recipe

Hasty-Bake Grill

Knitted Gloves

Cast Iron Skillet 

Meater +

Charcoal Chimney

Charcoal Starters

Firestarter Guard