Nashville Hot Chicken Melt
This Nashville Hot Chicken Melt is a flavor bomb that brings Nashville’s signature heat to your kitchen in melt form! Born from countless trips to the best hot chicken joints, this sandwich combines spicy seasoned chicken, melty pepper jack cheese, and a kick of chipotle, all loaded onto a perfectly toasted hoagie roll.
If you have never had Nashville hot chicken, it consists of crispy fried chicken with a hot and spicy glaze that is quite literally irresistible. I love a classic Nashville hot chicken sandwich, but as opposed to using breaded chicken, this version transforms it into a melt, with some pepper jack cheese and an extra creamy texture from the spicy mayo!
This chicken melt recipe was inspired by my many trips to Nashville. While binge-ordering hot chicken from different restaurants, I contemplated ideas on how to use the leftovers. Mixing the spicy chicken with melty cheese and extra sauce was so delicious that I had to take this concept to the grill and refine it! My Nashville hot chicken melt sandwich is easy to make and perfect for those of you who love spicy chicken.
Don’t forget to check out more spicy chicken recipes such as Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken, Korean Fire Chicken Sandwiches, or Grilled Cajun Wings!
Why This Works
- Double the spice: Seasoning the chicken directly and incorporating the spice blend into the mayo ensures the Nashville hot flavor runs through every bite of the sandwich.
- Balanced Textures: The melted pepper jack cheese and spicy mayo create the perfect creamy addition to the seasoned chicken, while the toasted hoagie roll adds that essential crunch.
- Cooks Quickly: Thin-sliced chicken breast cooks quickly and evenly on the griddle, allowing it to pick up a nice sear without drying out.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken Breast — Sliced thin for quick searing and maximum flavor absorption!
- Nashville Hot Seasoning — I prefer to use my homemade Nashville Hot Seasoning, or you can opt to use your favorite brand!
- Mayo — Full fat is the way to go for the best flavor! Mixed with pickle brine and some Nashville hot seasoning, you have a tangy homemade spicy mayo.
- Hoagie Rolls — These need to be sturdy enough to hold up to toasting and fillings.
- Chipotle Peppers — Optional but recommended for an extra layer of smoky heat.
- Pepper Jack Cheese — Adds another level of heat plus that crucial melty factor!
- Pickles — For garnish and a perfect crunch.
Substitutions or Variations for Flavor
- Chicken: Swap chicken breast for thighs if you want a richer flavor! I think the combination of spicy mayo and melty cheese makes it rich enough, but chicken thighs would also work great.
- Cheese: If you are sensitive to spice, use colby jack cheese or cheddar cheese for less heat.
- Buns: Sub brioche buns or Texas toast for the hoagie rolls. The IHOP and Denny’s Nashville hot chicken melts both use Texas toast, if you want more of a copycat version.
- Spice: Turn down the heat by using a milder seasoning blend, or decrease the amount of cayenne pepper in my homemade version.
How to Make This Nashville Hot Chicken Melt Recipe
- Prep the chicken. Add 1 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoons of seasoning to the chicken in a bowl, mixing to coat the chicken. This can be done ahead of time, by allowing the chicken to marinate covered in the fridge for a few hours.
- Mix the spicy mayo. Add the mayonnaise, pickle brine, and the remaining seasoning into a small bowl. Whisk the ingredients together, tasting and adjusting as needed. Slather some of the mayo onto each hoagie roll, which will be toasted.
- Heat up the griddle to a medium heat. Toast the rolls face down for a few minutes, forming a crispy mayo crust on the inside of the bread (color will be quite dark from the chiles and sugar).
- Sear the chicken. Add a tablespoon of oil to the hot griddle before adding the chicken. Spread the chicken out, allowing it to sear on one side for a few minutes before flipping. Flip the chicken as needed to ensure it’s almost fully cooked (around 160°F) before adding the chipotles and pepper jack cheese. Mix & chop everything with your spatula to finish cooking the chicken and melt the cheese.
- Serve. Assemble the sandwiches with the seared cheesy chicken, pickles, more spicy mayo, and additional seasoning as desired.
Top Tips
- Let the chicken marinate if you’ve got time – even 30 minutes helps!
- Don’t skip the bread toasting! Toasting the bread is necessary, as it not only builds flavor but also adds a crispy texture. It gets quite dark from toasting due to the chiles and sugar – don’t be alarmed!
- Use a flat metal spatula for chopping and mixing on the griddle to incorporate the cheese and chipotle peppers throughout.
Pairings, Side Dishes, and Complimentary Recipes
Serve your Nashville hot chicken spice sandwich with all your favorite sides from sweet potato wedges to creamy smoked mac and cheese or some tangy blue cheese coleslaw to cool things down!
Don’t forget to serve with some extra spicy mayo on the side and some quick pickled celery in case you need something to balance out the spice levels. It’s also pairs great with homemade sweet and spicy pickles.
If you love everything Nashville hot like I do, then definitely check out my Nashville hot bacon wrapped pickles or my Nashville hot potato salad!
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope! A large cast-iron skillet on the stove works great, too.
Depends on your seasoning blend, but generally, it’s got a serious kick. You need to like spicy chicken breast to enjoy this sandwich! If you need to, you can make a homemade Nashville hot seasoning and decrease the amount of cayenne pepper added to control the heat.
If you have any leftovers, I recommend storing everything separately in the fridge. The chicken will last in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Just reheat and assemble the sandwich with leftover spicy mayo and pickles on top!
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Nashville Hot Chicken Melt
This Nashville Hot Chicken Melt is a flavor bomb that brings Nashville’s signature heat to your kitchen in melt form! Born from countless trips to the best hot chicken joints, this sandwich combines spicy seasoned chicken, melty pepper jack cheese, and a kick of chipotle, all loaded onto a perfectly toasted hoagie roll.
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: About 4
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/4 cup Nashville Hot seasoning
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon pickle brine
- 2 hoagie rolls
- 1 tablespoon chopped chipotles (optional)
- 4 slices pepper jack cheese
- Pickles for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the chicken. Add 1 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoons of seasoning to the chicken in a bowl, mixing to coat the chicken. This can be done ahead of time, by allowing the chicken to marinate covered in the fridge for a few hours.
- Mix the spicy mayo. Add the mayonnaise, pickle brine, and the remaining seasoning into a small bowl. Whisk the ingredients together, tasting and adjusting as needed. Slather some of the mayo onto each hoagie roll, which will be toasted.
- Heat up the griddle to a medium heat. Toast the rolls face down for a few minutes, forming a crispy mayo crust on the inside of the bread (color will be quite dark from the chiles and sugar).
- Sear the chicken. Add a tablespoon of oil to the hot griddle before adding the chicken. Spread the chicken out, allowing it to sear on one side for a few minutes before flipping. Flip the chicken as needed to ensure it’s almost fully cooked (around 160°F) before adding the chipotles and pepper jack cheese. Mix & chop everything with your spatula to finish cooking the chicken and melt the cheese.
- Assemble the sandwiches with the seared cheesy chicken, pickles, more spicy mayo, and additional seasoning as desired.
Notes
- Toasting the bread is necessary, as it not only builds flavor but also adds a crispy texture. It gets quite dark from toasting due to the chiles and sugar – don’t be alarmed!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Burgers & Sandwiches
- Method: Griddle
- Cuisine: Sandwich
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 Sandwich
- Calories: 687
- Sugar: 3.4 g
- Sodium: 628.1 mg
- Fat: 31.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.3 g
- Protein: 60.9 g
- Cholesterol: 202 mg
