March 30th is National Hot Chicken Day, and to celebrate, we’re talking all things chicken! For example, did you know that hot chicken isn’t just about the temperature of the chicken, but the spice level?
And boy, do we love our spices here in the southern U.S.
So, What’s Hot Chicken All About, Anyway?
Hot chicken is actually a specialty dish from African-American communities in Nashville, Tennessee. Originating in the 1930s by a woman scorned by her womanizing boyfriend, Thornton Prince III, the dish was purportedly made extra spicy the next morning—out of revenge.
Though its origin story is difficult to verify, here’s how it’s typically made, Nashville-style.
It’s usually made with breast, thigh, or wing marinated in a blend of buttermilk (to help lock in the juices of the meat while frying) and delicious, mouth-watering seasonings, and then covered in a sauce or paste. Think: the more seasonings the better. And of course, in classic Nashville style, there are usually two major ingredients: lard and cayenne pepper.
It’s prepared in many different ways, like with a pressure fryer, or a deep fryer. Though the most common method you’ll see is pan-friend.
It’s then served on a white bread bun and topped with pickle chips. Delicious!
How to Celebrate National Hot Chicken Day, Snap Kitchen Style
At Snap Kitchen, we have a few dishes that are perfect for celebrating National Hot Chicken Day!
Hot Chicken with Mac and Cheese
Seriously, this dish has all the best comfort-food ingredients. For our hot chicken dish, we use a bone-in leg quarter marinated in a blend of hot sauce, olive oil, ghee, coconut aminos, and more!. We pair that with our mac & cheese – gluten-free brown rice pasta covered in cheddar cheese and ghee, plus, a little bit of hot sauce on the side for that added kick.
Chicken Tenders with Hot Honey
Now, this isn’t classic hot chicken, but it’s the next best thing. Our chicken tenders are made by coating chicken breasts in almond meal, organic dijon mustard, cage-free eggs, paleo baking flour, sea salt, extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, ground mustard, ground sage, ground black pepper, with a little bit of Mike’s Hot Honey on the side to give you an added spice bonus! And did we mention that this also comes with mac & cheese on the side? What can we say, we know comfort food.
How are you celebrating National Hot Chicken Day? Let us know in the comments!
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