The Best Vegan Nashville Hot Chicken, y’all!!! If you’ve been wondering what the fuss is all about, wonder no more. Now you get to partake in this epic spicy chicken without the actual bird. We started with our Vegan Seitan Chicken recipe and created this awesomeness. Serve it with our garlic mashed potatoes or crispy baked oil-free French fries, and sautéed rainbow chard .
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Hi there! We’re Linda and Alex, the mother daughter duo and creators of Veganosity. Thanks for visiting us, we’re so happy you’re here. If you’re looking for Southern inspired vegan comfort food recipes, you’ve come to the right place.
We love vegan comfort food and we’re really good at making it. Take a tour through our site and you’ll find all of the recipes that scream, stretchy pants required!
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Also, in case you didn't know, we're published cookbook authors. We've written two vegan cookbooks that will help you make amazing vegan BBQ (you don't even need a grill) and everyday meals, from breakfast to dessert.
Click on the titles to check them out. GREAT VEGAN BBQ WITHOUT A GRILL and THE ULTIMATE VEGAN COOKBOOK
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If you know us, you know that we LOVE spicy food.
We love to feel a little burn when we eat, and this vegan hot chicken recipe doesn’t disappoint.
It starts out a little sweet and the heat builds with each bite. Such a fabulous thing.
We love this recipe and we’re thrilled to share it with you. So let’s get cookin’!
WHAT IS NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN?
The story of the origin of Nashville hot chicken is actually kind of funny, in a not so funny kind of way.
It all began in the 1930’s when Norton Prince lll ticked his girlfriend off for the last time, and she thought she’d pay him back for his cheating ways by making him fried chicken that was so hot it would make him cry for mercy. Or something like that.
It didn’t work. He actually loved the spicy chicken and built a business selling it to the fine people of Nashville.
Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack is still going strong in Nashville and has become popular throughout the world.
There’s even a KFC Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich!
So what exactly is hot chicken?
It’s fried chicken that’s made with a spicy marinade and then topped with a cayenne pepper oil.
The first bite is strangely kind of sweet, and then the heat builds.
If you love spicy food, you’re going to cry for joy over this vegan Nashville Hot Chicken recipe.
WHAT INGREDIENTS DO YOU NEED TO MAKE NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN?
To start, you’ll need to make a batch of our seitan chicken
Once that’s made, these are the ingredients you’ll need.
- 1 cup plant milk (unsweetened almond, soy, cashew, or pea protein) plus 2 tablespoon of lemon juice – when you whisk them together it is like buttermilk.
One tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Hot sauce – if you’re not a fan of super spicy food, feel free to add less.
Two vegan eggs – we use JUST egg for this. You can use Follow Your Heart Vegan Egg, too. Both work great.
2 cups of all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup of melted vegan butter – we prefer Miyoko’s or Earth Balance.
2 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper – feel free to use less if you’re sensitive to heat.
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
One teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste - ¼ cup of the chicken oil
HOW DO YOU MAKE A VEGAN NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN SANDWICH?
STEP ONE
Make the vegan seitan chicken recipe. Click HERE to get the recipe.
STEP TWO
Whisk the vegan egg, plant milk, lemon juice, and hot sauce together in a shallow bowl.
Stir the flour and salt together in a shallow bowl.
Whisk the melted vegan butter, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, and salt and pepper together in a small bowl and set aside.
STEP THREE
Fill a heavy skillet with two inches of oil and heat it to 350°F (176°C).
STEP FOUR
While the oil is getting hot, dredge a chik’n cutlet in the flour, then the egg and milk mixture, and once more in the flour.
Continue with the remaining cutlets.
Fry the vegan chicken (leave room between each cutlet so they cook evenly) for approximately 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until they’re golden brown and crispy.
Remove from the heat and place on a cooking rack or plate lined with paper towel. This will absorb any excess oil.
STEP FIVE
CAREFULLY spoon out a ½ cup of the oil from the pan and add it to the cayenne and butter mixture.
Stir it until completely combined then thoroughly brush it on the fried chicken.
TIPS ON MAKING THE BEST VEGAN NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN
- Make sure that the chicken cutlets are at room temperature. This will ensure that the breading sticks and they’re hot in the middle.
- Make sure that the oil is 350°F (176°C). This will ensure the crispiest breading. Keep in mind that when you add the chicken the temperature will drop a bit, that’s okay, don’t turn the heat up.
- Don’t be afraid to coat the chicken with the sauce, that’s what makes hot chicken, HOT CHICKEN.
HOW SHOULD I SERVE HOT CHICKEN?
Traditionally it’s served with white bread and pickles.
We’re not fans of white bread, so we like it on a bun or alone. The pickles are always welcome, though.
You can also cut the seitan chicken into smaller pieces to make Nashville Hot Chicken Wings.
MORE VEGAN MEAT RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE
The Best Vegan Southern Fried Chicken
Authentic Vegan Swedish Meatballs
Make this vegan Nashville Hot Chicken recipe and let us know what you think. We love to hear from you! And, don’t forget to take a picture of your gorgeous creation and tag us @veganosity on Instagram.
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The Best Vegan Nashville Fried Chicken
Equipment
- heavy skillet
Ingredients
- 6 vegan chicken cutlets link to recipe is in the instructions.
- Canola or corn oil
- EGG MIXTURE
- 2 vegan eggs see note
- 1 cup unsweetened plant milk almond, soy, cashew, or pea protein will work. Do not use coconut milk
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Hot sauce
- FLOUR MIXTURE
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
- SAUCE
- ½ cup vegan butter melted see note
- 2 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper use less if you don’t like super spicy food.
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup oil from the chicken
Instructions
- Line a cooking rack or plate with paper towels. This will absorb the excess oil from the fried chicken.
- Make the chicken cutlets. Make sure that they’re at room temperature before frying.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk the 2 vegan eggs, 1 cup plant milk, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon hot sauce until combined.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk the 2 cups all-purpose flour and salt and pepper to taste until completely combined.
- In a small bowl whisk the ½ cup melted vegan butter, 2 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (use less if you don’t like super spicy food), 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste until completely combined. Set aside.
- Fill a heavy skillet with approximately 2 inches of canola or corn oil and heat to 350°F (176°C). The temperature will fall when you add the chicken, that’s fine. DON’T turn the heat up.
- Dredge the chicken cutlets in the flour, then the egg and milk mixture, then again in the flour. Shake off excess flour.
- When the oil is ready, carefully put the cutlets in the oil, leaving room between each one, and cook for approximately 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from the oil and place on a cooling rack or plate that’s lined with paper towels.
- When all of the chicken is done. Turn off the heat and wait 3 minutes so the oil cools slightly.
- CAREFULLY spoon a ¼ cup of the oil from the pan into the cayenne and butter sauce. Stir until completely blended.
- Liberally brush the sauce on the fried chicken and serve as is or on a bun with pickles and slaw.
- Best when eaten immediately.
- Enjoy!
Hema says
Thanks Guys, Your Recipe Was Too Fantastic. Me and My Family Loved it. I Will Share your Rrecipe with my friends. Hope they will love it too.
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Hema! We're so happy you enjoyed it.
TMPinSYR says
Two question. I'm very excited to try this!
First, if I make the seitan chicken recipe you have looked at the start, do I steam the seitan and then bread and fry? Or does the front in this recipe replace the steaming from the other recipe?
Second, have you tried using an air fryer? If it's possible to make this without frying in a pan of oil that would be great.
Thanks in advance for your help!
TMPinSYR says
Sorry, typos in the original comment.
In the chicken recipe you link at the beginning of this one, the seitan cutlets end up steamed. For this recipe do you steam the cutlets THEN bread and fry them? Or do you take the raw cutlets then bread and fry?
Linda Meyer says
Hi! You need to steam (cook) them before breading and frying.
Linda Meyer says
We haven't tried this in the air-fryer, although we make fried pickles in it and they turn out great, so we don't see why this wouldn't work, tool. 🙂
Kim says
The pea protein is the powder that your talking of correct that I can use?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Kim, we use vital wheat gluten, not pea protein. If you're allergic to gluten, this would not be a recipe for you. Thanks for asking the question, though, because now we want to experiment with pea protein powder to see if it would work in our meaty recipes. 🙂
Kim says
I am not gluten intolerant. I was speaking of where it states 1 cup unsweetened plant milk almond, soy, cashew, or pea protein will work. Do not use coconut milk. It says or pea protein so I was wondering if that was pea protein powder.
Linda Meyer says
Oh, okay. You can use a plant-based milk that is made from pea protein, such as Ripple. 🙂
Cy Winstanley says
Recently I’ve been making flax eggs (flax + water) for cakes and such. Do you think that will work instead of the vegan eggs you use? Thanks!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Cy. Unfortunately, flax egg won't work for this recipe. The "egg" needs to be more like liquid. If you can't find JUST egg in your local supermarket, you can order Follow Your Heart vegan egg on Amazon.
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
Wow, this looks elaborate and amazing, what a fun recipe to try. Thanks!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you! It's definitely something you'd only want to eat every once in a while, but so worth the calories!