Howdy Nash

Nashville hot chicken is fried chicken coated in a cayenne-heavy paste, served on white bread with pickles. The heat ranges from mild to a level locals only half-joke about surviving. It is the dish Nashville is known for, and it tastes best eaten here.

Where it comes from

Hot chicken was born in Nashville at Prince's Hot Chicken, a Black-owned institution that has served the dish for decades. What started as one family's recipe became a city-wide staple, then a national trend. Today you find "Nashville hot" chicken on menus across the country, but the real thing comes from here.

How hot does it get?

Hot chicken is ordered by heat level. The exact names vary by restaurant, but the ladder runs roughly like this:

• Mild or plain: still has flavor and a little kick. A safe starting point for most visitors.
• Medium: where most locals land. Noticeably spicy, still enjoyable.
• Hot: serious heat. Order it only if you mean it.
• Extra-hot: the punishing tier, often with a warning and sometimes a waiver-style menu name.

How to eat it

Classic hot chicken comes as a bone-in quarter or a breast on two slices of white bread with pickle chips, the bread soaking up the spiced oil. Many spots also do a hot chicken sandwich. Sides lean Southern: mac and cheese, baked beans, slaw, fries.

It is rich and spicy, so pace yourself, and have a drink on hand. This is a dish to share and to take your time with.

Read Next

• Nashville Hot Chicken Guide - where to eat it
• Best BBQ in Nashville - the other Nashville meat tradition
• All Nashville Guides - browse every guide