Nashville hot chicken is most closely associated with Nashville, Tennessee.
The dish consists of fried chicken coated with a spicy paste or sauce, commonly based on cayenne pepper and other seasonings. It is usually served on white bread with pickle slices, a presentation that helps balance the heat.
Nashville’s African American communities developed and popularized the style, especially through family-run restaurants and hot-chicken businesses. Prince’s Hot Chicken is widely credited as one of the foundational establishments, while other Nashville restaurants helped make the dish nationally famous.
Nashville hot chicken is often confused with ordinary spicy fried chicken. The defining feature is not simply a hot seasoning in the flour; the finished chicken is typically brushed or dipped in a fiery sauce after frying. Heat levels vary considerably between restaurants, so “hot” does not indicate one standardized recipe.