Nashville hot chicken: where it began and how to order the heat

Nashville hot chicken is one of the few American dishes that began as a local secret and became a national menu item. It is fried chicken coated in a spicy, oily paste, laid on slices of white bread and topped with pickle chips, and the heat is real. Visitors often order too hot because the heat scale is unfamiliar. Here is the story, how to choose a heat level, what comes on the side and how to eat it.

Where did hot chicken come from?

The most common account credits a Nashville man whose fried chicken was spiced up by a partner as revenge, and who liked the result so much that he turned it into a business. The date and the details are told differently, which is common for a dish that began as local lore. One shop is generally described as the original, and other shops followed over the decades. The dish spread nationally in recent years, and many chains now sell a version. Locals will tell you the real thing is still found in Nashville. If you can, try one old-school shop and one newer one, ordering the same heat at each, and see how the paste, the crust and the bread differ. You will taste that the sauce matters as much as the chicken, and that no two shops grind their spice the same way.

What is on the plate?

A traditional order has a few elements. The chicken is pan-fried or fried in a skillet, then brushed with a paste made from cayenne pepper and other spices mixed with lard or oil. It is served on a slice or two of white bread, which soaks up the oil, with pickle chips on top. The bread and the pickles are there for a reason: they cool and cut the heat. Sides usually include coleslaw, fries, baked beans, mac and cheese or greens, depending on the shop. Cut-up chicken can be white meat or dark, and quarters, halves and tenders are all common. Dark meat stays juicier under the paste, and white meat gives you a milder bite. Ask for the cut you like, and for extra pickles, which many shops give freely.

How do heat levels work?

Most shops sell the same chicken at several heat levels, from none to extreme. The names and the number of levels differ from shop to shop, so do not assume that medium at one shop matches medium at another. The safest rule is to order one level below what you think you can handle, and to ask the server how hot it is in plain words.

What should a first-timer order?

Order mild or medium. Hot chicken builds, and the second piece is hotter than the first. Order a side that cools, such as mac and cheese, slaw or banana pudding, and a sweet tea or a milk. Avoid ordering the hottest level to impress a friend. If you finish a mild order and want more, you can always order again.

What if it is too hot?

Do not drink water, which spreads the heat. Eat the bread, the pickles and the slaw, or drink milk or sweet tea. Pace yourself. If you have a medical condition that is affected by spicy food, ask the shop about the level and skip the hot end of the scale.

How do shops differ?

Some are old, small and simple, with a counter and a few tables and a wait that can be an hour. Others are newer and larger, with patios, bars and more sides, and some serve the chicken as a sandwich, a tender or a salad. Waits are shorter at off-peak hours. Check hours, because some shops close early or on Mondays, and some take only cash. Order ahead by phone if the shop allows it, and be ready to wait while the chicken is fried to order, which is why the wait can be long at busy times. A takeout box travels well if you eat within twenty minutes, but the bread goes soft.

How do you plan a hot chicken stop?

Follow these steps.

• Go at off-peak hours, such as mid-afternoon on a weekday.
• Bring cash in case the shop is cash only.
• Order a smaller heat level than you expect and a cooling side.
• Wear clothes you do not mind getting greasy, and ask for extra napkins.

You can combine the stop with a walk through a neighborhood afterward.

What about children and dietary needs?

Many shops offer plain, no-heat chicken for children. Hot chicken is not vegetarian, and the fryers are shared, so it is not suitable for people with certain allergies. Ask about ingredients and fryer oils if you have a concern. The paste itself is very hot, so keep it away from small children's hands and eyes, and wash your hands before touching your face. Hot chicken is also a food to share, so split a plate with a friend if you are unsure about the heat.

How do you find a good one and remember your heat level?

Ask locals where they go for lunch, look for a line of regulars at an off-peak hour, and try a mild order before committing to the hottest. Then keep a record. Mosey is a food app for finding, rating and sharing places to eat, and it rates by the dish, so each shop's chicken gets its own score and a tag such as Must-Try or Worth the Wait.

People who eat hot chicken regularly move up a level slowly, and those tags make it easy. Share the list through an invite link with the friends who dared you, and follow the ones who know the old-school shops.

Rate your first plate of hot chicken in the Mosey app.

More guides to read next:

• Where to eat in Nashville by neighborhood: Germantown to 12 South
• Nashville food halls: Assembly Food Hall and the Farmers' Market

More in the US food guides and the ranked lists of places.