Crispy Baked Nashville Hot Chicken Nuggets

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My baked Nashville hot chicken nuggets are crispy from the oven instead of being fried! They’re hand-breaded pieces of chicken breast tossed in my Hattie B’s-inspired spice blend. After living in the Nashville area for almost 4 years, I’ve made my own inspired by our favorite hot chicken in the city!

Nashville hot chicken is unlike any chicken we’ve had! It’s spicy, savory, and has a hint of sweetness. It’s not buffalo or hot sauce based; it’s a spicy blend combined with oil (avocado oil in this case).

In our house, we love enjoying hot chicken during the summer months. It goes perfectly with homemade iced tea or watermelon lemonade.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Authentic flavor and spice: I’ve created the flavor and spice to resemble the popular Nashville restaurant, Hattie B’s!
• Baked instead of fried: The breadcrumb coating baked in the oven creates the crunchiest texture without frying in oil.
• Easy weeknight meal: This recipe only takes 30 minutes to prepare and bake!

Ingredients

For the Crispy Baked Chicken

• large boneless, skinless chicken breast: or you can use two small chicken breasts
• all-purpose flour: I like to get organic, unbleached but you can use any all-purpose
• breadcrumbs: I use homemade sourdough breadcrumbs but you can use any
• milk: I use whole milk but you can use any, buttermilk works great too
• sea salt: this is my favorite wholesome salt option
• ground black pepper: you can use already ground or freshly ground

For the Nashville Hot Seasoning

• avocado oil: I don’t recommend any other oil for this recipe
• sea salt: this is my favorite wholesome salt option
• ground black pepper: you can use already ground or freshly ground
• cayenne pepper: you’re looking for a ground cayenne
• paprika: not smoked but regular ground paprika
• garlic powder: make sure it’s salt-free
• chili powder: make sure it’s salt-free
• brown sugar: light or dark brown sugar works, I like to use brown cane sugar

Tools You May Need

• dredging bowls (I love these!)
• unbleached parchment paper
• large baking sheet
• mixing bowl (for tossing chicken in sauce)

How to Make Baked Nashville Hot Chicken Nuggets

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prep the Dredging Station

1. Flour: In a small bowl combine flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Mix to combine and set aside.
2. Milk: In a second bowl, whisk together milk, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Set aside.
3. Breadcrumbs: In a third bowl, add breadcrumbs, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper into another small bowl. Mix to combine. Set aside.
4. Arranging: Place bowls of chicken, flour, milk, breadcrumbs, and sheet pan in a line, in that order, so everything is set up.

Bread and Bake the Chicken

1. Prep Chicken: Slice chicken breast into small bite sized pieces about 1-2 inches in size. You should get a good amount of them. Set aside.
2. Dredge: Bread each piece of chicken by dipping it in the flour mixture, shaking excess off. Then dip it into the wet mixture ensuring all sides are coated. Let excess drip off. Finally, dip it in the breadcrumbs ensuring it is completely coated. Place breaded piece of chicken on the sheet pan.
3. Repeat: Dredge until all pieces are breaded. Make sure they aren’t touching on the pan.
4. Bake: Place chicken in 425 degrees Fahrenheit preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until fully baked and crunchy. No need to flip while baking!

Preparing the Nashville Hot Chicken Spice Mix

1. Make Blend: While chicken is baking, combine avocado oil, sea salt, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, and brown sugar in a small mixing bowl. Stir to evenly combine and set aside.
2. Toss with Chicken: After chicken is baked, remove from oven and place in a large mixing bowl. Pour seasoning mixture over chicken and toss or stir until evenly coated. Serve immediately, enjoy!

How to Adjust the Spice Level

This recipe makes a hot spice level; for a mild spice, just add half the oily spice mixture. For medium, add 3/4 of the mixture.

What to Serve with Nashville Hot Chicken

• Homemade Buttermilk Ranch
• Homemade Honey Mustard 
• Pesto Mac and Cheese
• Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls 
• Honey Sourdough Cornbread 
• Old Fashioned Cucumber and Onion Salad
• Bacon Cheese Grits
• Baked Mac and Cheese

My Tips

1. Read the recipe before getting started so you know what to expect.
2. Wait to make any adjustments until you’ve made it once.
3. Drizzle seasoning oil all around the chicken then toss to help distribute it better.
4. Keep tossing the chicken until it’s evenly coated; it may take a bit.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Storing Instructions

Store leftover baked Nashville hot chicken nuggets in the fridge for up to 2 days. Or in the freezer, in a glass freezer-safe container, for up to 3 months.

Reheating Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and place leftover baked hot chicken on a sheet pan. Heat until crispy, about 10 minutes. This keeps the texture and flavor unlike the microwave.

Recipe FAQs

More Nashville Recipes

• Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich
• Nashville-Style Vinegar Slaw Smoky Pulled Chicken Sliders
• Homemade Tennessee BBQ Sauce
• Tennessee Fruit Tea
• Southern Banana Pudding

If you made this recipe, it would mean so much if you gave it a 5-star review below! Feel free to also share a photo on social media, tag @plumbranchhome. You can find our community on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest

Recipe

Baked Nashville Hot Chicken Nuggets

Molly LaFontaine

My baked Nashville hot chicken nuggets are crispy from the oven instead of being fried! They're hand-breaded pieces of chicken breast tossed in my Hattie B's-inspired spice blend. After living in the Nashville area for almost 4 years, I've made my own inspired by our favorite hot chicken in the city!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Supper

Cuisine Southern

Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

  

For the Chicken

• 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast (or 2 small)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup breadcrumbs I use homemade sourdough breadcrumbs
• 1 cup milk I use whole milk
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

For the Seasoning

• 4 Tbsp avocado oil
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp paprika (not smoked, just regular)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder (salt-free)
• 1 tsp dark brown sugar (light works too, I use brown cane sugar)

Instructions

 

Dredge and Bake the Chicken

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Slice chicken breast into small bite sized pieces about 1-2 inches in size. You should get a good amount of them. Set aside.
• In a small bowl combine flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Mix to combine and set aside.
• In a second bowl, whisk together milk, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Set aside.
• In a third bowl, add breadcrumbs, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper into another small bowl. Mix to combine. Set aside.
• Place bowls of chicken, flour, milk, breadcrumbs, and sheet pan in a line, in that order, so everything is set up.
• Dredge each piece of chicken by dipping it in the flour mixture, shaking excess off. Then dip it into the wet mixture ensuring all sides are coated. Let excess drip off. Finally, dip it in the breadcrumbs ensuring it is completely coated. Place breaded piece of chicken on the sheet pan.
• Repeat until all pieces are breaded. Make sure they aren’t touching on the pan.
• Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes, until fully baked and crunchy. No need to flip while baking!

Make Seasoning and Toss with Chicken

• While chicken is baking, combine avocado oil, sea salt, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, and brown sugar in a small mixing bowl. Stir to evenly combine and set aside.
• After chicken is baked, remove from oven and place in a large mixing bowl.
• Drizzle seasoning mixture over chicken and toss/stir until evenly coated, it can take a few seconds since it's not a sauce. Serve immediately, enjoy!

Video

Notes

You can double this recipe as many times as you’d like.

My homemade breadcrumb recipe: https://plumbranchhome.com/sourdough-breadcrumbs/

Adjust the spice level: This recipe makes a hot spice level; for a mild spice, just add half the oily spice mixture. For medium, add 3/4 of the mixture.

Did you make this recipe? – If you loved it, I’d be so grateful if you left a comment on the blog post. It helps more than you know. You can share a photo on social media, tag @plumbranchhome

 

A Note From Molly – This recipe was developed and tested by me, Molly, NEVER AI (artificial intelligence). It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Hattie B’s Hot Chicken. My recipes on Plum Branch Home are created with purpose and cherished in our own home. What you see from Plum Branch Home is real. It’s made for a reason, tested, and loved!

Keyword nashville hot chicken nuggets