This Nashville hot sauce recipe is just the right thing to slather over your baked, grilled, or fried chicken, chicken wings, or anything else you’d like to spice up.
Nashville Hot Sauce
Are you craving the flavors of Nashville Hot Chicken my friends? This Nashville Hot Sauce recipe has everything you need. It's a bit like my Buffalo Hot Sauce recipe, but with a thinner texture that's more oily like you get with Nashville hot fried chicken.
Usually Nashville hot chicken sauce is made from the fry oil used to fry the chicken, mixed with spices like cayenne, brown sugar, paprika, garlic, then drizzled over the fried chicken or served on the side as a dipper.
This recipe, though, allows you to make it on its own, without any fry oil. You can use any vegetable oil, or butter, to enjoy it anytime you'd like.
It's Nashville hot chicken sauce with the fried chicken!
Let's talk about how to make Nashville hot sauce, shall we?
Nashville Hot Sauce Ingredients
- Butter, Ghee, or Vegetable Oil. See the recipe notes for discussion.
- Cayenne Pepper.
- Brown Sugar.
- Smoked Paprika. You can also use sweet or hot paprika.
- Garlic Powder.
- Honey. Optional, for additional sweetness and texture.
- Salt and Black Pepper. To taste.
How to Make Nashville Hot Sauce - the Recipe Method
Prep the Butter or Oil. Melt the butter in a pan over medium-low heat. (If using oil, simply warm it.)
NOTE: For a thicker sauce, use only 1/4 cup butter or oil. For a thinner sauce, use 1/2 cup. You can easily start with 1/4 cup, then add more in after you swirl in the seasonings.
Whisk in the Spices. Gently whisk in the cayenne pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, honey (if using), and kosher salt and pepper to taste.
Heat the Sauce. Gently heat the sauce 1-2 minutes (or longer, if desired), to meld the flavors.
Use as Desired. Drizzle over chicken for Nashville hot chicken or anything else you desire. Serve it on the side as an extra dipping sauce.
Boom! Done! Your Nashville hot sauce is ready to serve. Such a delicious regional hot sauce. Quick and easy to make, isn't it? I'd love to hear how you're going to serve yours!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Use Vegetable Oil if you'd like a sauce that's more like the sauce that traditionally comes with Nashville Hot Chicken.
- Use Butter if you'd like a thicker texture to your sauce.
- Use Ghee or Clarified Butter for a smoother texture, as the milk solids from the butter can float at the top of your finished sauce.
- The Spices. Feel free to use hotter spices with your mix, such as ghost pepper powder. Extra hot!
Nashville Hot Sauce Vs. Buffalo Sauce
Nashville hot sauce is similar to classic Buffalo sauce, but they differ in texture and flavor.
Buffalo sauce is typically made with a thicker Louisiana style hot sauce mixed with butter, vinegar, and spices. It is always a butter base.
Nashville hot sauce, on the other hand, is oilier in texture, and less thoroughly mixed together. You'll often find the spices separated at the bottom like a thick sludge, with the oil or butter floating up at the top.
Uses for Nashville Hot Sauce
Serve your Nashville Hot Sauce with fried chicken for an instant Nashville Hot Chicken dish! It's great with fried chicken wings, air fryer chicken wings, chicken tenders, boneless chicken wings, grilled chicken, or a chicken sandwich. Nashville hot chicken wings!
Drizzle it over fish or shrimp for a spicy blast of flavor.
Use it as a dipping sauce for vegetables, meatballs, or anything off the grill. So good!
Storage
This recipe will last 7 days or longer in the refrigerator in a sealed container. You can easily warm it back up by gently heating in a small pot or pan.
You can also freeze it for up to 6 months in a freezer container.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this Nashville hot sauce recipe. Let me know how you spiced it up, and if you used butter or oil. You'll love it either way.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Nashville Hot Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼-½ cup butter or ghee or vegetable oil – see recipe notes
- 4 tablespoons cayenne
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon honey optional, if desired
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a pan over medium-low heat. (If using oil, simply warm it.)
- Gently whisk in the cayenne, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, honey (if using), and salt and pepper to taste. Gently heat the sauce 1-2 minutes (or longer, if desired), to meld the flavors.
- Drizzle over chicken or anything else you desire. Serve it on the side as an extra dipping sauce.
Notes
Nutrition Information
JP says
The brown sugar did not melt and mix with sauce, but instead clumped up with the other spices and got rock hard. what did I do wrong?
Mike Hultquist says
JP, it sounds like too much heat or too long of heat, and it may have caramelized. Try a much lower heat next time.