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.
Derek Landfair says
This is just one of many amazing recipes I've made from this page. I can't wit to try more!
Mike H. says
Super excited for you, Derek. Let me know if you try anything else!
Shelly says
The butter is overwhelming to me, I don't know if I'm doing it wrong but the butter just sits on the top and then everything else is on the bottom so it's mostly butter coating stuff if that's making sense. any recommendations to fix this?
Mike Hultquist says
Shelly, you need to really stir the heck out of it or use a whisk. You can pour off anything that is floating at the top. Or next time use mix of oil and butter.
Angela Marshall says
Hey there, do you strain the oil for the sauce? all my spices are just clumped all together?
Mike H. says
Hi Angela. I don't need to do it here but I could vary the amount of it to alter the consistency.
Taurie says
Delicious.
Wonder if mixing oil and butter is something that’s ever done to create that thinner consistency. Didn’t try it- just used butter and it was spicy and delish!
Mike H. says
Thank you, Taurie. It can be a great strategy to achieve both flavor and a desirable cooking temperature. I use it often!
HOOTS says
This sauce was absolutely amazing, I used it for some air fryed beer battered chicken wings and another meal. I did a hot Chicken Sandwich on a crusty ciabatta bun topped with smoked gouda. ( For the chicken, I tossed it a little bit of Olive oil salt and pepper, Cooking the air fryer for 7 minutes Then I pulled it out to shut it up toss in the sauce, Put back in the air fryer for another 4 minutes. Assembled it on pre toasted bun with the melted cheese and drizzled more sauce on it topped with your choice of toppings lettuce, tomatoes etc.
Absolutely Dynamite, The flavors the punch of the heat is just perfect, I will definitely be making the sauce many times And also using it for other new ideas.
Mike H. says
Hoots, thanks for the amazing review. Happy to read you had so much fin with the recipe!
Marcia Wheeler says
Can this be canned?
Mike Hultquist says
Marcia, this is an oil-based sauce, so I wouldn't recommend it for home canning.
Pat says
Made it this past weekend, delicious!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Pat!
Glenn says
I added my homemade reaper/scorpion/ghost pepper mash to the mix and turned it into Nashville satan sauce lol
Mike Hultquist says
Boom! That sounds awesome!
Alami says
Hi Mike, unclear if you cook the mix at all, or just melt the butter then turn off the heat and mix the spices?
Mike Hultquist says
Alami, gently heat the sauce 1-2 minutes (or longer, if desired), to meld the flavors. I made an update to the recipe to make it more clear. Thanks!
Dave says
I took the dry ingredients, bumped in 2 tbls ea. kosher salt and course black pepper, plus 2 tbls of my homemade chili powder, mixed it up and BAM. Napalm BBQ rub!
Mike Hultquist says
BOOM! Nice!
Damien C. says
Perfect recipe right here. Thanks again. I like to mix up some of the spices and use some of my homemade stuff.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Damien!
Preme says
Amazing recipe! Thank you for sharing.
David R says
Actually, this recipe is only close to the original sauce developed by Hattie B’s. But this sauce is not mage with cayenne pepper! It is made with differing amounts of ghost pepper for the level of heat. It does make a big difference
Mike Hultquist says
DAVID! You can make this with GHOST PEPPER!! As mentioned in the recipe notes, which you clearly did not read. You can make this with cayenne, too! Holy WOW! Mind blown! Most people don't have ghost pepper laying around (though I highly encourage it!!) and cayenne is fantastic here. Have a great day, sir.
Dan says
David R,
Do you work at Hattie B’s? Also,Hattie B’s is not the original Nashville Hot Chicken. Pretty sure then ALL have cayenne in them. Even Hattie B’s
Heather Soper says
Looks good and so easy, going to make it!
Mike Hultquist says
Yes, so good! I love it!
Ramya says
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use vegan butter i never had nashville hot sauce before perfect for snacks with your sides recipes love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Ramya.