Fried Hasselback Chicken with Nashville Seasoning

Hasselback chicken that is brined, seasoned with a Nashville seasoning, breaded and fried. A fried Hasselback chicken recipe that will win everyone over. Learn how to make Hasselback chicken with a Nashville sauce.

This Hasselback fried chicken recipe is brined, seasoned, breaded, and then fried and drizzled with a famous Nashville sauce. The recipe to use chicken breasts with.

If you love Nashville style chicken recipes, but can’t handle the hot chicken flavor, you can cool slightly by adding less spices to help make the chicken milder in flavor.

Why Make This Nashville’s Fried Chicken Recipe

• Better than ordering takeout
• Perfectly breaded and fried.
• Southern style recipe
• Tons of Nashville hot chicken flavor in every bite. A fun twist to a classic stuffed chicken recipe.
• The cut slits in the chicken allow for more breading for an even crunchier coating.
• Pairs great with bread and pickles!

How to Make

The full instructions and measurements for this Hasselback chicken is in the printable recipe card below.

Prep Chicken | Slit the chicken about a 1/4″ of the way in, and about an inch apart all the way across the chicken breast. This is going to help add an extra area for flavoring and breading.

Brine | You will want to brine the chicken for 2 hours in a bowl filled with pickle juice, buttermilk, and hot sauce. Place in a bowl with a lid and store in the fridge.

Dredge and Bread| Dredge in the flour mixture, egg wash, then breading. Simple to do, and it will transform your chicken into a whole new explosion of flavor.

Storing And Meal Prep for Hasselback Chicken

This chicken is of course best when served fresh. But, if you have extra make sure to store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Use to reheat as a main meal for a quick lunch or dinner.

Or slice up the cold chicken and top a salad with it. This is tasty cold but just as reheated.

If you want to save some chicken back you can also freeze your leftover chicken. Place in a freezer bag or even an airtight container. Freezer for around 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or reheat it straight from frozen.

What To Serve With Fried Chicken

• Dinner Rolls
• Coleslaw
• Cucumber and Onions
• Cold Vegetable Salad
• Mashed Potatoes
• Air Fryer Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
• Zucchini Cheddar Cornbread
• Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
• Etc

Practical notes

What Is Hasselback Chicken?

Hasselback chicken is a reference to Hasselback potatoes. Thin slices in the chicken that goes across the whole line of the chicken. Then we will dredge and batter the chicken.

What is the best chicken to use for Hasselback chicken?

Reach for a thicker chicken breast for this recipe. We recommend a skinless chicken, as it will allow the breading to stick easier. Then slice and serve tender and juicy chicken.

Can we Use A Different Spice Blend for Hasselback Chicken?

Go right ahead and skip the Nashville chicken recipe if you want something more simple. Flour and season with any of your usual spices or herbs. You will cook the recipe the same, no matter what seasoning you use.

Why do you soak chicken in buttermilk mixture?

Soaking your chicken in buttermilk will help to lock in moisture to the chicken, and keep it moist as it fries up. Plus by adding a splash of hot sauce in with the buttermilk can season the chicken even more.

Ingredients

Makes 4 -8 servings

Ingredients for Hasselback Chicken

• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 eggs, whisked
• ½ cup dill pickles, sandwich style

Seasoned Flour:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp. kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon celery salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon marjoram
• ½ teaspoon onion flakes

Brine

• 2 tablespoons pickle juice
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce

Breading

• 1 cup fried onions
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• ¼ cup flour

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ cup vegetable oil, from frying oil

Equipment

• MJIYA Silicone Kitchen Tongs (7 inch), High Heat Resistant to 480°F
• Silicone Splatter Screen for Frying Pan

Method

1. Brine the chicken for 2 hours in a bowl filled with pickle juice, buttermilk, and hot sauce. Once fully brined you can move on to the next steps.
2. Preheat 3” of canola oil in a pot or dutch oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Take each chicken breast and cut parallel lines almost all of the way through, around ½ a cm apart, down the length of each breast.
4. Mix together seasoned flour ingredients. Put fried onions into a food processor and pulse to a fine crumb, then mix with bread crumbs and ¼ cup of flour.
5. Set up a dredging station. Flour in one bowl, whisked eggs in another, and bread crumbs in the last bowl.
6. Dip the chicken into the flour. Spread apart the slits to make sure the flour gets into it and shake off the excess. Then, dip into the eggs, and finally into the bread crumbs. Roll the chicken breast in the crumbs to coat all sides, and separate the slits to be sure the bread crumbs stick inside.
7. Use a pair of tongs to lower the chicken into the oil. Hold the chicken with the tongs in the oil to help them hold their shape, about 30 seconds, then remove tongs and cook for 5-7 minutes. Depending on the size of your pot you may need to do more than one batch. Check to be sure the chicken is done by using a meat thermometer, you will want the chicken to reach 165*
8. While the chicken is cooking, make the Nashville sauce. Whisk together cayenne pepper, brown sugar, garlic salt, and ½ cup of the frying oil.
9. Once the chicken has finished cooking, place it on a wire rack over a cookie sheet, and drizzle with the Nashville sauce. The wire rack helps the excess oil drip off, and prevents the Nashville sauce from soaking the crust of the chicken- which assures a delicious crunch in every bite!
10. Top the Nashville Hasselback chicken with sliced dill pickles and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Kitchen notes

You can use a store-bought Nashville seasoning instead of making your own. Or if you want a different flavor on the Hasselback chicken season as you would like. Cook until the chicken reaches 165 degrees internally.