For Easier Nashville Hot Chicken, There's One Frozen Ingredient You Need

For spicy food lovers, the proliferation of Nashville hot chicken beyond Music City has been a welcome addition to menus all over the country. It can also be just as fun to make at home, where you can work on dialing in your recipe and customizing heat levels.

If you're looking for a shortcut to get that signature Tennessee spiciness on your table sooner, though, there's one ingredient that can be a game changer, and you don't even have to travel far — you can get the main ingredient right in your grocer's freezer. By picking up a bag of breaded chicken tenders or chicken fingers (there is a subtle difference) or your favorite nuggets from the freezer aisle, you have the foundation of your dish done in a snap.

Just prepare your tenders according to the instructions on the package, toss them with your Nashville hot sauce, and serve. These days, you can pick up any number of store-bought versions of this special spicy condiment, or whip up your own fairly easily with some essential ingredients (usually including cayenne, garlic, and paprika). Either way, this frozen poultry tip streamlines the process for your spicy chicken dish.

You can dress up your Nashville hot chicken in a number of ways. A classic preparation is to serve it on a slice of white bread, which offers a bit of relief thanks to its neutral flavor, along with some punchy, vinegary pickles, which help balance the spice factor, too. It's also perfect as a handheld in sandwich or taco form. 

Try taking some inspiration from what the frozen section has to offer. You may be familiar with the flavor difference between Buffalo and Nashville hot chicken, but grab a bag of frozen chicken wings, and you can create a New York-Tennessee mash-up with Nashville-style hot wings. You can still pair this updated classic with familiar dressings like ranch or blue cheese, or go for a creamy, cooling Alabama white sauce (if you want to bring yet another state specialty into the mix).

When it comes to side dishes, potatoes are welcome in various forms, from french fries to potato salad to tater tots, along with Southern food staples like cornbread and mac and cheese. While you may have all the tips you need to make the perfect fried chicken, bypassing that step with this freezer-ready chicken suggestion will have you serving up some serious heat in no time.