
Dave's Hot Chicken is a fast-growing restaurant chain that specializes in Nashville-style hot chicken tenders and sliders. The menu is simple, with chicken tenders being the star of the show, served with a choice of seven spice levels ranging from No Spice to Reaper. The chain also serves vegetarian options like fried cauliflower bites, dubbed Dave's Not Chicken. Dave's most popular menu item is the classic hot chicken sandwich, which comes with kale slaw, pickles, and Dave's sauce. The kale slaw is made with fresh, crisp kale leaves, shredded cabbage, carrots, and other crunchy vegetables, and is known for its prominent use of kale and creamy texture.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Kale, shredded cabbage, carrots, and other crunchy vegetables |
| Texture | Highly textural, fresh, crisp |
| Flavour | Savoury, vegetal, slightly sweet |
| Spice levels | 7, ranging from "No Spice" to "Reaper" |
| Accompaniments | Dave's sauce, pickles, buns, chicken |
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What You'll Learn

Kale slaw ingredients
To make Dave's Hot Chicken Kale Slaw, you'll need fresh, crisp kale leaves, shredded cabbage, and carrots. Some recipes also call for additional crunchy vegetables, such as shredded kale, coleslaw mix, and pickle juice.
For the dressing, you'll need mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. You can also add in some sugar and garlic powder to taste.
Mix the dressing ingredients in a bowl, and then add the kale and other vegetables, tossing to coat. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
The slaw can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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Slaw preparation
To prepare the kale slaw, you'll need fresh, crisp kale leaves, shredded cabbage, carrots, and other crunchy vegetables of your choice. The kale should be shredded, and you can either buy pre-shredded kale or shred it yourself by removing the leaves from the stems, stacking the leaves, rolling them tightly, and slicing them into thin strips.
Next, you'll want to make the dressing for the slaw. In a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, and honey. Season the dressing with salt and pepper to taste. You can also add in a bit of pickle juice and apple cider vinegar for some extra tanginess. Whisk all the ingredients until they are well combined.
Now it's time to assemble the slaw. Add the shredded kale and shredded cabbage to the bowl with the dressing. If using carrots and other crunchy vegetables, add those as well. Toss everything together until the kale and cabbage are evenly coated in the dressing. Season the slaw with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
Once the slaw is assembled, you can set it aside or refrigerate it until you're ready to serve it. The slaw can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This slaw is a great side dish or topping for sandwiches, burgers, and tacos. It adds a nice freshness and crunch to any meal.
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Chicken preparation
To prepare the chicken for Dave's Hot Chicken sandwich, you can follow these steps:
Firstly, prepare the chicken tenders by brining them in a mixture of yogurt, milk, eggs, pickle juice, mustard, and hot sauce. Cover and leave this to refrigerate overnight. This will result in juicy chicken tenders.
Next, prepare the flour mixture. In a bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and MSG. Remove the chicken from the brine and toss it in the seasoned flour. Then, dip it back into the brine and dredge it again in the flour. Set the coated chicken on a wire rack and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
Now, heat oil to 350°F. Fry the chicken until it is a light golden brown and almost cooked through. You can also double fry the chicken for an extra crispy texture.
For an extra spicy kick, brush the fried chicken with spicy oil or a spicy coating. To make the spicy oil, pour hot frying oil over a mixture of brown sugar, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and chili powder. For the spicy coating, mix melted butter, cayenne, sugar, paprika, chili powder, and garlic powder.
Finally, assemble your sandwich by spreading the chipotle mayo on the buns, adding a layer of kale slaw, placing the chicken tenders, and drizzling Dave's sauce on top.
Dave's Hot Chicken is known for its Nashville-style hot chicken, and you can customize the spice level to your preference. Enjoy your homemade Dave's Hot Chicken sandwich!
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Dave's sauce ingredients
Dave's sauce is a chipotle mayo consisting of mayonnaise, minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and honey. The sauce is drizzled over the chicken tenders in the sliders and sandwiches.
To make the sauce, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, and honey in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add kale and coleslaw and toss to coat. Stir together mayonnaise (or yogurt), chipotle sauce, sugar, and honey until smooth. The sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Dave's sauce is an integral part of the restaurant's signature dish, the hot chicken sandwich, which also includes kale slaw, pickles, and fried chicken tenders. The sauce adds a creamy and spicy element to the sandwich, complementing the crunchy texture of the slaw and the savoury flavours of the chicken.
The sauce is also used in Dave's vegetarian option, "Dave's Not Chicken," which features breaded and fried cauliflower steaks in place of chicken tenders. The sauce is drizzled over the cauliflower, adding flavour and moisture to the dish.
Dave's offers a range of spice levels for their dishes, from "'No Spice'" to the extremely hot "Reaper," which features the Carolina Reaper chilli pepper. The sauce can be adjusted to suit the desired spice level, with the option to add more cayenne pepper or chilli powder for increased heat.
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Dave's sauce preparation
Dave's sauce is a chipotle mayo sauce that complements the kale slaw in Dave's Hot Chicken sandwiches. The sauce can be prepared by mixing mayonnaise, chipotle peppers, and honey in a small bowl. The chipotle peppers are minced and in adobo sauce. The sauce is then whisked together until smooth. The sauce can be set aside or refrigerated until ready to use.
For those who want to recreate the sauce at home, it is recommended to first place the melted butter, cayenne, sugar, paprika, chili powder, and garlic powder in a small saucepan or skillet. These ingredients should be whisked together and kept warm over low heat. Then, the mayonnaise, chipotle peppers, and honey can be added and combined through whisking.
The sauce is a key component of the Dave's Hot Chicken sandwich, which has gained a reputation for its bold flavors and textures. The sandwich features a chicken tender or cauliflower steak, drenched in Dave's sauce, and topped with a bed of kale slaw and pickles. The sandwich is served between a thin hamburger bun or a potato bun, with the option of adding cheese.
The sauce is also mentioned to pair well with the cheese fries offered by Dave's Hot Chicken. It serves as a better alternative to the cheese, providing a more balanced flavor to the already well-salted dish.
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Frequently asked questions
Dave's Hot Chicken Kale Slaw is made with fresh, crisp kale leaves, shredded cabbage, carrots, and other crunchy vegetables. The slaw is mixed with a dressing made of mayonnaise, vinegar, and honey, and seasoned with salt and pepper.
Dave's Hot Chicken Kale Slaw is not spicy. However, it is often served with spicy chicken tenders or sandwiches, which can be ordered at various spice levels ranging from "No Spice" to "Reaper," which is made with some of the hottest chilis in the world.
Dave's Hot Chicken Kale Slaw is described as highly textural, with a mix of crisp kale leaves and crunchy vegetables. It adds a lot of texture to the chicken sandwiches, providing a fresh burst of greens.
Yes, you can make a copycat version of Dave's Hot Chicken Kale Slaw at home. To make the slaw, mix together mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Then, add in shredded kale and coleslaw mix, tossing to coat. The slaw can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.










































