Claire Thompson
Nashville hot chicken is a type of fried chicken that is a local specialty of Nashville, Tennessee. It is said to have originated in the African American communities in East Nashville. The original hot chicken place in Nashville is generally believed to be Prince's Hot Chicken Shack, which has been operating for over 70 years. The recipe is said to have been created by accident when a woman added a generous amount of cayenne pepper to her partner's meal as revenge for his infidelity. However, he loved the dish so much that he took her recipe and opened the first Nashville Hot Chicken shop, which is now known as Prince's Hot Chicken Shack.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Prince's Hot Chicken Shack |
| Location | South of Nashville |
| Owner | André Prince Jeffries |
| History | The original recipe was created by Thornton Prince III, Jeffries' great-uncle. |
| Awards | James Beard America's Classic award |
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What You'll Learn
- The original hot chicken place in Nashville is widely believed to be Prince's Hot Chicken Shack
- The recipe was created by Thornton Prince's partner
- It was served as revenge for suspected infidelity
- The dish was popularised by Nashville's music industry
- Hot chicken has roots in the city's African American communities
The original hot chicken place in Nashville is widely believed to be Prince's Hot Chicken Shack
Nashville is synonymous with hot chicken, and the city's iconic fiery fowl has gained international fame. The dish is a type of fried chicken that is a local speciality of Nashville, Tennessee, in the United States. It is a portion of breast, thigh, or wing that has been marinated, floured, fried, and covered in a spiced paste or sauce made with cayenne pepper. It is served on white bread with a pickle.
There are other restaurants that have been serving hot chicken for a long time, such as Bolton's, which was started by the first cook at Prince's BBQ chicken shack. However, it is generally accepted that the originator of hot chicken is the family of André Prince Jeffries, owner of Prince's Hot Chicken Shack. The restaurant has won a James Beard America's Classic award and is often frequented by locals and visitors alike.
The popularity of hot chicken has spread beyond Nashville and the Southern United States, with restaurants in other US cities, as well as internationally in places like Seoul, South Korea, and Melbourne, Australia. KFC also launched its own version of the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich, which received mixed reviews. Nashville's music industry has also played a role in popularising the dish beyond the city and the country.
Hot chicken has become a pop culture sensation, with Nashville declaring it the city's official dish. It has a rich history rooted in the city's African American communities, dating back to the Jim Crow era, and it is wonderful to see it celebrated and enjoyed by people all over the world today.
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The recipe was created by Thornton Prince's partner
Nashville hot chicken is a type of fried chicken that is a local specialty of Nashville, Tennessee. It is a portion of breast, thigh, or wing that has been marinated, floured, fried, and covered in a spiced paste or sauce. The key ingredients in the spice paste are lard and cayenne pepper. The dish is served on top of white bread with a pickle.
The recipe for Nashville hot chicken was created by Thornton Prince's partner. Prince was a notorious womanizer, and his partner decided to teach him a lesson by adding a devilish amount of cayenne pepper to his fried chicken. However, her plan backfired as Prince loved the spicy dish so much that he opened the first Nashville hot chicken shop, "BBQ Chicken Shack," now known as Prince's Hot Chicken Shack. The restaurant has been in operation for over 70 years and is currently run by Prince's great niece, André Prince Jeffries.
The origin story of Nashville hot chicken is surrounded by legend and scandal. According to anecdotes, the dish was born out of revenge following suspected infidelity. Thornton Prince, a fried chicken lover, would often come home late, prompting his partner to take matters into her own hands. On one fateful morning, Prince woke up to the aroma of freshly cooked fried chicken. Unbeknownst to him, his partner had added an excessive amount of cayenne pepper to the dish. However, instead of being deterred by the heat, Prince relished the new flavor and decided to share it with the world.
The creation of Nashville hot chicken is deeply rooted in the African American communities of Nashville. Segregation laws, such as the Jim Crow-era laws, divided the city, and certain dishes became popular within specific communities. Nashville hot chicken gained local, national, and eventually international fame in the early 2000s, spreading beyond the Southern United States due to the influence of Nashville's music industry. Today, it is considered one of Nashville's most famous exports, and its popularity continues to grow worldwide.
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It was served as revenge for suspected infidelity
A tale of fiery passion and suspected infidelity fuels the origin story of Nashville's iconic hot chicken. Prince's Hot Chicken, located on Nashvillle's Myers Street, is the original purveyor of this now-famous dish. The story goes that in the 1930s, a woman named Thornton Prince was a popular figure in Nashville's nightlife scene. He was a ladies' man, often staying out late and entertaining female company. His late-night escapades did not sit well with his girlfriend, who suspected him of being unfaithful.
In an act of culinary revenge, she decided to spice up his favorite meal—fried chicken. She concocted a recipe that included a generous amount of lard and a blend of spices, creating an intensely hot dish. Unbeknownst to Thornton, his girlfriend prepared this spicy chicken for him, hoping that the heat would teach him a lesson and perhaps keep him at home. The plan backfired. Instead of suffering in silence, Thornton fell in love with the fiery dish and saw its potential to become a sought-after meal.
Thus, he shared the unique chicken with his friends and family, and it quickly became a local sensation. The intense heat and unique flavor profile of the chicken sparked a trend, and soon, people were lining up to try this new, mouth-burning dish. As word spread, people began seeking out this unusual chicken, and Prince's Hot Chicken was born. The restaurant opened its doors in 1945, and the rest is history. Nashville's hot chicken phenomenon has spread far and wide, with the city now recognized as the home of this delicious, spicy dish.
The legacy of Thornton Prince and his fiery revenge lives on in every bite of Nashville hot chicken. It is a testament to the power of passion, both in love and in the creation of a culinary sensation. This story adds a layer of intrigue to the dish, making it more than just a tasty meal, but a piece of Nashville's cultural heritage. Today, Prince's Hot Chicken stands as a testament to the enduring power of a good revenge story and the ability of food to bring people together, even in unexpected ways.
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The dish was popularised by Nashville's music industry
Nashville hot chicken is a type of fried chicken that is a local specialty of Nashville, Tennessee. It is a portion of breast, thigh, or wing that has been marinated in a water-based blend of seasoning, floured, fried, and finally covered in a paste or sauce spiced with cayenne pepper. The dish was created by accident by Thornton Prince, the great-uncle of André Prince Jeffries, who owns Prince's Hot Chicken Shack. The story goes that Prince's partner served him fried chicken with an inordinate amount of cayenne pepper as revenge for his suspected infidelity. However, he loved the dish so much that he took her recipe and opened the first Nashville Hot Chicken shop, "BBQ Chicken Shack", now known as Prince's Hot Chicken Shack.
Prince's Hot Chicken Shack has been operating since 1980, but before that, it was owned by Thornton Prince III. The restaurant has kept the family business going strong for over 70 years and has even won a James Beard America's Classic award. Nashville hot chicken has become so popular that it has been called the official dish of Nashville, and there is now a hot chicken festival held in the city every year. The popularity of the dish has spread beyond the Southern United States due to the influence of Nashville's music industry. Many restaurants in Nashville serve a variant of the dish, and there are even restaurant chains dedicated to it.
The preparation of Nashville hot chicken can differ greatly, but it typically consists of a dry rub with a large amount of cayenne pepper and a blend of spices unique to the chef. It is served on top of one or two slices of white bread to absorb the spicy juices, with a generous side of pickles to cut through the spice. Some preparations of hot chicken are breaded and fried after the spice paste has been applied, while the more traditional method involves applying the paste immediately after the chicken is removed from the fryer.
Nashville hot chicken has gained worldwide fame, with restaurants in Seoul, South Korea, and Melbourne, Australia, also serving this style of chicken. In 2016, KFC began selling "Nashville Hot Chicken" and "Nashville Hot Tenders" in its U.S. restaurants, and the dish has even made its way to the UK, with limited releases in KFC restaurants. The popularity of Nashville hot chicken is a testament to the influence of the city's music industry, which has helped to spread the dish beyond the Southern United States and across the globe.
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Hot chicken has roots in the city's African American communities
Hot chicken, or Nashville hot chicken, is a type of fried chicken that is a local specialty of Nashville, Tennessee. It is a portion of breast, thigh, or wing that has been marinated, floured, fried, and covered in a spiced paste or sauce made with cayenne pepper. This preparation method originates within African American communities in the Southern United States. The dish may have been introduced as early as the 1930s, but the current style of spice paste may only date back to the mid-1970s.
Nashville as a whole was greatly affected by Jim Crow-era laws, which divided the city into segments, meaning that food popular in one part of the city might not be well-known in another. Black communities took shape opposite downtown Nashville on the other side of the Cumberland River. This area is still rich in Black culture and history, and you can find some of the best hot chicken there.
It is generally accepted that the originator of hot chicken is the family of André Prince Jeffries, owner of Prince's Hot Chicken Shack. Jeffries has operated the restaurant since 1980; before that, it was owned by her great-uncle, Thornton Prince III. According to legend, the dish was created when Thornton Prince's partner, a fried chicken enthusiast, added a generous amount of cayenne pepper to his meal after he came home late one night, intending to teach him a lesson. However, he loved the dish so much that he took her recipe and opened the first Nashville Hot Chicken shop, now known as Prince's Hot Chicken Shack.
The popularity of hot chicken has spread beyond the Southern United States, with restaurants in Seoul, South Korea, and Melbourne, Australia, also serving this style of chicken. In 2016, KFC began selling "Nashville Hot Chicken" in its U.S. restaurants, and later in its UK restaurants for a limited time. Today, there are dozens of hot chicken restaurants in Nashville and thousands worldwide.
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Frequently asked questions
The original hot chicken place in Nashville is Prince's Hot Chicken Shack, which has been operating for over 70 years. It is located on the south side of Nashville and is run by André Prince Jeffries, the great-niece of Thornton Prince III, who founded the restaurant.
There are several legends about the invention of Nashville hot chicken. One story claims that Thornton Prince, a notorious womanizer, came home late one night to his partner, who was an excellent cook. To teach him a lesson, she prepared him fried chicken with an excessive amount of cayenne pepper. However, he loved it and opened the first Nashville Hot Chicken shop, selling this spicy dish.
Nashville hot chicken is a type of fried chicken that is a local specialty of Nashville, Tennessee. It is typically made with breast, thigh, or wing marinated in a blend of seasonings, floured, fried, and covered in a spicy paste or sauce made with cayenne pepper. It is served on white bread with pickles.
Yes, there are variations of Nashville hot chicken. Some restaurants may serve it breaded and fried, while others may apply the spice paste after frying. Additionally, there is a variation called "hot fish," which is typically a breaded and fried fish fillet prepared with a similar cayenne paste or powder blend.
![Nashville Hot Chicken Sauce Powder in a plastic jar - holds 3 oz. [ 85 grams ]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51EFKdX9rkS._AC_UL320_.jpg)
