Hot Chicken Sandwich

Raymond Gomez

The phenomenon of Nashville hot chicken continues to blaze a trail throughout the U.S., with chefs keeping the fires burning by adding their own creative spins while still delivering that signature scorching heat. The concept-defining sandwich at Hurricane Ray’s Hot Chicken offers five spice levels. They range from No Heat to Category 5, ensuring that customers all along the capsaicin-tolerance spectrum can enjoy authentic Nashville hot chicken 2,000 miles from its origins. Launched last January from a food truck, the concept and its signature handheld have proven so popular that it’s since added another truck along with a ghost kitchen.

Heat hits the sandwich through multiple sources, explains Raymond Gomez, President and Owner. The chicken thigh is marinated overnight in buttermilk and hot sauce. Battered and fried, it’s then dunked in a spicy “mud” of cayenne pepper, brown sugar and butter (with a Carolina Reaper blend for those Cat 5 enthusiasts). Comeback sauce, housemade coleslaw, pickles and a brioche bun complete the build. “The coleslaw-pickle combination brings sweet and savory flavors; it’s a perfect match for the juicy fried chicken,” says Gomez.

Read more Best of Flavor 2021