Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza
jump toRECIPE
This Nashville hot chicken pizza brings together fiery Nashville-style spice with melty cheese and crispy, chewy crust for a bold, flavor-packed twist on classic pizza. It’s perfect for game days, casual dinners, or anytime you want a spicy, craveable meal that’s fun to share. If you love this recipe, be sure to try my American taco pizza and this BBQ steak pizza for more bold, crowd-pleasing pizza ideas everyone will savor.
What is Nashville Hot Chicken?
As the name implies, Nashville hot chicken hails from Nashville, Tennessee and is in fact, very spicy. Rather than tossing the chicken in a hot sauce, fried chicken is brushed with a sweet and spicy oil to evenly coat the chicken and kick up the spice levels. Brushing the chicken rather than tossing it in the sauce ensures it’s evenly distributed and gets just enough to keep its signature crisp crust.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fiery and flavorful – Nashville hot spice shines with every bite.
- Easy to customize – Add your favorite cheeses and toppings for personal flair.
- Crowd-pleasing twist – Classic pizza with a spicy kick that’s great for gatherings.
Key Ingredients in Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza
- Dough – My homemade pizza dough recipe gives you a thin, crispy crust for this pizza. Your favorite pizza dough recipe or store-bought dough can easily be used in this recipe. Just be sure to let the dough rise before using in the pizza recipe.
- Alabama white sauce – Alabama has its own signature BBQ sauce (much like Memphis and Kansas city). It’s a tangy white barbecue sauce made with mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar and horseradish and often paired with chicken. In this recipe it’s drizzled over the pizza to create a creamy contrast to the spices and crispy chicken.
- Fried chicken – I use a simple flour dredge to fry slices of chicken breasts in this recipe. While I opt to make my own chicken fingers it’s easy to substitute leftover or frozen chicken tenders cut into bite-sized pieces to use in their place.
- Spices – The heat level comes from the blend of spices including cayenne, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder and paprika.
- Pickles – Nashville hot chicken is traditionally served with a side of briny dill pickle slices in addition to slices of white bread. The acid from the pickles helps to break up the heat from the chicken. In this recipe I spread chopped dill pickles over the pizza just before serving. You want the pickles to still be cold/room temperature to keep their crisp texture so they are added at the end.
- Mozzarella cheese – I use shredded part-skim, also called low-moisture mozzarella in this recipe. It melts evenly over the pizza providing the perfect cheese pull. Mozzarella is perfect for this recipe because it’s a mild cheese and it doesn’t compete with the other strong flavors.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Pro Tip
Brush the edges of the crust with a little melted butter or olive oil before baking to create a golden, flavorful crust that contrasts perfectly with the spicy chicken topping.
Swaps and Substitutions
- Dough: Use store‑bought or cauliflower crust if you want a gluten‑free base.
- Chicken: Swap in shredded rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, or plant‑based chicken.
- Cheese: Try mozzarella with smoked gouda or pepper jack for extra zip.
- Heat: Reduce the spice level by using milder hot sauce or adding honey.
Special Equipment
These are my must-have tools for making the best pizza at home. For optimal results in an oven, I recommend using the following:
- Pizza stone – To cook pizza evenly in the oven heat the pizza stone with the oven.
- Pizza peel – This makes it easy to transfer the pizza to and from the oven
- Wire cooling rack – This keeps the underside of the pizza as crispy as possible.
- Metal tray – Cut and serve pizza on a metal tray.
How to Make Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza (Step-by-Step)
and refrigerate until ready to use. I add to a squeeze bottle for easy drizzling.
In a large cast iron pot or skillet, add enough vegetable oil to reach 1” up the side of the pan and heat to 350ºF (180ºC). In a medium shallow bowl, add the flour and season with salt and pepper. In another medium bowl whisk the buttermilk, egg and hot sauce together.
Working one piece at a time, dip the chicken in the buttermilk mixture then dredge in the flour.
Shake off any excess flour and fry in the oil, flipping once, until the chicken is golden brown on all sides and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove the chicken and allow it to drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
In a small bowl whisk together the cayenne, brown sugar, chili powder, paprika and garlic powder. Add ¼ cup of the hot vegetable oil and whisk to combine. Use a pastry brush to brush the seasoning mixture on all sides of the fried chicken then chop into ½” chunks.
Place pizza stone on grill or in oven and heat to 500ºF (260ºC). Divide the dough in half and on a lightly floured surface, working one half at a time, press out each half of dough into a 10” circle. The dough should be fairly thin. Generously spread cornmeal over the pizza peel then add the dough on top.
Work one pizza at a time, Use a pizza peel to slide the dough onto the pizza stone. Cook until the crust is a pale brown and bubbly, about 6 minutes.
Top the pizza with ¼ cup of the Alabama white sauce, leaving about a 1” crust around the sides. Spread half the mozzarella cheese on top followed by about ¾ cup of the chopped chicken. Return to the oven until the crust is golden brown and slightly charred in spots and the cheese has melted, about 6 minutes.
Top the pizza with 2 tablespoons of the chopped pickles, a drizzle of the Alabama white sauce and a drizzle of the remaining hot oil. Cut into slices and serve.
How to Use Leftover Chicken
To keep this recipe simple it’s easy to use leftover or frozen chicken fingers. I reheat 3-4 chicken fingers in the oven (or using an airfryer) according to the package instructions then brush with the sauce. It’s also easy to reheat leftover fried chicken from another recipe like these fried chicken biscuits or Nashville hot chicken. Chicken fingers will reheat best without any sauces on them. The chicken will continue cooking on the pizza so be careful not to overcook.
How to Make This in an Ooni Pizza Oven
If making in a pizza oven there’s no need to par-bake the crust since it will get to a much higher heat than in an oven or on a grill (around 850ºF). Simply assemble the pizza toppings as noted in the recipe then bake in the Ooni Pizza Oven for 3-4 minutes, rotating with a metal pizza peel frequently. Then let cool slightly on a wire cooling rack before transferring to a cutting board to cut into slices.
How to Serve Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza
- As a main: Slice and serve with a side salad for a complete meal.
- For game day: Pair with celery sticks, ranch, or blue cheese dip for crowd appeal.
- Garnished: Top with fresh herbs or extra pickles for brightness and texture.
How to Store Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza
- Refrigerator: Store leftover pizza in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat slices in a hot oven or skillet to crisp the crust again.
- Freezing: Freeze baked pizza slices in foil for up to 1 month and reheat from frozen.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can prepare the chicken and toppings ahead, but bake the pizza fresh for the best texture.
It has a noticeable heat, but you can adjust the hot sauce and spice blend to suit your taste.
Absolutely — shredded or diced rotisserie chicken works perfectly.
The balance of spicy chicken, cheese, and tangy pickles keeps it flavorful without being overly heavy.
Yes, use a gluten‑free crust alternative like cauliflower crust.
Other Recipes to Try
If you loved this pizza that marries some serious Southern kick with an Italian favorite, check out some of my other delicious recipes:
Thanks for cooking with me! If you made this recipe, leave a 🌟 rating and share your thoughts or tips below. I’d love to hear from you!
Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza
Rate this Recipe
Equipment:
Ingredients:
For the Alabama White Sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (packed) dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
The Nashville Hot Chicken:
- Vegetable oil, as needed, for frying
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vinegar-based hot sauce
- 1 pound chicken breasts, sliced into 1” strips
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon (packed) dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
For the Pizza and Assembly:
- 1 pound pizza dough risen as needed
- Cornmeal as needed
- 1½ cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- 2 dill pickles chopped
Instructions:
For the Alabama White Sauce;
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, horseradish, Worcestershire, red pepper flakes, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder with 1 tablespoon of water until completely combined.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. I add to a squeeze bottle for easy drizzling.
For The Nashville Hot Chicken:
- In a large cast iron pot or skillet, add enough vegetable oil to reach 1” up the side of the pan and heat to 350ºF.
- In a medium shallow bowl, add the flour and season with salt and pepper. In another medium bowl whisk the buttermilk, egg and hot sauce together.
- Working one piece at a time, dip the chicken in the buttermilk mixture then dredge in the flour.
- Shake off any excess flour and fry in the oil, flipping once, until the chicken is golden brown on all sides and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove the chicken and allow it to drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- In a small bowl whisk together the cayenne, brown sugar, chili powder, paprika and garlic powder. Add ⅓ cup of the hot vegetable oil and whisk to combine. Use a pastry brush to brush the seasoning mixture on all sides of the fried chicken then chop into ½” chunks.
- Set the remaining spice oil aside.
For the Pizza and Assembly:
- Place pizza stone on grill or in oven and heat to 500ºF.
- Divide the dough in half and on a lightly floured surface, working one half at a time, press out each half of dough into a 10” circle. The dough should be fairly thin. Generously spread cornmeal over the pizza peel then add the dough on top.
- Work one pizza at a time, Use a pizza peel to slide the dough onto the pizza stone. Cook until the crust is a pale brown and bubbly, about 6 minutes.
- Top the pizza with ¼ cup of the Alabama white sauce, leaving about a 1” crust around the sides. Spread half the mozzarella cheese on top followed by about ¾ cup of the chopped chicken.
- Return to the oven until the crust is golden brown and slightly charred in spots and the cheese has melted, about 6 minutes.
- Top the pizza with 2 tablespoons of the chopped pickles, a drizzle of the Alabama white sauce and a drizzle of the remaining hot oil.
- Cut into slices and serve.
Notes:
Nutrition:
TAG ME ON INSTAGRAM TO BE FEATURED ON MY STORIES! @cookingwithcocktailrings
This is such a beautiful recipe. I could not stop eating it. The flavours are amazing together! Will definitely be making this again.
So happy to hear it Brigitte!!
Was looking for a fun homemade pizza idea a couple weeks ago to add to the list and this might just be the best pizza I’ve ever had! I am obsessed with Nashville hot chicken but never thought about trying it in pizza form. Love love love this recipe and been sharing with everyone. Deceivingly easy and absolutely delicious. Thank you Kylie!
This makes me SO happy Cassidy!! Thank you so much for sharing, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
My special needs brother in law requested “fried chicken on pizza” for his birthday dinner and I found this recipe. It was really delicious. I think it would make a nice chopped salad with the white sauce/hot oil/chicken/pickles/mozzarella mixed with chopped red onion, tomatoes, and romaine. That will be my next iteration. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed!!! That salad sounds DELICIOUS! Will definitely have to give that a try!
Absolutely delicious!!! Will make again!!
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit! Thanks for sharing Kathy!
Amazing!! Absolutely delicious!! Will make again!