Nashville Hot Chicken Bowl With Biscuit Croutons Recipe

Kate Shungu

May 20, 2024 at 12:00 PM·7 min read

hot chicken bowl with croutons - Kate Shungu/Mashed

Adding a bunch of ingredients to a bowl is an excellent solution when you're looking for variety. Mashed recipe developer Kate Shungu shares this Nashville hot chicken bowl with biscuit croutons, highlighting this fact with a multitude of delicious components. Shungu takes fridge and freezer staples and transforms them into a meal you'll want to eat on the regular. And, it's not hard to make, either. "This salad is great for a weeknight dinner or a casual get-together with friends. Just put all of the toppings out and let everyone top their salad with their favorites," Shungu says.

If you're a fan of the classic Southern sandwich, you'll be pleased with Shungu's description: "The bowl mimics the flavors of a Nashville hot chicken sandwich with its sweet-spicy glazed chicken, pickles, and toasted biscuit croutons." It's certainly less messy than the handheld version, and the individual ingredients have more space to shine in each forkful. While you can prep the various components ahead of time, you'll want to assemble this dish right before serving to ensure that the chicken is still hot and the croutons remain crunchy.

Gather The Ingredients For A Nashville Hot Chicken Bowl With Biscuit Croutons

Nashville hot chicken bowl ingredients - Kate Shungu/Mashed

Pick up a can of refrigerated biscuits and frozen popcorn chicken to keep the prep time low. Next, you'll need olive oil, garlic powder, honey, cayenne pepper sauce, unsalted butter (melted), chili powder, cayenne pepper powder, and ranch dressing. To assemble the bowls, pick up some salad greens (a spring mix is a good option), French fried onions, sweet gherkin pickles (diced), and a jalapeño (thinly sliced).

Step 1: Bake The Biscuits

baked golden biscuits on sheet - Kate Shungu/Mashed

Bake the biscuits as directed on the can. Let cool. (This can be done a day before, if you like.)

Step 2: Preheat The Oven

oven preheat setting display - Kate Shungu/Mashed

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Step 3: Cut The Biscuits

chopped biscuits on cutting board - Kate Shungu/Mashed

Cut 3 of the biscuits into ¾-inch pieces.

Step 4: Season The Biscuits

chopped biscuits in bowl - Kate Shungu/Mashed

In a large bowl, toss the biscuit pieces with the olive oil and garlic powder.

Step 5: Bake Biscuit Bits

baked biscuit bits on tray - Kate Shungu/Mashed

Place on a sheet pan and bake for 7–9 minutes, or until golden brown and toasted.

Step 6: Prep The Popcorn Chicken

popcorn chicken on baking sheet - Kate Shungu/Mashed

Meanwhile, prepare the popcorn chicken according to package directions.

Step 7: Prepare The Spicy Honey Sauce

spicy honey sauce with whisk - Kate Shungu/Mashed

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper sauce, melted butter, chili powder, and ½ teaspoon cayenne powder.

Step 8: Prepare The Spicy Ranch Sauce

whisk in spicy ranch bowl - Kate Shungu/Mashed

In another small bowl, whisk together the ranch dressing, 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper sauce, and ½ teaspoon cayenne powder.

Step 9: Toss The Chicken With Spicy Honey

popcorn chicken tossed in honey - Kate Shungu/Mashed

When the popcorn chicken is finished cooking, transfer it to a large bowl. Pour the honey mixture over the top and toss.

Step 10: Portion Out The Salad

four bowls with green salad - Kate Shungu/Mashed

Divide the salad greens among 4 bowls.

Step 11: Add The Salad Ingredients To A Bowl

partly assembled hot chicken bowl - Kate Shungu/Mashed

Top the greens with the following ingredients, dividing them evenly among the 4 bowls: popcorn chicken, biscuit croutons, fried onions, pickles, and jalapeño slices.

Step 12: Drizzle Ranch And Serve

four nashville hot chicken bowls - Kate Shungu/Mashed

Top with the spicy ranch dressing. Serve with the remaining biscuits on the side.

How Can You Make Homemade Croutons With Refrigerated Biscuits?

This Nashville hot chicken bowl is especially appealing thanks to the multitude of textures in every bite. Homemade croutons really stand out, and there's nothing inherently complicated about making them. While you can prepare croutons with whichever bread you prefer, biscuits add an extra nice touch thanks to their texture. Shungu says, "I love biscuits in particular because they make light and crispy croutons, and you can still see those flaky biscuit layers!"

If you made a batch the previous day and have leftovers, go ahead and use these for your croutons. Otherwise, just bake a fresh batch to transform the biscuits into the crunchy topping. "They get tossed with olive oil, and I like to season them with something like garlic powder or Italian seasoning," Shungu explains. As they bake, they get nice and crispy, offering the perfect crunch to your bowl. You can even make them ahead of time or prep a large batch to keep on hand, as they will keep for several weeks at room temperature as long as you store them in a sealed container to prevent moisture from getting in.

What Are Some Tips For Building Layers Of Flavor In A Salad?

If you tend to skip over salads because you think they're boring, you're simply adding the wrong ingredients. You can toss just about anything into a salad as long as you slice it into smaller pieces so that it can blend in with the other components. However, if you're choosing ingredients with a similar consistency and taste, it's bound to be bland. "The key to an interesting salad is lots of textures and complementary flavors," Shungu explains.

She highlights this concept in her Nashville hot chicken bowl: "The creamy ranch dressing cools off the spicy chicken, the greens add a pop of freshness, the pickles add a satisfying crunch, and the crispy fried onions add even more crunch," she says. Meanwhile, adding an unexpected ingredient keeps the meal exciting. "The biscuit croutons are a unique, crispy addition and a nod to the salad's Southern roots," Shungu notes. And, of course, popcorn chicken doesn't hurt, either!