Nashville Hot Chicken Bowl With Biscuit Croutons Recipe

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.

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).

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

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Cut 3 of the biscuits into ¾-inch pieces.

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

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

Meanwhile, prepare the popcorn chicken according to package directions.

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

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

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

Divide the salad greens among 4 bowls.

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

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

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.

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!