Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches are popular in many states, but they don’t compare to a Hot Fried Bush Chicken Slider made with ruffed, spruce, blue, Franklin’s, or sharp-tailed grouse. The bird is finished with a crispy exterior, juicy meat, and a signature cayenne-based hot sauce. Even the dark-fleshed grouse turn out succulent and flavourful, leaving everyone wanting more.

A slight variation from most Nashville recipes, we used a combination of butter and oil to create the hot sauce.

Ingredients:

Grouse Ingredients

• 4 grouse breasts, boneless and skinless, divided into 8

Hot Sauce Ingredients

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup reserved hot frying oil, from cooking grouse

Marinade and Egg Wash

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp hot sauce
• 1 tsp sweet paprika

Breading and Frying

• 1 ½ cups flour
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 4 cups frying oil

Finishing Sandwiches

• 8 slider buns, toasted
• 4 dill pickles, sliced
• 8 Tbsp mayonnaise

Directions:

1. Make the hot sauce by whisking the ingredients in a small saucepan and heating until combined. Keep warm.
2. In a shallow dish, whisk the marinade and egg wash ingredients together.
3. In a second shallow dish, combine the ingredients for the breading.
4. Butterfly or separate the grouse breasts into two pieces and place them in the marinade and egg wash. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
5. Take each piece of grouse, shake off the extra wash, and dredge each piece in the breading mixture. Place each piece of grouse back in the marinade and wash, then dredge in the breading one more time. Shake off excess.
6. Place oil in a large pot with high sides and heat to 350°F. Place each piece of breaded grouse in the hot oil, cooking in two batches. The grouse will brown and crisp in about 5 minutes. Allow the grouse to drain onto a wire rack.
7. Stir the hot sauce, then brush the mixture over the cooked grouse.
8. Toast the slider buns and spread half a tablespoon of mayonnaise on each half. Place a piece of grouse on each slider, top with pickles, and serve while hot and crispy.