In case you hadn’t heard, PDXtoday just got back from a rootin’ tootin’ company retreat in Nashville. We’re happy to be home, but our hot chicken withdrawals are nothing to cluck at; thankfully Portland’s fried chicken options are also not … paltry.
Whether you like it spicy or are simply in it for the crunch, here are the sandwiches, wings, and tenders we’ve got our eyes on.
Nashville Hot | Flew the Coop | 6035 NE Halsey St.
Biting into this hot + spicy crispy chicken sandwich, it’s almost like we never left Music City. Creamy coleslaw harmonizes wonderfully with the heat and the pickles’ acidity cuts through like a delicious riff. You’ll be singing its praises, that’s for certain.
PDX Hot Chicken Sandwich | Big’s Chicken | 4606 NE Glisan St.
The zesty ranch + special maple sarat gat sauce make this sando worth the sweat. It goes down great with any of the rotating local beers on draft too.
Chicken Strips | BAES Fried Chicken | Multiple locations
Sometimes, ordering plain chicken with sauces on the side is the best way to dip your toe into the world of hot chicken. Pro tip: Get at least two cups of the spicy peach sauce. It’s a delectably saccharine taste of the South.
Hot Chicken Plate | BASILISK | 820 NE 27th Ave.
Epicures on the hunt for heat, beware. These boneless fried chicken thighs, smothered in house-made Nashville-inspired hot sauce and stacked atop Franz Texas Toast + house-pickled cucumbers, just might leave you petrified.
Buffalo Wings | Fire on the Mountain Buffalo Wings | Multiple locations
If you’ve survived the spice and want to branch out, variety is the name of the game here, from bourbon chipotle to raspberry habanero. Pro tip: Vegan drumsticks made from soy protein wrapped on a sugarcane bone are available.
