Nashville Hot Smoked Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
Nashville hot chicken carries a reputation for bold heat and a flavor that sticks with you. It is built on cayenne, balanced with richness, and finished in a way that keeps you coming back for another bite. Bringing that flavor into a smoker shifts the experience. Instead of a quick hit of spice, the heat settles into something deeper, layered with wood smoke and time.
Good barbecue is about building flavor from the inside out. A spatchcock chicken gives you that opportunity, opening the bird up so smoke and seasoning can reach every part of it. The aroma coming off the smoker carries a mix of hickory and warm spice, and as it cooks, the meat takes on a tenderness that holds onto every bit of that flavor.
Using Revolution Barbecue Nashville Hot Chicken Rub builds that familiar Nashville heat with a savory backbone that works naturally with smoke. Once it is pulled and stacked onto a toasted bun with pickled onions and pickles, you get a sandwich that hits with heat, smoke, richness, and just enough brightness to keep everything in balance.
Hickory Smoked Nashville Hot Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
Glenn Connaughton
6
4 hours 15 minutes
2 hours 30 minutes
420
American
Dinner
This recipe is built around layering flavor at every stage of the cook. Spatchcocking the chicken creates even exposure to heat and smoke, which helps the meat cook consistently while developing a stronger connection to the seasoning. Working Revolution Barbecue Nashville Hot Chicken Rub under the skin allows that heat to settle directly into the meat, while the exterior seasoning builds depth as it smokes.
Hickory smoke plays a key role here. It brings a stronger profile that stands up to the spice without getting lost, giving the chicken a solid backbone. As the cook transitions into a covered braise, the texture changes. The meat softens, the juices collect, and everything becomes ready to pull while holding onto that balance of smoke and heat.
Finishing with another layer of seasoning sharpens the flavor and brings the Nashville character back to the front. Once piled onto a toasted bun with pickled red onions and pickles, the sandwich delivers contrast in every bite with heat, richness, and acidity working together.
Ingredients
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1 whole chicken, spatchcocked
1 cup chicken bone broth, hot
4 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon Revolution Barbecue Nashville Hot Chicken Rub, divided
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6 white sandwich buns, toasted
1 cup pickled red onions, thinly sliced
1 cup pickles
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1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup hot sauce
Directions
- Season The Chicken: Carefully loosen the skin from the chicken breasts and thighs, then apply 2 teaspoons of Revolution Barbecue Nashville Hot Chicken Rub under the skin, spreading evenly across the meat. Season the exterior with the remaining 2 teaspoons and refrigerate uncovered for 4 hours.
- Smoke The Chicken: Preheat the smoker to 275 degrees Fahrenheit using hickory wood, then place the chicken skin side down directly on the grates and smoke for 1 1/2 hours.
- Braise The Chicken: Transfer the chicken to a disposable aluminum half tray, pour in the hot chicken bone broth, position the chicken skin side down, then seal tightly with heavy duty foil and return to the smoker for 1 hour.
- Rest And Pull The Chicken: Remove the tray from the smoker and allow the chicken to rest covered for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the foil and shred the chicken directly in the tray using heat resistant gloves or forks.
- Finish The Chicken: Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of Revolution Barbecue Nashville Hot Chicken Rub over the pulled chicken and mix thoroughly to coat the meat in the juices and seasoning. Add BBQ sauce or hot sauce if desired.
- Build The Sandwiches: Pile the pulled chicken onto toasted buns, then top with pickled red onions and pickles before serving warm.