Nashville Hot Chicken Pinwheel Smash Skewers
Crispy fried ground chicken pinwheels on skewers, brushed with buttery Nashville hot sauce and finished with ranch, pickles, and scallions. A spicy, crowd-pleasing appetizer or fun weeknight dinner.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer, Dinner
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American, Game Day
Ingredients
Scale
For the Ground Chicken Pinwheels
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 large flour tortillas
- 8 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes
For the Crispy Breading
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Vegetable oil, for frying
For the Nashville Hot Sauce
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 to 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon pickle juice
For Serving
- Ranch dressing
- Dill pickle chips
- Chopped scallions
Instructions
- Mix ground chicken, egg, panko, milk, green onions, garlic, paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
- Spread chicken mixture thinly over tortillas. Roll tightly, wrap, and chill 20 minutes.
- Slice rolls into 1 1/2-inch pinwheels. Thread 2 to 3 pinwheels onto each soaked skewer.
- Add flour to one bowl. Whisk eggs and milk in another. Combine panko, seasoned salt, and paprika in a third bowl.
- Coat each skewer in flour, egg wash, then seasoned panko.
- Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil to 350°F. Fry skewers 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden and chicken reaches 165°F.
- Melt butter. Whisk in cayenne, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pickle juice.
- Spoon hot sauce over skewers. Drizzle with ranch and top with scallions. Serve with pickles.
Notes
- Keep the ground chicken layer thin so it cooks through quickly and evenly.
- Chill the rolled tortillas before slicing; this is the best way to keep the pinwheels from unrolling.
- Start with 1 tablespoon cayenne for medium heat. Use 2 tablespoons for a hotter Nashville-style sauce.
- Air-fry option: Spray breaded skewers generously with cooking spray and air fry at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes, turning halfway through. Brush with hot sauce before serving.