Name: Pressed Nashville Hot Chicken Grilled Cheese
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 4 boneless (skinless chicken thighs (about 1 lb / 450 g)); 2 cups buttermilk (480 g); 2 tablespoons Valentina hot sauce (30 g); Salt to taste (about 8 g); 2 cups all-purpose flour (240 g); 1 cup potato starch (120 g); 2 tablespoons paprika (14 g); 1 tablespoon black pepper (8 g); 1 tablespoon kosher salt (15 g); Neutral oil (enough to fully submerge chicken, about 1.5–2 quarts / 1.5–2 L); Fry temperature: 350°F / 175°C; 4 tablespoons smoked paprika (28 g); 1 tablespoon black pepper (8 g); 1 teaspoon citric acid (4 g); or 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 g); 1 tablespoon brown sugar (12 g); 1 tablespoon garlic powder (9 g); 1 tablespoon onion powder (9 g); Salt to taste (about 6 g); 6 ounces hot frying oil (170 g, or enough to form a smooth sauce); 1 cup sour cream (240 g); 1/4 cup mayonnaise (QP-style preferred (60 g)); 1/4 cup whole milk (or as needed (60 g)); 1/4 cup fresh dill (finely chopped (10 g)); 1/2 cup dill pickles (finely chopped (75 g)); Black pepper to taste (about 3 g); Salt to taste (about 6 g); Sourdough bread (sliced); 8 oz sharp white cheddar (freshly shredded (225 g)); Butter (as needed for toasting (about 30 g))

There are techniques you learn in restaurants that stick with you forever. And then there are techniques you wish you had learned sooner.

Pressing proteins is one of those.

When I worked in restaurants, we pressed proteins all the time. But we didn’t use a tortilla press. We used mallets. We’d bang chicken out between plastic wrap until it was thin enough to cook evenly. It worked, but it was loud, inconsistent, and honestly kind of a pain.

I didn’t even think about using a tortilla press back then. It wasn’t a thing. At least not in any kitchen I worked in.

Now it is.

Pressing proteins with a tortilla press has completely taken over social media, and for good reason. It’s fast, it’s clean, and it gives you a perfectly even piece of meat every single time. Once I started doing it at home, I had one of those moments where you just think, why didn’t we do this sooner?

This Nashville hot chicken grilled cheese exists because of that realization.

By pressing boneless, skinless chicken thighs thin before dredging and frying, you get maximum surface area, more crunch, faster cook times, and zero guesswork. It’s the same goal we always had in restaurants, just with a smarter tool.

From there, it turns into what I think a great sandwich should be: wider, not taller. Crispy Nashville hot chicken, sharp white cheddar melted directly into the pan for a cheese crust, and a cold dill pickle remoulade to balance the heat.

This is the grilled cheese I wish I’d been making years ago.

Why Pressing the Chicken Matters

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are perfect for frying, but they’re uneven by nature. Pressing them between parchment:

Makes thickness consistent
Shortens fry time
Prevents overcooking
Creates more craggy edges for dredge to cling to

More edges = more crunch. That’s the whole game.

Ingredients

Pressed Nashville Hot Chicken

Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 lb / 450 g)

Buttermilk Marinade

2 cups buttermilk (480 g)
2 tablespoons Valentina hot sauce (30 g)
Salt to taste (about 8 g)

Dredge

2 cups all-purpose flour (240 g)
1 cup potato starch (120 g)
2 tablespoons paprika (14 g)
1 tablespoon black pepper (8 g)
1 tablespoon kosher salt (15 g)

Frying

Neutral oil (enough to fully submerge chicken, about 1.5–2 quarts / 1.5–2 L)
Fry temperature: 350°F / 175°C

Nashville Hot Oil Sauce

4 tablespoons smoked paprika (28 g)
1 tablespoon black pepper (8 g)
1 teaspoon citric acid (4 g) or 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 g)
1 tablespoon brown sugar (12 g)
1 tablespoon garlic powder (9 g)
1 tablespoon onion powder (9 g)
Salt to taste (about 6 g)
6 ounces hot frying oil (170 g), or enough to form a smooth sauce

Dill Pickle Remoulade

1 cup sour cream (240 g)
1/4 cup mayonnaise (QP-style preferred) (60 g)
1/4 cup whole milk, or as needed (60 g)
1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped (10 g)
1/2 cup dill pickles, finely chopped (75 g)
Black pepper to taste (about 3 g)
Salt to taste (about 6 g)

Grilled Cheese Assembly

Sourdough bread, sliced
8 oz sharp white cheddar, freshly shredded (225 g)
Butter, as needed for toasting (about 30 g)
Optional: Japanese dried scallions or fresh chives (5 g)

How to Make Pressed Nashville Hot Chicken Grilled Cheese

Press the Chicken: Place each chicken thigh between two sheets of parchment paper.

Press firmly using a tortilla press until thin and even, roughly 1/4-inch thick.

This makes the chicken easier to dredge and guarantees even frying.

Marinate: Mix buttermilk, hot sauce, and salt.

Submerge the pressed chicken. You can marinate overnight, but 10 minutes is enough if you’re short on time.

Dredge Aggressively: Mix flour, potato starch, paprika, pepper, and salt.

Take the chicken from the marinade and press it hard into the dredge. Squeeze it. Tear it slightly. Get aggressive.

Those rough, broken edges are what create the best texture once fried.

Fry: Heat neutral oil to 350°F / 175°C.

Fry the chicken until deeply golden brown, about 3–4 minutes per piece. Because the chicken is thin, it cooks through fast without burning the crust.

Drain on a rack over a sheet tray.

Make the Hot Oil: In a heatproof bowl, combine all Nashville hot spices.

Ladle hot fryer oil directly into the spices while whisking until a smooth, pourable sauce forms.

Immediately toss the fried chicken in the hot oil until fully coated. Set aside.

Make the Pickle Remoulade: Whisk sour cream, mayo, milk, dill, chopped pickles, salt, and pepper until smooth and spoonable.

This is your cooling element. Don’t skip it.

Build the Grilled Cheese: Heat a skillet over medium heat and add butter.

Lay down sourdough slices. Pile shredded white cheddar generously onto each slice, letting some spill onto the pan to form a cheese crust.

Optional but recommended: sprinkle dried scallions or chives over the cheese.

Place Nashville hot chicken onto one side.

Transfer the pan to a 400°F / 205°C oven for 3–4 minutes until cheese melts and the crust turns golden and crisp.

Finish: Remove from oven. Spoon pickle remoulade over the chicken.

Close the sandwich, press lightly, slice in half, and serve immediately.

Final Thoughts

I believe sandwiches should get wider, not taller. Once they get too tall, they’re impossible to eat. This keeps everything balanced: crunch, heat, acid, and fat in every bite.

You can swap the protein. You can adjust the heat. But the technique stays the same.

Press your proteins.

Respect texture.

And let the cheese touch the pan.