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A spicy chicken sandwich from Mico’s.
Mico’s Hot Chicken/Facebook

9 Spectacularly Spicy Chicken Sandwiches to Eat Right Now in Houston

Where to find the most mouth-scorching yardbird in the Bayou City, all for takeout and delivery

by Brittanie Shey
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A spicy chicken sandwich from Mico’s.
| Mico’s Hot Chicken/Facebook
by Brittanie Shey

Diners that have a hankering for heat are spoiled for choice these days in Houston. One of the city’s hottest trends right now is Nashville-style hot chicken — crispy juicy chicken breast coated in an extremely spicy dry rub then deep fried to perfection.

As even more hot chicken shops look to open in Houston, some old faves are adding spicy yardbird to their menus, or putting their own spin on variations of the hot chicken sandwich, from buffalo-style breast to chicken-and-waffles. Scope out this map for nine of the best in the Bayou City.

Is your favorite spicy fried chicken sandwich missing from this map? Shout it out in the comments.

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Mico's Hot Chicken

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Mico’s Hot Chicken made the transition from food truck to storefront early this year, serving up juicy hot chicken cutlets in sandwich form, as tenders, and as a topping on loaded waffle fries. Like most Nashville hot chicken places, diners can choose their preferred level of heat — Mico’s “ultra-hot” version is made with the Carolina reaper, the hottest pepper in the world. Available for takeout or delivery from Favor. 

1603 N Durham Dr, Houston, TX 77008
(713) 548-6081
(713) 548-6081

Also featured in:

FM Kitchen and Bar

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FM Kitchen triples the heat of its spicy fried chicken sandwich with doses of chipotle mayonnaise and pickled jalepenos. Just for good measure, the restaurant also tosses in cooling toppings like lettuce and tomato, all served on a toasted potato bun. If the heat ain’t your thing, there’s a non-spicy version as well. Order online through the restaurant’s website.

1112 Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77007
(832) 804-6006
(832) 804-6006

Also featured in:

Sticky's Chicken

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This brother-sister duo began by serving wings from a food truck in 2014. After gaining a following amongst celebrities like Bun B, Houston Texans star DeAndre Hopkins and Travis Scott, they opened their first brick-and-mortar at Sawyer Yards in December of 2019. Sticky’s is best known for adding Filipino flavors to their famous, saucy wings, but the siblings recently added a tempting hot chicken sandwich that’s topped with housemade slaw and mouth-cooling dill pickles. These sandwiches often sell out quickly, so order early through the Toast app, UberEats or Grubhub.

2311 Edwards St Suite 190, Houston, TX 77007
(832) 767-5611
(832) 767-5611

Also featured in:

Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

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Though Gus’s is based in Memphis, not Nashville, it’s probably one of the best-known names in the fried chicken game. For diners who find Nashville-style hot chicken too intimidating, Gus’s Memphis-born version promises that its chicken will not overpower one’s taste buds. Order in individual pieces, including wings and thighs, or plates of two or more pieces, plus sides like fried okra and baked beans. Delivery available through Favor, Doordash, UberEats, and Postmates. 

1815 Washington Ave, Houston, TX 77007
(832) 740-4022
(832) 740-4022

Also featured in:

Common Bond Café & Bakery

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This beloved Houston bakery got into the hot chicken game with a brussel sprout slaw-topped version served on a super-soft pain de mie bun, plus a dollop of garlic aioli to cut the heat. Order online through the Common Bond website.

1706 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006
(713) 529-3535
(713) 529-3535

Also featured in:

Main Chick Hot Chicken

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Main Chick serves sliders and smothered fries topped with halal hot chicken from a food truck usually parked between the vintage clothing stores on lower Westheimer. The food truck has become so popular since opening in June that its owners frequently have to limit purchases to two entrees per person. Choose from five levels of spice — the hottest version is called “Cluck it,” as in why the hell not?

1731 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77098
(713) 739-8898
(713) 739-8898

Also featured in:

Hot Chx

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This newly-opened ghost kitchen operating out of Blodgett Food Hall melds two of Houston’s favorite versions of fried chicken — a Nashville-style hot leg and thigh served on a fluffy, buttery, syrup-drenched waffle. Diners can also get the hot chicken-and-waffle combo as a sandwich topped with spicy mayo and coleslaw. Or get the breakfast sandwich, a hot chicken breast paired with bacon, melted cheddar, and a fried egg served on a brioche bun. Order through Seamless for delivery.

2616 Blodgett St, Houston, TX 77004

Bismillah Restaurant & Cafe

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This Pakistani-American cafe offers a variety of hot chicken dishes, the best known of which is the Ten Chicken Burger, topped with Bismillah’s signature ten-spice sauce. The restaurant also serves a version of Nashville hot chicken, and a mango-habanero fried chicken burger. Order through UberEats for delivery.

5696 Hillcroft St, Houston, TX 77036
(713) 587-9300
(713) 587-9300

Also featured in:

Rosalyn’s Hot Chicken

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One of Houston’s oldest hot chicken restaurants, Rosalyn’s started as a pop-up in 2016 before opening a food truck earlier this year. Here, the craggy, crispy hot chicken comes in five heat levels, as a sandwich or a plate, with sides like Texas toast and juicy pickles. For something different, try the Hot Chicken Mash — buttery mashed potatoes served with cheese, chives, sour cream and topped with crispy chunks of hot chicken.

12401 S Post Oak Rd, Houston, TX 77045
(281) 845-4262
(281) 845-4262

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Mico's Hot Chicken

1603 N Durham Dr, Houston, TX 77008

Mico’s Hot Chicken made the transition from food truck to storefront early this year, serving up juicy hot chicken cutlets in sandwich form, as tenders, and as a topping on loaded waffle fries. Like most Nashville hot chicken places, diners can choose their preferred level of heat — Mico’s “ultra-hot” version is made with the Carolina reaper, the hottest pepper in the world. Available for takeout or delivery from Favor. 

1603 N Durham Dr, Houston, TX 77008
(713) 548-6081
(713) 548-6081

FM Kitchen and Bar

1112 Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77007

FM Kitchen triples the heat of its spicy fried chicken sandwich with doses of chipotle mayonnaise and pickled jalepenos. Just for good measure, the restaurant also tosses in cooling toppings like lettuce and tomato, all served on a toasted potato bun. If the heat ain’t your thing, there’s a non-spicy version as well. Order online through the restaurant’s website.

1112 Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77007
(832) 804-6006
(832) 804-6006

Sticky's Chicken

2311 Edwards St Suite 190, Houston, TX 77007

This brother-sister duo began by serving wings from a food truck in 2014. After gaining a following amongst celebrities like Bun B, Houston Texans star DeAndre Hopkins and Travis Scott, they opened their first brick-and-mortar at Sawyer Yards in December of 2019. Sticky’s is best known for adding Filipino flavors to their famous, saucy wings, but the siblings recently added a tempting hot chicken sandwich that’s topped with housemade slaw and mouth-cooling dill pickles. These sandwiches often sell out quickly, so order early through the Toast app, UberEats or Grubhub.

2311 Edwards St Suite 190, Houston, TX 77007
(832) 767-5611
(832) 767-5611

Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

1815 Washington Ave, Houston, TX 77007

Though Gus’s is based in Memphis, not Nashville, it’s probably one of the best-known names in the fried chicken game. For diners who find Nashville-style hot chicken too intimidating, Gus’s Memphis-born version promises that its chicken will not overpower one’s taste buds. Order in individual pieces, including wings and thighs, or plates of two or more pieces, plus sides like fried okra and baked beans. Delivery available through Favor, Doordash, UberEats, and Postmates. 

1815 Washington Ave, Houston, TX 77007
(832) 740-4022
(832) 740-4022

Common Bond Café & Bakery

1706 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006

This beloved Houston bakery got into the hot chicken game with a brussel sprout slaw-topped version served on a super-soft pain de mie bun, plus a dollop of garlic aioli to cut the heat. Order online through the Common Bond website.

1706 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006
(713) 529-3535
(713) 529-3535

Main Chick Hot Chicken

1731 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77098

Main Chick serves sliders and smothered fries topped with halal hot chicken from a food truck usually parked between the vintage clothing stores on lower Westheimer. The food truck has become so popular since opening in June that its owners frequently have to limit purchases to two entrees per person. Choose from five levels of spice — the hottest version is called “Cluck it,” as in why the hell not?

1731 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77098
(713) 739-8898
(713) 739-8898

Hot Chx

2616 Blodgett St, Houston, TX 77004

This newly-opened ghost kitchen operating out of Blodgett Food Hall melds two of Houston’s favorite versions of fried chicken — a Nashville-style hot leg and thigh served on a fluffy, buttery, syrup-drenched waffle. Diners can also get the hot chicken-and-waffle combo as a sandwich topped with spicy mayo and coleslaw. Or get the breakfast sandwich, a hot chicken breast paired with bacon, melted cheddar, and a fried egg served on a brioche bun. Order through Seamless for delivery.

2616 Blodgett St, Houston, TX 77004

Bismillah Restaurant & Cafe

5696 Hillcroft St, Houston, TX 77036

This Pakistani-American cafe offers a variety of hot chicken dishes, the best known of which is the Ten Chicken Burger, topped with Bismillah’s signature ten-spice sauce. The restaurant also serves a version of Nashville hot chicken, and a mango-habanero fried chicken burger. Order through UberEats for delivery.

5696 Hillcroft St, Houston, TX 77036
(713) 587-9300
(713) 587-9300

Rosalyn’s Hot Chicken

12401 S Post Oak Rd, Houston, TX 77045

One of Houston’s oldest hot chicken restaurants, Rosalyn’s started as a pop-up in 2016 before opening a food truck earlier this year. Here, the craggy, crispy hot chicken comes in five heat levels, as a sandwich or a plate, with sides like Texas toast and juicy pickles. For something different, try the Hot Chicken Mash — buttery mashed potatoes served with cheese, chives, sour cream and topped with crispy chunks of hot chicken.

12401 S Post Oak Rd, Houston, TX 77045
(281) 845-4262
(281) 845-4262

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