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Hot Girl Summer was all the rage in 2019 when you could live your most bold, unapologetic life (remember that feeling?). But with few bright spots during the current crisis that has defined this year, maybe we can revel in a Shake Shack-fueled Hot Chick’n summer?
Today, the popular chain is bringing back its spicy version of the classic Chick’n Shack sandwich starting for a limited time. It’s available at all locations in New York (except airports and sports stadiums) with a few new items making a debut: Hot Chick’n Bites ($5.09 for six pieces and $7.09 for 10 pieces), Hot Spicy Fries ($3.85) and Hot Spicy Cheese Fries ($4.85).
You can order the hot items—they’re laced with a guajillo and cayenne pepper blend—at a “hot” or “extra hot” spice level, but if you want to attempt breaking the Scoville scale, you can access the third level of spice (“fire”) by ordering via the Shack app.
Other fast food chains have hopped on the spicy chicken craze, too. McDonald’s rolled its Spicy Chicken McNuggets last week, and last year, Popeyes’s spicy chicken sparked a huge viral following.
Yesterday, we tasted all four items from Shake Shack:
Hot Chick’n Sandwich
Fans for this spicy chicken sandwich have closely followed every limited release of the special since it debuted in 2017. The perfectly-cooked chicken breast is slow-cooked in a buttermilk marinade and has a golden, crisp exterior. This time around, there’s a bright cherry-pepper slaw for a nice touch of acid. Warning: the heat builds up with each bite.
Hot Chick’n Bites
These nuggets are also dusted with the same guajillo and cayenne pepper blend. They’re easy to eat, and we couldn’t have just one.
Hot Spicy Fries and Hot Spicy Cheese Fries
A fan favorite, the crinkle cut fries—whether you get them spicy or spicy with cheese—come with a creamy homemade ranch that was introduced earlier this spring.
“People just love heat,” says John Karangis, Executive Chef and Vice President of Culinary Innovation at Shake Shack. There's no specific end date for the Hot Chick'n special promotion.
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