Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe

Mind-Blowing Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe

The Best Nashville Hot Chicken – Our recipe for spicy, crunchy Nashville-style fried chicken is truly mind-blowing with a few special tweaks.

Prep: 20min

Total: 94min

Yield: 8

Serving Size: 1 pc

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 pc, calories 704 kcal, Carbohydrate 42 g, Protein 28 g, Fat 48 g, Saturated Fat 11 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 92 mg, Sodium 741 mg, Fiber 4 g, Sugar 9 g

Ingredients:

• 3-4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (I used a fryer pack, 8 pieces total.)
• 1 ¼ cup dill pickle juice
• 3 tablespoon sugar
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk
• ¼ cup hot sauce (Frank’s RedHot or Louisiana)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons creole seasoning
• 2 quarts peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
• ¾ cup reserved fry oil
• ¼ cup ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• White bread
• Dill pickles

Instruction:

1. Brine the Chicken: Warm the pickle juice on the stovetop or in the microwave. Then stir in the sugar until dissolved. Pour the pickle juice brine into a large zip bag. Add the chicken pieces. Zip the bag closed. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but longer is better. (If you can brine the chicken for 8 hours or overnight, that’s best!)
2. Once the chicken has brined, set out two shallow dishes. Pour the buttermilk and hot sauce in one shallow dish. Mix well. In the second dish, combine the flour, cornstarch, and creole seasoning. Mix well.
3. Drain the brine off the chicken. Set out a metal rack. One at a time, dunk the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, then the buttermilk, then back in the flour mixture. Place the breaded chicken pieces on the rack. (It’s good for the chicken breading to rest before frying, so don’t heat the oil until all the chicken has been well coated.)
4. Set a large saucepot on the stovetop and clip a cooking thermometer to the side of the pot. Pour enough fry oil into the pot to fill it about two-thirds full. Turn the heat on medium to medium-high.
5. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Set another rack on a baking sheet for the cooked fried chicken.
6. Once the oil temperature reaches 350 degrees F, carefully place four pieces of chicken in the fry oil. Use tongs to move the chicken so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Fry for 7-8 minutes, until golden brown. (The largest pieces should be 165 degrees F inside.)
7. Use the tongs to carefully pull the chicken pieces from the hot oil and place them on the clean rack. Place the fried chicken in the oven to keep warm and crisp.
8. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Place the second batch of fried chicken in the oven. Turn off the heat.
9. For the Spicy Oil: Use a ladle to scoop ¾ cup of fry oil from the pot into a heat-proof mixing bowl. Add the cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Stir to mix.
10. When ready to serve the chicken, remove the rack from the oven and brush the spicy oil over all sides of the fried chicken pieces. It’s traditional to serve the chicken over 2 slices of white bread, topped with pickles.

Nashville-Style Hot Chicken

No doubt about it, six tablespoons of cayenne is a lot, but thats what Hattie Bs considers medium for a Nashville Style Hot Chicken recipe.

Total: 4½ minutes

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 3½–4-lb. chickens, each cut into 10 pieces (breasts halved)
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons plus 4 tsp. kosher salt
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk or whole milk
• 2 tablespoons vinegar-based hot sauce (such as Tabasco or Texas Pete)
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil (for frying; about 10 cups)
• 6 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• White bread and sliced pickles (for serving)
• A deep-fry thermometer

Instruction:

1. Toss chicken with black pepper and 2 Tbsp. salt in a large bowl. Cover and chill at least 3 hours.
2. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, and hot sauce in a large bowl. Whisk flour and remaining 4 tsp. salt in another large bowl.
3. Fit a Dutch oven with thermometer; pour in oil to measure 2”. Heat over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 325°. Pat chicken dry. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge in flour mixture, shaking off excess, then dip in buttermilk mixture, letting excess drip back into bowl. Dredge again in flour mixture and place on a baking sheet.
4. Working in 4 batches and returning oil to 325° between batches, fry chicken, turning occasionally, until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of pieces registers 160° for white meat and 165° for dark, 15–18 minutes. Transfer to a clean wire rack set inside a baking sheet. Let oil cool slightly.
5. Whisk cayenne, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, and paprika in a medium bowl; carefully whisk in 1 cup frying oil. Brush fried chicken with spicy oil. Serve with bread and pickles.
6. DO AHEAD: Chicken can be seasoned 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

Nashville Hot Chicken

The ultimate ode to Nashville Hot Chicken. This tastes just as delicious as the original ones in Nashville restaurants.

Prep: 30min

Total: 60min

Yield: 10

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 171 kcal, Carbohydrate 32 g, Protein 5 g, Fat 2 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 6 mg, Sodium 2361 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 4 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/3 cup hot sauce
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons seasoned salt
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 10 pieces chicken
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1/3 cup cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• White bread and sliced pickles (for serving)

Instruction:

1. Fry the remaining chicken pieces and repeat steps of draining and adding to oven.
2. To serve, place hot chicken over white bread and serve with pickles on toothpicks.

Recreating Nashville Hot Chicken

FAQ

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