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Nashville Hot Chicken
Shatteringly crisp fried chicken painted with fiery cayenne oil, served on white bread with pickles. Hot in every sense of the word.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Nashville Hot Chicken, in 5 ideas
- The brine is non-negotiable. It keeps the chicken juicy through the long fry.
- Keep the oil at 350 F. Too cool and the crust goes soggy, too hot and it burns before the inside cooks.
- The spicy oil goes on AFTER frying. That is what makes it Nashville hot.
- Start with less cayenne if you are unsure. You can always add more heat, never less.
- Rest the fried chicken 5 minutes so the crust sets before you paint it.
What you need
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tbsp hot sauce
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp each salt and black pepper
- 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- 1/4 cup cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- White bread and dill pickle chips, for serving
How to make it
Directions
- Soak the chicken in buttermilk and hot sauce in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Mix the flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in a wide bowl.
- Heat the oil to 350 F in a heavy pot. Pull chicken from the brine, let excess drip off, and dredge firmly in the seasoned flour.
- Fry in batches, 12 to 14 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and the internal temp hits 165 F. Drain on a wire rack.
- Whisk the cayenne, brown sugar, smoked paprika, and a pinch of salt into 1/2 cup of the hot frying oil.
- Brush the spicy oil generously over the hot chicken. Serve on white bread with pickles.
Thighs and drumsticks cost a fraction of breasts and stay juicier. Dark meat is the traditional and cheaper cut here.