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–+ servings
Nashville-Hot-Chicken
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5 from 1 vote

Nashville Hot Chicken

Nashville Hot Chicken is a regional specialty popularized in Tennessee, but this spicy fried chicken is so flavorful it needs to be on dinner plates across America!
Prep Time3 hours
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time3 hours 15 minutes
Course: Entree
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Fox Valley Foodie

Ingredients

  • 3-6 lbs chickens breasts thighs, and/or drumsticks
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoon kosher salt plus 4 teaspoon salt (divided)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoon vinegar-based hot sauce
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • 6 tablespoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika

Serving

Instructions

  • Place chicken in a large bowl and coat with 2 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon pepper, toss to ensure even coverage, cover and place in refrigerator for 3+ hours.
  • Set up your dredging station by whisking together eggs, buttermilk and hot sauce in a large bowl, and combine flour and 4 teaspoon salt in a separate bowl.
  • Add oil to your deep sided cast iron pan and fill with 2" of oil. Heat on medium high until the temperature reads 325 degrees.
  • Pat chicken dry with paper towel then dredge in flour mixture, shaking off excess, then dredge in buttermilk mixture, letting extra liquid drip off, and finally dredge in flour mixture again. Set each coated piece on a wire baking rack as you work in batches to complete the remaining pieces.
  • Place chicken in frying oil, working in batches as needed, and fry till golden brown and temperature reaches 165 degrees, turning chicken as needed to ensure even frying. ~15 minutes. Place cooked chicken on separate wire rack until all chicken has been fried.
  • Turn off heat and let the oil cool slightly and mix together cayenne, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, and paprika in a bowl. Add 1 cup of frying oil to the mixture and whisk to combine.
  • Let oil cool slightly.
  • Brush oil mixture over each piece of chicken and serve on top of white bread with pickles.

Notes

This recipe was inspired from Epicurious
Reheating leftovers in a 350 degree oven works quite well.
Frying temperature will drop when chicken is added. Be sure to monitor the temperature and increase the heat as needed.