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Mind-Blowing Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe + Video

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

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Brine Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 34 mins
Servings: 8 pieces
Calories: 704 kcal
Course: Main Course , Dinner
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the Fried Chicken –
  • 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
For the Spicy 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
For Serving –
  • white bread
  • dill pickles

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  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.

Notes

  • Our version would be considered medium-spicy at a hot chicken shack. You can make the chicken more of less spicy by adding or reducing the cayenne pepper.
  • Let the fried chicken cool to room temperature before storing leftovers in an airtight container, and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1pc Calories 704kcal (35%) Carbohydrates 42g (14%) Protein 28g (56%) Fat 48g (74%) Saturated Fat 11g (55%) Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 92mg (31%) Sodium 741mg (31%) Potassium 547mg (16%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 9g (18%) Vitamin A 4684IU (94%) Vitamin C 15mg (17%) Calcium 90mg (9%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8pieces

Amount Per Serving

Calories 704

% Daily Value*

Serving 1pc
Calories 704kcal 35%
Carbohydrates 42g 14%
Protein 28g 56%
Fat 48g 74%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 92mg 31%
Sodium 741mg 31%
Potassium 547mg 12%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 9g 18%
Vitamin A 4684IU 94%
Vitamin C 15mg 17%
Calcium 90mg 9%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.