Free recipe
Nashville Hot Chicken
Built around bone-in chicken pieces or thighs and buttermilk -- the method starts by soaking the chicken in the buttermilk with 1 teaspoon salt at least 1 hour.
This American comfort nashville hot chicken builds its flavor from bone-in chicken pieces or thighs, buttermilk and flour, and comes together in about 20 minutes with medium-level technique. The method starts by soaking the chicken in the buttermilk with 1 teaspoon salt at least 1 hour.
Ready in 20 minutes -- genuinely doable on a weeknight.
A few technique steps to focus on, but nothing that needs special equipment.
Built around bone-in chicken pieces or thighs, so the flavor comes from real ingredients, not a spice packet.
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in chicken pieces or thighs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- Oil for frying
- 3 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- White bread and pickles to serve, salt
Nutrition (estimated, per serving)
Calculated from this recipe's own ingredient list; treat as an estimate, not a lab measurement.
Method
Soak the chicken in the buttermilk with 1 teaspoon salt at least 1 hour (overnight is best).
Season the flour with 1 teaspoon salt. Dredge each piece from the buttermilk into the flour, pressing well.
Heat 1 inch of oil to 325F/165C and fry the chicken 12-15 minutes, turning, until deep golden and 165F/74C inside. Drain, saving a little of the hot frying oil.
Carefully whisk the cayenne, brown sugar, paprika, and garlic powder into 1/2 cup of the hot frying oil until smooth. Stand back - it is spicy.
Brush the fiery oil all over the hot fried chicken.
Serve on white bread with pickles on top, the classic Nashville way.
The step worth not rushing: Heat 1 inch of oil to 325F/165C and fry the chicken 12-15 minutes, turning, until deep golden and 165F/74C inside. Drain, saving a little of the hot frying oil.
