Mind-Blowing Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe (VIDEO)

Nashville Hot Chicken – This recipe for spicy, crunchy Nashville-style fried chicken is truly mind-blowing! A few unique tweaks make our dish perfectly spiced, with slightly sweet and smoky flavors you will love.

The Best Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe

If you have ever lived in the south, you likely have a favorite fried chicken spot, amirite?

One of our personal favorites is this amazing chicken shack here in Asheville called Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack that makes Nashville-style deep-fried chicken. Each piece of crispy, crunchy, and juicy fried chicken is brushed with spicy oil, so it’s bright red, crisp, and spicy hot.

Seriously, I cannot get enough. So we decided to make our own homemade version of Nashville Hot Chicken, inspired by this beloved local joint. We added just a touch of sugar to balance the spicy, along with a bit of smoked paprika for depth and intrigue.

If you like classic chicken and are a fan of all things spicy, you are going to love this Nashville Hot Chicken!

Ingredients You Need

This Nashville Hot Chicken recipe has two main components: Fried chicken, and the mind-blowing spicy oil that is brushed onto the crispy chicken skin.

To make the fried chicken you need:

• Bone-in chicken with skin – about 8 pieces total (chicken breast, thighs and legs)
• Dill pickle juice – the secret ingredient for a perfect southern brine
• Sugar – adds a bit of sweetness to balance the heat
• Buttermilk – either store-bought or learn How to Make Buttermilk
• All-purpose flour – or your favorite gluten-free flour mix for frying
• Cornstarch – to get the crispiest, crunchiest fried chicken
• Creole seasoning – adds spice and depth of flavor
• Peanut oil – or vegetable oil, Canola oil, for frying

For the homemade spicy oil you need:

• Reserved fry oil – from when you fry the chicken
• Brown sugar – for a perfectly smoky-sweet flavor
• Seasonings – cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt

Our version of this oil would be considered medium-spicy at a place like Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack or at Hattie B’s Hot Chicken in Nashville. You can make the chicken more or less spicy by adding or reducing the amount of cayenne pepper.

How to Brine Chicken for Frying

Spicy or not, the best fried chicken recipes always start with a pickle juice brine. This sour and salty flavor creates pieces of chicken that are perfectly crispy fried on the outside and juicy on the inside. Do not skip this step!

1. First, warm the pickle juice on the stovetop or in the microwave. (It doesn’t need to boil, but should be just hot enough to dissolve sugar.) Stir in the sugar until dissolved.
2. Remove from the heat and allow the liquid to cool slightly. Then add the pickle juice brine into a large zip bag. Add the chicken pieces and zip the bag closed, removing as much air as possible.
3. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but longer is better. If you can brine the chicken for 8 hours or overnight, that’s best for easy prep and the most flavorful chicken.

How to Make Nashville-Style Fried Hot Chicken

Once the chicken has brined for 1 to 8 hours, set out two shallow dishes. Pour the buttermilk and hot sauce into one shallow dish and mix well. In the second dish, combine the flour, cornstarch, and creole seasoning. Mix well.

Now drain the brine off of the chicken, and set out a metal rack. Working one piece at a time, dunk the chicken in the flour mixture, then in the buttermilk mixture, and then dip back in the flour mixture. This double coating dredge makes the crunchiest and crispiest fried chicken skin.

Place the breaded chicken pieces on the wire rack as you go. Pro Tip: It’s good for the chicken breading to rest before frying in a pan, so don’t heat the oil until all the chicken has been well coated.

After all the chicken is breaded, set a large saucepot (or dutch oven) on the stovetop and clip a cooking thermometer to the side of the pot. Pour enough frying oil into the pot to fill it about two-thirds full. Turn the heat on medium to medium-high and bring the oil to frying temperature.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Set another rack on a baking sheet for the cooked fried chicken. You want to hold the chicken in the oven after frying to keep warm as you work in batches.

Once the oil temperature reaches 350 degrees F, carefully place 3-4 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.

Get the Complete (Printable) Mind-Blowing Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe Below. Enjoy!

Use the tongs to carefully pull the chicken pieces from the hot oil and place them on the clean rack. Test the chicken with a meat thermometer… The largest pieces should be 165 degrees F inside.

Then place the fried chicken in the oven to keep warm and crisp.

Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces, continuing to place the fried chicken on the rack in the oven as they are cooked. Turn off the stovetop heat as soon as all of the chicken is done.

How to Make Spicy Oil for Fried Chicken

After all of the pieces of chicken have been fried and are resting in the oven, make the spicy oil.

Use a ladle to scoop ¾ cup of fry oil from the pot into a heat-proof mixing bowl or measuring cup. Add the cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Stir to mix thoroughly.

When ready to serve, remove the rack from the oven and brush the spicy oil over all sides of the fried chicken pieces.

Frequently Asked Questions

What to Serve with Nashville Hot Chicken

Like at Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack or Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, we recommend that you serve Nashville Hot Chicken with the traditional two slices of white bread and pickles.

Enjoy as a main dish with all of your favorite southern side dishes! Some classics include Homemade Mac and Cheese, Potato Salad, Coleslaw, Baked Beans, and Perfect Southern Collard Greens.

How to Store Leftovers

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.

Reheat the Nashville Hot Chicken pieces for just a few minutes in an air fryer or 350 degree F oven for the crunchiest and yummiest leftovers.

Can you mix the sauce in a saucepan and reduce it into a drizzle-able consistency?

The base of the spicy sauce is fry oil, so it would be tricky to reduce it to a thicker consistency. However, you can still put it in a squirt bottle, shake it well, and drizzle it over the chicken.

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