Nashville Hot Chicken – juicy, crunchy, crazy delicious fried chicken brushed with a sweet and spicy Cayenne-based sauce for an explosion of flavor! You’ll be clamoring for more!

There’s so much to love about Nashville, but nothing compares to its local specialty – Nashville Hot Chicken. I had to fell in line for hours before I had my first taste of this famous chicken. And trust me when I say it was all worth it. Since summer is just around the corner, I would love for you to try this hot chicken without flying to Nashville. How does that sound?

First off, don’t let the long ingredient list scare you. M’kay?! This is a flavor-bursting-kind-of-chicken the Nashville way. And that should pump you up to go through the grocery list so you can get going. It’s not your regular KFC Hot chicken. But close enough to this game day favorite Buffalo Wings. 

What Is Nashville Hot Chicken?

Nashville Hot Chicken can be a portion of breast, thigh, or wings that has been marinated for hours in a buttermilk-based mixture with a blend of seasonings. It is then coated in a seasoned flour and fried to perfection. Finally, the fried chicken are brushed with a cayenne pepper-based sauce and serve atop on a slice white bread and topped with pickles and chips. 

What makes it different among countless numbers of fried chicken recipes is the spicy paste or sauce that is brushed all over it and the distinct way it is served. With its popularity, Nashville’s famous Hot Chicken has spread not just in other parts of the U.S., but also overseas like in Seoul, South Korea and Melbourne, Australia.

How to Make Nashville Hot Chicken?

Chicken. Although you can use your favorite chicken cut, I opted a one whole chicken cut into 10 pieces for a variety. And plus the fact that is much cheaper buying a whole chicken rather than the packed chicken  breast or thighs. But it works either way though. It’s your call. At this early phase, I already imparted some flavors into the chicken with crushed garlic, a little bit of hot sauce and Creole seasoning.

Chicken Marinade. Soaking the chicken in buttermilk is the secret to a tender and juicy fried chicken. The acids and enzymes found in buttermilk, which is a fermented milk, break down the proteins in the kitchen to make it tender in every bite.

If you don’t have buttermilk in your fridge, you can substitute every cup of buttermilk with 1 cup of regular milk + 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes until the milk curdles. Then pour it into the seasoned chicken meat. (See other Buttermilk Substitutes here).

Flour Coating. This what makes the recipe list a little too lengthy. It’s not just your regular flour and salt and pepper kind of coating. Here I made sure that the meat is coated as well with a flavorful crust. It has a fantastic blend of salt, paprika, garlic and onion powder, cayenne pepper, herbs and white pepper.

Tip: For those who want to make this chicken recipe on weekly rotation, you can mix ahead this flour mixture and keep it in an airtight container for ease. It works wonder for me!

Deep Fried or Pan-Fried. I do have a deep fryer at home, but I would prefer to shallow-fry my chicken in a cast iron skillet rather than submerging the chicken entirely in oil. Well, if you ask me if you can air-fry it, THAT I can’t answer since I haven’t tried it myself. Alternately, you can BAKE them in the oven just like what I did to this Oven Fried Chicken HERE (which is the healthiest option).

Is Nashville Hot Chicken Spicy?

The great thing about this dish is that you can customize the spicy level of the paste. You may even leave out the sauce completely and still sink in your teeth to a flavorful chicken meat. Or you can brush your chicken with a little hot sauce for a mild explosion of heat. And for those with braver hearts, then feel free to generously brush the chicken with this hot sauce to set your mouth on fire. Just exactly the way it should be – overwhelmingly spicy yet flavorful! 😉

How To Make Nashville Hot Chicken Sauce?

It’s not rocket science on how to make the main component for this recipe. Yes! All you have to do is whisk all the hot sauce ingredients and slowly add in the melted butter and oil then mix well until it thickens. Now you’re ready to brush it on the chicken. Simply adjust the spiciness by adding more or less of this Nashville Hot Chicken Sauce.

Can I prepare It Ahead of Time?

Yes , you can prepare the chicken up to the point of frying and store them in the refrigerator overnight. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before frying them. Another way to cut back on time is to prepare the spicy sauce ahead and store it in the fridge, covered, for up to 2 weeks.

Serve this spicy and flavorful Nashville Hot Chicken with pickles and your favorite dip to balance out the heat. (Check out this homemade Remoulade Sauce here). For a more authentic way, serve it like how you would with Chicken and Waffles but atop on a white bread instead.

Enjoy!

Tips and Notes:

1. You can substitute every cup of buttermilk with 1 cup of regular milk + 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes until the milk curdles. Then pour it into the seasoned chicken meat.
2. Brush the chicken with hot sauce depending on your spiciness tolerance or you can completely leave it out.

5 from 1 vote

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Nashville Hot Chicken

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Marinating Time

4 hrs

Total Time

50 mins

 

Nashville Hot Chicken - juicy, crunchy, crazy delicious fried chicken brushed with a sweet and spicy Cayenne-based sauce for an explosion of flavor! You'll be clamoring for more!

Course: Main, Party food

Cuisine: Southern

Keyword: chicken dinner, fried chicken, hot chicken, spicy fried chicken

Servings: 10 pieces

Calories: 467 kcal

Author: Imma

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken cut in 10 pieces
• 1 ½ teaspoon (7.5 g) salt
• 3-4 garlic , crushed
• 1 tablespoon (19 g) hot sauce
• 2-3 teaspoons (8-12 g) ceole seasoning

Chicken Coating

• 4 cups (980 g) buttermilk
• 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (128 g) cornstarch
• 2 cups (100 g) Panko bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
• 1 tablespoon (7 g)paprika
• 2 tablespoons (20 g) garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons (14 g) onion powder
• 1 teaspoon (2 g) cayenne pepper
• 1- 1 ½ tablespoon (3-4.5 g) dried herbs (thyme, oregano, parsley)
• 1 teaspoon (2 g) white pepper
• Oil to fry

Nashville Hot Sauce

• 1 tablespoon (7 g) yenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons (25 g) brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon (7 g)paprika
• 1 tablespoon (8 g)chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder (???)
• ½ teaspoon salt (???)
• 2 tablespoon (38 g) hot sauce
• ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter
• ¼ cup (63 ml) vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Place chicken in a large bowl or Large Ziploc. Then seasoned with salt followed by a crushed garlic, hot sauce and creole seasoning.

2. Next, pour the buttermilk in the marinated chicken, cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, bread crumbs, baking powder, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, herbs and white pepper.

4. Remove all the marinated chicken from the buttermilk. Then dredge in flour mixture, shaking any excess flour. You may use a Ziploc bag for this process too.

5. Let the chicken rest for about 10-15 minutes while preparing oil. This will help the coating to stay on better.

Frying the Chicken

1. Now, heat oil over medium-high heat in a deep fryer or cast iron skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Take note that temperature will drop once you add chicken.

2. Use a tong and carefully and slowly place the chicken in the hot oil. Remember to work in batches and do not overcrowd the skillet.

3. Fry the chicken until golden brown, turning once every 10 to 15 minutes – depending on the size of the pieces. You will know when the chicken is done when it is no longer pink inside and its juices run clear. You may do a test by piercing the chicken with a fork.

4. Drain the chicken on paper towels and then transfer them on a wire rack.

5. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces; let it cool for at least 10 minutes.

Baking Method

1. Let the chicken rest in a single layer in a baking sheet pan for about 10-15 minutes. This will help the coating to stay on. Then place the baking pan into the 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven and bake for 45- 50 minutes or until the chicken meat is no longer pink and its juices run clear. You may do a test by piercing the chicken with a fork.

Nashville Hot Sauce

1. To make the sauce, whisk together cayenne pepper, brown sugar, paprika, chilli powder, salt and hot sauce in a small bowl. Then add in the melted butter and oil and carefully mix until fully combined.
   

2. Finally, brush the top of the fried chicken with the desired amount of spicy sauce. Garnish with pickles and serve.
   

Recipe Notes

1. You can substitute every cup of buttermilk with 1 cup of regular milk + 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes until the milk curdles. Then pour it into the seasoned chicken meat.
2. Brush the chicken with hot sauce depending on your spiciness tolerance or you can completely leave it out.

 

Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

How To Make Nashville Hot Chicken

Place chicken in a large bowl or Large Ziploc. Then seasoned with salt followed by crushed garlic. 

Add hot sauce and creole seasoning. Next, pour the buttermilk in the marinated chicken, cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, bread crumbs, baking powder, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, herbs and white pepper. Remove all the marinated chicken from the buttermilk. Then dredge in flour mixture, shaking any excess flour. You may use a Ziploc bag for this process too.

Frying Method

Let the chicken rest for about 10-15 minutes while preparing oil. This will help the coating to stay on better. Now heat oil over medium-high heat in a deep fryer or cast iron skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Take note that temperature will drop once you add chicken. Use a tong and carefully and slowly place the chicken in the hot oil. Remember to work in batches and do not overcrowd the skillet. 

Fry the chicken until golden brown, turning once every 10 to 15 minutes – depending on the size of the pieces. You will know when the chicken is done when it is no longer pink inside and its juices run clear.

Tip: You may do a test by piercing the chicken with a fork. Drain the chicken on paper towels and then transfer them on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces; let it cool for at least 10 minutes.

Baking Method

Let the chicken rest in a single layer in a baking sheet pan for about 10-15 minutes. This will help the coating to stay on. Then place the baking pan into the 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven and bake for 45- 50 minutes or until the chicken meat is no longer pink and its juices run clear. You may do a test by piercing the chicken with a fork.

To make the sauce, whisk together cayenne pepper, brown sugar, paprika, chilli powder, salt and hot sauce in a small bowl. Then add in the melted butter and oil and carefully mix until fully combined. Finally, brush the top of the fried chicken with the desired amount of spicy sauce. Garnish with pickles and serve.