Nashville Hot Chicken

August 24, 2022

Updated Feburary 1, 2024

Crispy, spicy, and a touch of sweet fried chicken straight from Nashville, Tennessee! I guarantee this will be your next favorite chicken sandwich because of how well the sweet and spicy mingle together. Serve this on a bun with some pickles and a side of french fries, tater tots, coleslaw, or potato salad!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The first bite of this chicken will have your taste buds screaming, in a good way! Despite the name, Nashville hot chicken isn’t as hot as you might think. The amount of spice that goes into this is tamed by some butter and brown sugar. Of course, you can add some more spice if it isn’t hot enough for you. If you want to make it less spicy, that’s totally fine, but try not to get fancy with this. The beauty of Nashville hot chicken is its simplicity. I served my chicken over mashed potatoes (which isn’t traditional, I just forgot to buy buns); it’s traditionally served on a burger bun with pickle chips. That’s all! Brioche buns might take the flavor away from the chicken because of their soft, lightly sweet, rich nature. You can have this chicken sandwich with fries, tater tots, potato salad, or my favorite, coleslaw!

Ingredients for Nashville Hot Chicken

Chicken Breasts or Thighs, boneless and skinless: Thighs are the way to go for this recipe because of how tender and juicy they get when you fry them. However, if you use chicken breasts, slice the breasts in half lengthwise, then in half widthwise, creating 4 pieces total.
All-purpose flour: I have yet to try this with gluten-free flour or whole wheat, but feel free to give it a shot and tell me how it turns out!
Ground Cayenne Pepper, Paprika (Smoked or Regular), Salt, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder: The seasonings you need!
Pickle Brine: This is optional but totally worth using. This will go into the buttermilk mixture.
Whole Buttermilk: Used for coating the chicken. It works better than regular milk. It’s also a must-have for southern fried chicken!
Hot Sauce, such as Tabasco, Frank’s Red Hot, or Louisiana Style Hot Sauce: For the heat in the chicken. Don’t worry, this won’t make it extremely spicy! Trust me, I made this.
Eggs: To bind the batter together so it stays on the chicken
Butter: This is used for the spicy sauce that goes onto the chicken after. It also helps knock out some of the heat from the spices.
Brown Sugar: For that bit of sweetness.

Tips & FAQs

Storage: Store the chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat: You can reheat this in an air fryer at 400F or in the oven at 350F.
Do not crowd the chicken. Doing so will cause the chicken to not cook properly. The more chicken the oil needs to fry, the lower temperature it becomes, therefore taking longer and the chicken will be greasy and heavy. It’ll also cause the chicken to stick together. You want to fry the chicken in batches so the chicken can float in the oil with space.
When deep frying, slowly lower the chicken into the oil. Never drop it. Never drop the chicken into the hot oil from a distance. The oil will splash everywhere, possibly onto you, which will hurt. Use tongs and hold onto the chicken until half of it is immersed in the hot oil, then let go. This way the chicken will slide into the oil effortlessly.
Adjust the spice to your liking in the spicy sauce. I used 2 tbsp of cayenne pepper, which ended up being the perfect heat for me. However, you can use 2-6 tbsp, depending on how much heat you can handle. To balance the spice, I used 2 tbsp of brown sugar, but you can use only 1 if you want the true heat with a tiny hint of sweetness.
What is the best oil for fried chicken? I recommend an oil that has a high smoke point and a neutral taste. Go for vegetable oil, peanut oil, or canola oil. Alternatively, you can use sunflower oil or corn oil. Keep in mind that canola oil produces a fishy scent while frying, but this does not affect the flavor of the chicken at all.

Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.

Recipe:

Servings 10 sandwiches

Author Dani Bayer

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

20 Min

Total time

35 Min

Nashville Hot Chicken

Ingredients

For the Dry Mixture

2 cups all-purpose flour, or more if needed
1 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp paprika (smoked or regular)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

For the Wet Mixture

2 1/2 cups whole buttermilk
3/4 cup pickle brine (optional)
3 tbsp tabasco (tabasco, frank’s red hot, or Louisiana-style hot sauce)
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt

For the Fried Chicken

10 pieces chicken (see notes)
Oil for frying, such as vegetable, canola, or peanut

For the Spicy Sauce

1/2 cup used frying oil
1/4 cup butter
2-6 tbsp cayenne pepper, depending on your heat preference
1-2 tbsp brown sugar, depending on your sweetness preference
1/2 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

To Serve

10 burger buns
Pickle chips, for garnish

Instructions

Make the Dredging Station

In one large shallow dish, combine the flour, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, and pepper.
In a separate large shallow dish, whisk together the buttermilk, pickle brine, hot sauce, eggs, and salt.
Prepare one baking sheet with foil, then another with parchment or wax paper, and place a wired rack on top. Arrange them on your counter as follows: dry mixture, wet mixture, baking sheet with foil, and baking sheet with a wire rack.

Dredge the Chicken

Season the chicken with a bit of salt and pepper.
Dredge the chicken in the flour, making sure the chicken is coated on both sides.
Dip the chicken into the buttermilk, making sure both sides are covered. Let the excess drain off, then dip the chicken back into the flour mixture. Move it to the baking sheet with foil. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Let the chicken rest as you heat the oil. This will help the coating stick to the chicken.

Fry the Chicken

Pour enough oil into a large deep skillet or Dutch oven so that it is at least 2-3 inches deep.
Heat the oil on high until it reaches 350F. Use an instant-read thermometer or a deep frying/candy thermometer. If you don’t have one, drop a 1-inch cube of bread into the oil. If it turns golden brown within 45 seconds, then the oil is at the right temperature.
Gently slide two or three pieces of chicken into the oil using tongs. Do not drop the chicken into the oil; it’s more likely to splatter the oil and potentially burn you.
Fry the chicken for 6-8 minutes, adjusting the heat lower or higher to maintain 350F. Flip the chicken halfway through cooking to ensure even cooking. Fry until the outside is golden brown and crispy, and the internal temperature is 160-165F. If you are frying chicken thighs, you want the internal temperature to be 170F.
Move the fried pieces to the baking sheet with a wired rack and allow it to drip the excess oil. Repeat with the rest of the chicken. Fry them in batches, not all at once.
Once done frying all the chicken, allow the oil to cool for 5-10 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the oil.

For the Spicy sauce

Place the butter into a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl. Carefully pour the hot oil over the butter and allow the butter to melt. Stir the butter to help it melt. If it doesn’t completely melt, microwave it 10 seconds at a time until the butter is melted.
Add the remaining ingredients, then stir to form the sauce. The texture will vary on how much cayenne and brown sugar you use.
Gently dip the chicken into the sauce, flipping to coat both sides, one at a time. Brush the remaining sauce onto the chicken, if there’s any left.
Assemble your sandwiches and serve! Place the chicken onto the bottom of a burger bun, then top with pickles and the bun.

Notes

Chicken Pieces: You want them to be either chicken breasts or thighs, boneless and skinless. Thighs are the way to go for this recipe because of how tender and juicy they get when you fry them. Make sure they reach a minimum of 170F internal temperature. However, if you use chicken breasts, slice the breasts in half lengthwise, creating 2 cutlets, then cut those cutlets in half widthwise, creating 4 pieces total per breast.

Storage: Store the chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat: You can reheat this in an air fryer at 400F or in the oven at 350F.
Do not crowd the chicken. Doing so will cause the chicken to not cook properly. The more chicken the oil needs to fry, the lower temperature it becomes, therefore taking longer and the chicken will be greasy and heavy. It’ll also cause the chicken to stick together. You want to fry the chicken in batches so the chicken can float in the oil with space.
When deep frying, slowly lower the chicken into the oil. Never drop it. Never drop the chicken into the hot oil from a distance. The oil will splash everywhere, possibly onto you, which will hurt. Use tongs and hold onto the chicken until half of it is immersed in the hot oil, then let go. This way the chicken will slide into the oil effortlessly.
Adjust the spice to your liking in the spicy sauce. I used 2 tbsp of cayenne pepper, which ended up being the perfect heat for me. However, you can use 2-6 tbsp, depending on how much heat you can handle. To balance the spice, I used 2 tbsp of brown sugar, but you can use only 1 if you want the true heat with a tiny hint of sweetness.
What is the best oil for fried chicken? I recommend an oil that has a high smoke point and a neutral taste. Go for vegetable oil, peanut oil, or canola oil. Alternatively, you can use sunflower oil or corn oil. Keep in mind that canola oil produces a fishy scent while frying, but this does not affect the flavor of the chicken at all.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

710

Fat (grams)

48 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

11 g

Carbs (grams)

48.89 g

Fiber (grams)

4 g

Sugar (grams)

8.35 g

Protein (grams)

28 g

Sodium (milligrams)

741 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

92 mg

This is calculated without the burger buns or pickles. Nutrition will change if you use them.

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Nashville Hot Chicken

Table of Contents:

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Ingredients for Nashville Hot Chicken

Tips & FAQs