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Nashville hot chicken
Fried chicken brushed with fiery cayenne oil, on white bread with pickles
Hot chicken has been a Nashville institution since the 1930s and is eaten at late-night shacks and the city's summer hot-chicken festival: crisp buttermilk-brined fried chicken painted while hot with a paste of cayenne and brown sugar in hot oil, served on a slice of white bread with dill pickle chips to cool things down. Chef's tip: brine the chicken overnight in the fridge; it seasons the meat right through and keeps it juicy under all that heat.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the chicken
For the hot oil
To serve
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix the 1 ½ cups buttermilk, 2 tbsp hot pepper sauce and 2 tsp salt, add the 2 ⅝ lb chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone-in and refrigerate covered for at least 4 hours or overnight.
240 minStep 2: Mix the 9 oz plain flour, 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Lift the chicken from the brine, let it drip, and press into the flour; dip back in the brine and flour again for a craggy coat. Rest 10 minutes on a rack.
15 minStep 3: Heat the 6 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a deep, heavy pot to 325°F. Fry the chicken in batches for 12–15 minutes, turning, until deep golden and the thickest piece reads 165°F at the bone. A common mistake is oil that is too hot, which burns the crust before the meat cooks.
30 minStep 4: Drain on a rack. Carefully ladle 120 ml of the hot frying oil into a heatproof bowl and whisk in the 3 tbsp cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp soft brown sugar, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder and ½ tsp salt.
3 minStep 5: Brush the spicy oil all over the hot chicken. Serve each portion on a slice of 4 slices white sandwich bread with the 16 dill pickle slices on top.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 720 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 42 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does nashville hot chicken take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of buttermilk?
- Milk with lemon juice or white vinegar: 1 tbsp per 240ml (1 cup) milk, left for 5 minutes.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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