Nashville Hot Chicken
Nashville Hot Chicken is a mouth-watering dish that will tantalize your taste buds. It is a unique blend of spicy and savory flavors that will have you hooked from the very first bite!
Looking to kick things up a notch in the kitchen? Then you’ve got to try Nashville Hot Chicken! This zesty dish is made with chicken that is marinated, battered, and then fried until crispy and golden brown.
It is then smothered in a spicy sauce that is made with cayenne pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder, and chili powder. It’s a bit of work to make this fried chicken, but the end result is well worth it!
Yeap, Nashville Chicken is spicy and flavorful at every bite. Serve it with lots of pickles on slices of white bread to sop up the extra sauce. Add fries and a refreshing beverage to make it a complete meal.
Want even more recipes that bring the heat? Then you’ll want to check out the Best Dang Shrimp Creole, this Spicy Crab Kani Salad, and my Buffalo Chicken Baked Feta Pasta.
What Is Nashville Hot Chicken?
This spicy chicken style was invented at Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville, Tennesse, almost 100 years ago. Hattie B’s Hot Chicken is another local favorite. This regional treat has become a worldwide sensation in the last few years. This Nashville hot chicken recipe isn’t for the faint of heart, but it’s pretty close to the original, and spicy food lovers will adore it.
Why Make This Recipe
- It’s Got Serious Heat – This chicken recipe has spice added to the marinate, to the dredge, and to the coating, so there is a punch of heat at every level.
- It’s A Culinary Delight – This chicken is considered a “must-try” Southern recipe. If you can’t make it to Nashville, make it at home.
- It’s A Fun Twist On Boring Chicken – Take your chicken dinner to a whole new level with this twist of traditional fried chicken.
Ingredient Notes
For the chicken:
- Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can quickly make your own by following the direction in this How To Make Buttermilk post.
- Hot Sauce – Use your favorite hot sauce, such as Frank’s Hot Sauce or Louisiana sauce.
- Garlic – Finely minced, fresh garlic will have a better flavor than jarred garlic.
- Chicken – Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs with the fat pieces trimmed off. You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken breast if you prefer.
- Vegetable Oil – Use your favorite oil for frying.
- Flour – All-purpose flour works great. We have not tested this recipe using gluten free flour.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch helps to make the coating super crispy, so we don’t recommend skipping it.
- Seasonings – Combine garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper powder, and salt.
For the sauce:
- Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter cut into pieces.
- Cayenne Pepper Powder – Adjust the amount to control the spiciness of the sauce.
- Brown Sugar – Brown sugar adds some sweetness to balance the heat. Increase by 1 tablespoon for a sweeter sauce. You can substitute it with honey if you prefer.
- Seasoning – Season the sauce with garlic powder and chili powder.
Ready to learn how to make this Nashville hot chicken recipe? Gather up your ingredients and I will show you…
How To Make Nashville Hot Chicken
Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
- Combine buttermilk, hot sauce and garlic in a large bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours to 6 hours.
- Fill a deep-frying skillet or pot with about 3 inches of oil. Heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C.
- While the oil is heating up, whisk the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne powder and salt in a pie plate or large shallow bowl.
- One at a time, drain the excess marinade off the pieces of chicken, dredge them in the flour mixture, then back into the marinade, and finally in the flour mixture for a second time. Place the coated chicken on a baking rack over a cookie sheet.
- Repeat the process with the remaining chicken pieces, then let them all rest for 10-15 minutes to allow the coating to set.
- Fry several chicken pieces at a time, but be sure not to overcrowd the pan.
- Cook the chicken thighs for 7-9 minutes or until they turn a light golden color. Flip halfway through cooking.
- Remove cooked chicken pieces and place a wire rack over a baking sheet to drain.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce by adding all the sauce ingredients to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine and continue stirring until the butter is fully melted, then remove the pan from the heat before it starts to bubble.
- Brush the sauce onto the hot chicken pieces and serve immediately with fries, sliced white bread, and pickles.
Note: Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be at least 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.
Expert Tips
- Marinate the boneless chicken thighs in the buttermilk mixture for at least 3 hours but no more than 6 hours or the chicken can become mushy.
- After dredging the chicken, allow it to rest for 15 minutes before frying. This will help the coating to stick well during frying.
- Use a cast iron skillet or enameled Dutch oven for frying.
- Pour at least 3 inches of oil into your frying vessel.
- Bring the oil to 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C before adding the chicken.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Cook the chicken in batches, a few pieces at a time.
- Allow time for the hot oil to come back up to temperature between batches.
- Always cook chicken to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C when checked with a digital meat thermometer.
- Place the cooked chicken on a wire rack for several minutes to drain off the excess grease.
- Use a pastry brush to brush the sauce onto the spicy fried chicken pieces.
Delicious Variations
- Adjust The Heat – The hot sauce and cayenne pepper powder add heat to the chicken. You can control the heat level by adjusting the amounts of these ingredients.
- Make It Sweeter – Increase the brown sugar by 1 tablespoon for sweet heat. You can also use honey.
- Make A Fried Chicken Sandwich – Place the fried chicken pieces on a bun with pickles for a tasty sandwich.
- Make It Smoky – Add smoked paprika to the seasoning to give the chicken a smoky flavor.
Prep And Storage
- Prep Ahead – Allow time to marinate the chicken for at least 3 and up to 6 hours.
- Store – Store leftover chicken without the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can store the chicken with the sauce, but it will not be very crispy when reheated. The sauce can be stored separately for up to 1 week.
- Freeze – Freeze the chicken without the sauce for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat – Reheat at 350 degrees F / 180 degrees in the oven for 5-6 minutes or until crispy once again. Microwave the sauce for about 1 minute or until melted, and brush on the crispy chicken.
FAQs
Nashville hot chicken has spice added to the marinade, dredge, and thick sauce, which is brushed onto the fried chicken. Buffalo chicken is tossed in a wet sauce and is less spicy.
The spicy chicken is served with dill pickles and placed on top of slices of white bread. This is done to absorb the extra sauce and juices from the chicken. The bread can be very spicy, so whether you eat it or not is a personal choice.
A Nashville, Tennessee staple, hot chicken is soaked in a spicy marinade, coated in a spicy dredge, deep fried, and brushed with a spicy sauce. There is spice at every level, and it’s considered a “must-try” Southern dish.
When it comes to Nashville Hot Chicken, it’s all about the heat. There is no mild version of this dish. And while there are many versions of the recipe, there is a standard way to serve it – on top of slices of white bread and with lots of pickles.
More Recipes You May Like
- Air Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken.
- Bang Bang Shrimp.
- Easy Smothered Chicken.
- Cracker Barrel Fried Chicken Recipe.
- 10 Minute Blackened Salmon.
Serving Suggestions
Thank you for reading my Nashville Hot Chicken recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.
Get The Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe:
Don’t forget to tag #recipesfromapantry on Instagram or Twitter if you try Nashville Hot Chicken! It is really, really awesome for me when you make one of my recipes and I’d love to see it. You can also share it on my Facebook page. Please pin this recipe to Pinterest too! Thank you for reading Recipes from a Pantry.
Nashville Hot Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 cups (709ml) buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons hot sauce Frank’s Red Hot or Louisiana sauce
- 5 cloves garlic finely minced
- 4 chicken thighs boneless, skinless and with the fat pieces trimmed off
- vegetable oil for frying
- 1 ½ cups (192g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the sauce:
- ½ cup (113g) butter cut into pieces
- 3 tablespoons ground cayenne pepper
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- Combine buttermilk, hot sauce and garlic in a large bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours to 6 hours.
- Fill a deep-frying skillet or pot with about 3 inches of oil. Heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C.
- While the oil is heating up, whisk the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne powder and salt in a pie plate or large shallow bowl.
- One at a time, drain the excess marinade off the pieces of chicken, dredge them in flour mixture, back into the marinade, and then in the flour for a second time. Place the coated chicken on a cooling rack over a baking sheet to rest.
- Repeat the process with the remaining chicken pieces, then let them all sit for 10-15 minutes to allow the coating to set.
- Cook the chicken thighs for 7-9 minutes or until they turn a light golden color. Flip halfway through cooking. It's okay to fry several pieces of the chicken at a time, but do not overcrowd the pan.
- When done, place the chicken pieces on a wire rack over a baking sheet to drain.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce by adding all the sauce ingredients to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine and continue stirring until the butter is fully melted, then remove the pan from the heat before it starts to bubble.
- Brush the sauce onto the hot chicken pieces and serve immediately with fries, sliced white bread and pickles.
Video
Notes
- Marinate the chicken for at least 3 hours but no more than 6 hours or the chicken can become mushy.
- After dredging the chicken, allow it to rest for 15 minutes before frying. This will help the coating to stick well during frying.
- Use a cast iron skillet or enameled Dutch oven for frying.
- Pour at least 3 inches of oil into your frying vessel.
- Bring the oil to 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C before adding the chicken.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Cook the chicken in batches, a few pieces at a time.
- Allow time for the oil to come back up to temperature between batches.
- Always cook chicken to 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C when checked with a digital meat thermometer.
- Place the cooked chicken on a wire rack for several minutes to drain off the excess grease.
- Use a pastry brush to brush the sauce onto the fried chicken pieces.
- Storage – the sauce will keep for about a week inside the fridge, and the cooked chicken without the sauce on it can be stored in the fridge for 3 days.
