Chef John's Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe

Recipesfull introduces to you: Chicken Recipes. (Chef John's Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe). If you've never had Nashville Hot Chicken, we're talking about an ultra-crispy fried chicken doused with a cayenne-infused glaze, and by 'glaze' I mean melted butter and lard. For the record, I've never been to Nashville, so I can't tell you how authentic this is, but it works for me, and is fairly easy to pull off.

Brief

Prep 20 mins

Cook: 16 mins

Additional: 9hrs24 mins

Total: 10hrs

Servings: 4

Yield: 4 servings

Chef John's Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

1 whole chicken

cut into 8 pieces

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk

¼ cup pickle brine

2 tablespoons Louisiana-style hot sauce

1 large egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons fine table salt

¼ cup butter

¼ cup lard

2 tablespoons cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup vegetable oil for frying

or as needed

Dinner

Directions

Step 1

Toss chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Transfer chicken to a bowl; cover and refrigerate overnight.

Step 2

Whisk buttermilk pickle brine hot sauce and egg together in a mixing bowl. Pour marinade over chicken and stir to ensure each piece is thoroughly coated. Cover and let chicken marinate in refrigerator 2 to 4 hours.

Step 3

Mix flour and salt together in a shallow flat dish. Remove chicken from marinade and blot with paper towels. Reserve marinade. Toss chicken in flour until thoroughly coated. Return chicken to marinade coating all sides; remove chicken from marinade allowing excess to drip back into the bowl. Coat the chicken once again in flour mixture. Place on a rack. Repeat with all chicken pieces. Allow to sit out about 15 minutes to allow coating to dry out a bit.

Step 4

Place butter and lard in a large pot. Add cayenne pepper brown sugar paprika garlic powder kosher salt and black pepper. Place over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until fats melt. Remove from heat; keep sauce warm.

Step 5

Fill cast iron skillet about 1/3 of the way with vegetable oil. Heat oil to 350 degrees F over medium-high heat. Carefully place chicken into hot oil skin side down. Maintain an oil temperature of 325 degrees F adjusting heat as need. Fry until instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees F 8 to 10 minutes per side.

Step 6

Transfer chicken to a rack to drain. Brush with the sauce on both sides.

Nutritional Information

Chef John's Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe

Servings Per Recipe:4

Calories: 1114.9

% Daily Value *

Protein: 53.9g 108%

Carbohydrates: 74.5g 24%

Dietary Fiber: 3.3g 13%

Sugars: 7g

Fat: 66g 102%

Saturated Fat: 22.8g 114%

Cholesterol: 258.2mg 86%

Vitamin A Iu: 2045.7IU 41%

Niacin Equivalents: 27.8mg 214%

Vitamin B6: 0.8mg 48%

Vitamin C: 8.4mg 14%

Folate: 162.2mcg 41%

Calcium: 141.2mg 14%

Iron: 6.3mg 35%

Magnesium: 69mg 25%

Potassium: 623.5mg 18%

Sodium: 3754.8mg 150%

Thiamin: 0.8mg 76%

Calories From Fat: 594.1

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.