It finally happened: my first encounter with the ultimate in legendary local foods, Nashville hot chicken (aka a super spicy style of fried chicken that originated in Nashville). I love me some Nashville, but on my previous trips I wasn’t wise to the fact that Nashville’s hot chicken is a must eat.
Not to mention the origin story for Nashville’s hot chicken might be one of the greatest food fables ever. Legend has it that a woman was suspicious her man (Thornton Prince) was cheating, so, to punish him, she cooked up the hottest fried chicken she could. Problem is it backfired when he didn’t suffer the heat, but instead thought it was the best fried chicken he’d ever had. So good, in fact, that he decided to open a Prince’s Hot Chicken, which is still running strong today.
These days every self-respecting fried chicken joint in Nashville has a version of hot chicken, but the current local favorite for hot chicken is Hattie B’s, which is why we featured them on the Nashville episode of Off Menu. When I came home from Nashville, I tried this recipe and was so smitten with it, I had to share it with you. So, even if you don’t make it to Nashville soon, you can still get a taste of it with this hot chicken.
Now go stock up on all your cooking essentials then head into the kitchen, make this, and share it with us by tagging @saltandwind and #swsociety on social!
Nashville-Style Hot Chicken Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Dry Brine:
- 1 whole chicken (about 3 pounds), washed, patted dry and cut into quarters
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Freshly ground black pepper
For The Coating:
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce such as Franks or Tabasco
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
For Frying The Chicken:
- Vegetable oil for frying
For The Spicy Coating:
- 1/2 cup lard melted and heated (or hot frying oil)
- 3 tablespoons ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pickles for garnish
Instructions
- Dry Brine The Chicken: In a bowl, toss the chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper; cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.
- Make The Coating And Dredge: In a bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and hot sauce. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and 2 teaspoons sea salt.
- Coat The Chicken: Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, then dip in the milk mixture, then in the flour mixture again, shaking off the excess after each step.
- Fry The Chicken: Heat the vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed Dutch oven to 325°F. Set a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. Working in batches, lower the chicken into the fryer and fry until crisp, 15 to 17 minutes for breast quarters and 18 to 20 minutes for leg quarters. Remove the chicken and let it drain on the rack.
- Make The Spicy Coating: Carefully ladle the lard or frying oil into a medium heatproof bowl and whisk in the cayenne pepper, brown sugar, 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, the paprika and garlic powder. Baste the spice mixture over the hot fried chicken and serve immediately; garnish with pickles.
