Best 2 30 Minute Nashville Hot Chicken Recipes

If the lure of a spicy, crispy, juicy fried chicken has you looking for a new recipe to try, look no further than Nashville Hot Chicken. With humble origins as a secret recipe served at a small restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee, this dish has taken the culinary world by storm. Known for its fiery red color and lip-smacking flavor, Nashville Hot Chicken is the perfect balance of heat and spice that will leave you craving more. Whether you're a seasoned home chef or a novice in the kitchen, this article will provide you with the best recipe to make your own 30-minute Nashville Hot Chicken that will have your taste buds dancing.

Here are our top 2 tried and tested recipes!

CHEF JOHN'S NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN

Chef John's Nashville Hot Chicken image

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.

Provided by Chef John

Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Chicken Fried Chicken Recipes

Time 10h

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 17

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

Steps:

Toss chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Transfer chicken to a bowl; cover and refrigerate overnight.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Transfer chicken to a rack to drain. Brush with the sauce on both sides.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 1114.9 calories, Carbohydrate 74.5 g, Cholesterol 258.2 mg, Fat 66 g, Fiber 3.3 g, Protein 53.9 g, SaturatedFat 22.8 g, Sodium 3754.8 mg, Sugar 7 g

NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN

Nashville Hot Chicken image

Nashville Hot Chicken is meant to be spicy hot. This stuff is spicy! We start with 2 Tablespoons of dried cayenne pepper powder and it knocked our socks off in the best way possible, but be prepared! Adjust the spice level to your preference by increasing or decreasing the cayenne. If you're a dragon and can handle more heat, go for it and should be breathing fire super fast. Be forewarned, this isn't casual, laid back, chat while you eat food. It is meant to be eaten with care and focus.For the fried chicken batter, you can single dredge or double dredge the chicken, depending on how thick you prefer the fried chicken batter. Some of us favored the crisper single dredge, and others loved the thicker crunch of a double dredge.

Provided by Diane

Categories Main Course

Time 1h35m

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken pieces (, patted dry)
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons hot sauce
1 Tablespoon salt
Black pepper (, to taste)
2 cups flour
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup oil
2 Tablespoons ground cayenne pepper (, or to desired spice level - see head note)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce ( or soy sauce)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
6-8 slices white bread
Pickles (, whatever you prefer - bread & butter, dill, or both)

Steps:

Marinate the Chicken: In bowl, combine buttermilk, egg, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Beat to combine, then add the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes - 4 hours to marinate (longer is better but if you are short on time it is still tasty.) In another bowl, add the flour and set aside.
Make the Sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl or saucepan (butter, oil, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika, Worcestershire or soy sauce, salt and pepper). Microwave or heat until butter is just melted (the hotter it is, the harder it will be to emulsify the spices in the liquids). Whisk thoroughly until smooth. When the sauce is cooler, it doesn't separate as easily so we like to brush sauce on the chicken when the sauce is slightly cooler or room temperature. If you want your sauce warmer, then keep stirring or whisking the sauce as you brush the chicken so that you have as little separation of sauce/oil as possible. The warmer the sauce is, the more the spices will want to separate from the liquids.
For Single Dredging: Remove chicken from buttermilk, shaking off excess buttermilk, then dredge chicken pieces in flour. Make sure all sides of chicken are covered in flour. Shake off excess flour.
For Double Dredging: Remove chicken from buttermilk, shaking off excess buttermilk, then dredge chicken pieces in flour, then into the buttermilk mixture and back again into the flour. Make sure all sides of chicken are covered in flour. Shake off excess flour.
Heat about 1/2" of oil in a pan (cast iron is preferable) to 350°F. Carefully add the chicken and cook until all sides of the chicken are golden and cooked through (about 8-10 minutes per side). Try to maintain the oil temperature at 325°F while cooking. It is ok to turn the chicken several times while frying to make sure each side gets nice and golden.
Sauce and Serve: Generously brush the cooked chicken with the sauce. Serve on the slices of bread and top with several pickle slices.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 432 kcal, Carbohydrate 27 g, Protein 20 g, Fat 27 g, SaturatedFat 9 g, Cholesterol 103 mg, Sodium 1364 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 6 g, ServingSize 1 serving

Tips:

Choose the right chicken. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are the best choice for Nashville hot chicken, as they are juicy and flavorful.
Make sure the chicken is completely dry before frying. This will help the chicken to get crispy and prevent the oil from splattering.
Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as canola oil or vegetable oil, for frying the chicken.
Maintain the oil temperature between 350°F and 375°F. This will help the chicken to cook evenly and prevent it from burning.
Fry the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan and dropping the oil temperature.
Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving. This will help the juices to redistribute throughout the chicken, making it more tender and flavorful.
Serve the chicken with your favorite dipping sauce, such as ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing.

Conclusion:

Nashville hot chicken is a delicious and flavorful dish that can be made at home with a little effort. By following these tips, you can make sure that your Nashville hot chicken turns out perfect every time. So, what are you waiting for? Give this recipe a try today!