I am so excited to share this Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe with everyone. Our friends over at FaveSouthernRecipes reached out and said they thought our readers would enjoy this recipe. I told them you love chicken and southern recipes, so this was the perfect match made in heaven!
Nashville Hot Chicken
Have you tried Nashville Hot Chicken before? What did you think? When we drove through Nashville a few weeks ago, I was amazed at how many signs there were for Nashville Fried Hot Chicken. It was everywhere.
We have the perfect recipe for summer evenings at home with the family! Pair it with a great dessert, and you are ready to go! I read that the best way to serve Nashville Hot Chicken is atop a white bread slice topped with pickle chips to make a Nashville hot chicken sandwich.
There is even a Hot Chicken Festival in Nashville! Talk about celebrating the love for Nashville Hot Chicken!
We love visiting Nashville and exploring this great Tennessee City. From all the great things to do in Nashville with kids to the epic culinary scene, there is something everyone can enjoy in this epic Tennessee city.
Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of the simple ingredients needed to make epic Nashville Hot Chicken! The printable recipe card at the bottom of the post includes specific measurements and step-by-step instructions.
- Whole Chicken (about 3 lbs.) broken into chicken pieces, chicken breast and legs
- Whole Milk
- Large Eggs
- Sriracha
- BBQ Sauce
- All-Purpose Flour
- Sea Salt
- Vegetable Oil
- Corn Oil
- Cayenne Pepper
- Light Brown Sugar
- Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Paprika
- Garlic Powder
Optional additional flavors - chili powder, onion powder
To make a Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich - Brioche buns, mayonnaise, lettuce, pickles
Equipment Needed
- Two Large Mixing Bowls
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- Deep Fryer / Dutch Oven
- Wire Rack
- Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Baster
Preparation and Storage
Make-Ahead: Did you know that this famous Southern fried chicken is make-ahead-friendly? Follow the instructions through Step 1, transfer the dredged chicken to an airtight container or marinade bag, and let it marinate overnight to develop flavor. You can take it out after four hours if you’re short on time.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container, then enjoy them within four days.
Freezing/How to Freeze: Transfer freezer-bound leftovers to an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag, then enjoy them within three months.
How to Reheat: EatingWell has a fantastic, bookmark-worthy guide to reheating fried chicken using every method available in your kitchen.
Recipe Variations
Substitutions: We make a DIY seasoning blend for this recipe, but you can use a Nashville Hot seasoning blend if you don’t want to portion out multiple ingredients.
Vegetarian Option: Replace the chicken with a meat-free substitute to make this recipe vegetarian-friendly.
Vegan Option: Besides replacing whole chicken, vegans should replace whole milk and eggs with vegan alternatives.
Gluten-Free: Gluten-free eaters should replace the all-purpose flour and barbecue sauce with gluten-free options.
Smaller Serving Size + Larger Group/More Servings: The written recipe makes four servings. Scale it up or down to your desired yield.
Make it Spicy: Use a spicier sriracha variety to up the heat level of your Nashville Hot Chicken. Here’s a ranking of the hottest sriracha brands to get you started.
Sugar-Free: The written recipe contains 8 grams of sugar per serving. Use a sugar-free barbecue sauce and brown sugar alternative to make it sugar-free.
Tips for the Best Nashville Hot Chicken
- When frying foods like Nashville Hot Chicken, you will get the best results using the correct cooking oil.
- Make sure to use a thermometer to make sure the internal temperature is correct
- Famous Nashville Hot Chicken includes Prince's Hot Chicken Shack, Hattie B's Hot Chicken
What to Serve with Nashville Hot Chicken
Whether you enjoy it alone or make it the star protein of your lunch or dinner, Nashville Hot Chicken is a flavor-packed mealtime favorite that belongs in a fabulous Southern feast. Here are some menu planning suggestions.
Sides: Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon, Southern Style Green Beans, CrockPot Cheese Grits, Cracker Barrel Carrots, Pear Salad, Kidney Bean Salad, Kool-Aid Pickles, Jiffy Cornbread with Sour Cream, 7-Up Biscuits, CrockPot Mac & Cheese, Black Eyed Pea Salad, Bacon Gravy
Main Dishes: CrockPot Shrimp & Grits, CrockPot Hoppin' John, CrockPot Gumbo, Sausage Biscuit and Gravy Casserole, Cracker Barrel Chicken & Dumplings, CrockPot Cajun Smoked Sausage Po'Boys, CrockPot Kielbasa & Shrimp Stew, Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
Desserts: Banana Pudding Poke Cake, Mandarin Orange Jello Salad, Pig Pickin' Cake, Grape Salad, Bourbon Praline Pecans, Bourbon Cherry Brownie, Nutter Butter Banana Pudding
Drinks: Bama Breeze Cocktail, Lavender Lemonade Cocktail, Boozy Hurricane Popsicle, Tennessee Whiskey Mule, Kentucky Mule, Dill Pickle Martini, Lynchburg Lemonade, Carnival Guy's Pig & Anchor Bloody Mary, Rainbow Cocktail, Pat O'Brien's Hurricane Cocktail
When to Serve
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Memorial Day
- Fourth of July
- Labor Day
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Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Whole Chicken washed, patted dry, and cut into quarters
- 1 Cup Whole Milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon sriracha
- 1 Tablespoon Barbecue Sauce
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- sea salt
- Vegetable Oil for frying
- ½ Cup Corn Oil
- 3 tablespoons Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ Teaspoon paprika
- ½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and hot sauce. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and 2 teaspoons sea salt. 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.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a deep-fryer to 325 degrees 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 minutes for breast quarters and 18 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, ¾ teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, the paprika, and garlic powder. Baste the spice mixture over the hot fried chicken and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Terry
What an awesome recipe that I am going to have to try. I love "hot" and "spicy" foods.
Kimberly Flickinger
This hot chicken recipe sounds delicious. Will definitely try this recipe as my family loves chicken.
Cheryl Everitt
Wow! This recipe for NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN RECIPE is outstanding! Thank you for sharing.
sarah spencer
thank you thank you thank you for the recipe!!