Mind-Blowing Nashville Hot Chicken
Nashville Hot Chicken – This recipe for spicy, crunchy Nashville-style fried chicken is truly mind-blowing! A few unique tweaks make our dish perfectly spiced, with slightly sweet and smoky flavors you will love.
Why We Love This Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe
If you have ever lived in the south, you likely have a favorite fried chicken spot, amirite?
One of our favorites is this amazing chicken shack here in Asheville called Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack which makes Nashville-style deep-fried chicken. Each piece of crispy, crunchy, and juicy fried chicken is brushed with spicy oil, so it’s bright red, crisp, and spicy hot.
Seriously, I cannot get enough. So we decided to make our own homemade version of Nashville Hot Chicken, inspired by this beloved local joint. We added just a touch of sugar to balance the spicy, along with a bit of smoked paprika for depth and intrigue.
If you like classic chicken and are a fan of all things spicy, you are going to love this Nashville Hot Chicken!
Ingredients You Need
This Nashville Hot Chicken recipe has two main components: Fried chicken, and the mind-blowing spicy oil that is brushed onto the crispy chicken skin.
To make the fried chicken you need:
- Bone-in chicken with skin – about 8 pieces total (chicken breast, thighs and legs)
- Dill pickle juice – the secret ingredient for a perfect southern brine
- Sugar – adds a bit of sweetness to balance the heat
- Buttermilk – either store-bought or learn How to Make Buttermilk
- All-purpose flour – or your favorite gluten-free flour mix for frying
- Cornstarch – to get the crispiest, crunchiest fried chicken
- Creole or Cajun seasoning – adds spice and depth of flavor
- Peanut oil – or vegetable oil, Canola oil, for frying
For the homemade spicy oil you need:
- Reserved fry oil – from when you fry the chicken
- Brown sugar – for a perfectly smoky-sweet flavor
- Seasonings – cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt
Our version of this oil would be considered medium-spicy at a place like Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack or at Hattie B’s Hot Chicken in Nashville. You can make the chicken more or less spicy by adding or reducing the amount of cayenne pepper.
How to Brine Chicken for Frying
Spicy or not, the best fried chicken recipes always start with a pickle juice brine. This sour and salty flavor creates pieces of chicken that are perfectly crispy fried on the outside and juicy on the inside. Do not skip this step!
- First, warm the pickle juice on the stovetop or in the microwave. (It doesn’t need to boil, but should be just hot enough to dissolve sugar.) Stir in the sugar until dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and allow the liquid to cool slightly. Then add the pickle juice brine into a large zip bag. Add the chicken pieces and zip the bag closed, removing as much air as possible.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but longer is better. If you can brine the chicken for 8 hours or overnight, that’s best for easy prep and the most flavorful chicken.
How to Make Nashville-Style Fried Hot Chicken
Once the chicken has brined for 1 to 8 hours, set out two shallow dishes. Pour the buttermilk and hot sauce into one shallow dish and whisk well. In the second dish, combine the flour, cornstarch, and creole seasoning. Mix well.
Now drain the brine off the chicken, and set out a metal rack. Working one piece at a time, dunk the chicken in the flour mixture, then in the buttermilk mixture, and then dip back in the flour mixture. This double-coating dredge makes the crunchiest and crispiest fried chicken skin.
Place the breaded chicken pieces on the wire rack as you go. Pro Tip: It’s good for the chicken breading to rest before frying in a pan, so don’t heat the oil until all the chicken has been well coated.
After all the chicken is breaded, set a large saucepot (or dutch oven) on the stovetop and clip a cooking thermometer to the side of the pot. Pour enough frying oil into the pot to fill it about two-thirds full. Turn the heat on medium to medium-high and bring the oil to frying temperature.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Set another rack on a baking sheet for the cooked fried chicken. You want to hold the chicken in the oven after frying to keep it warm as you work in batches.
Once the oil temperature reaches 350 degrees F, carefully place 3-4 pieces of chicken in the fry oil. Use tongs to move the chicken so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Fry for 7-8 minutes, until golden brown.
Get the Complete (Printable) Mind-Blowing Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe + Video Below. Enjoy!
Use the tongs to carefully pull the chicken pieces from the hot oil and place them on the clean rack. Test the chicken with a meat thermometer… The largest pieces should be 165 degrees F inside.
Then place the fried chicken in the oven to keep warm and crisp.
Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces, continuing to place the fried chicken on the rack in the oven as they are cooked. Turn off the stovetop heat as soon as all of the chicken is done.
How to Make Spicy Oil for Fried Chicken
After all the pieces of chicken have been fried and are resting in the oven, make the spicy oil.
Use a ladle to scoop ¾ cup of fry oil from the pot into a heat-proof mixing bowl or measuring cup. Add the cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Stir to mix thoroughly.
When ready to serve, remove the rack from the oven and brush the spicy oil over all sides of the fried chicken pieces.
Tips for Success
- To make gluten-free Nashville hot chicken, use a gluten-free replacement flour!
- Don’t fry fridge-cold chicken! You want to take the chicken out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you plan to bread it. This will help the oil stay hot and not drop in temperature too much once you add the chicken.
- You must use an oil with a high smoke point! Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point like vegetable, canola, grapeseed, or peanut oil. Only use peanut oil if you are sure no one has a peanut allergy!
- Make sure the oil is ready before frying! The best part about fried chicken is the crispy skin. You can only get that golden crisp if the oil is at the perfect temperature!
Serving Suggestions
Like at Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack or Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, we recommend that you serve Nashville Hot Chicken with the traditional two slices of white bread and pickles.
Enjoy as a main dish with all of your favorite Southern side dishes! Some classics include Homemade Mac and Cheese, Potato Salad, Coleslaw, Baked Beans, and Perfect Southern Collard Greens.
Frequently Asked Questions
This might happen if the cooking oil for the chicken is too hot. So the outside gets brown and crispy before the inside has a chance to cook! If you are unsure if the chicken is done on the inside, use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature has reached 165 F!
Definitely! This is a very important step in making this Nashville hot chicken recipe. It will ensure that the breading stays on the chicken instead of falling off in the oil.
If your hot chicken is soggy, your oil might have been too cold, or you placed too many chicken pieces in the oil at one time. Each time you add a piece of chicken to the hot oil, the temperature will go down. Be sure to cook in batches to ensure the oil stays at a consistent temperature!
After making this hot chicken recipe, let the fried chicken cool to room temperature before storing leftovers in an airtight container, and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the Nashville Hot Chicken pieces for just a few minutes in an air fryer or 350-degree F oven for the crunchiest and yummiest leftovers!
Looking for More Fabulous Fried Recipes?
- Tavern Fried Chicken
- Steak Fingers with Country Gravy
- Deep Fried Turkey Recipe
- (Better Than) Panda Express Orange Chicken
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets (Gluten Free!)
Mind-Blowing Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe + Video
Ingredients
For the Fried Chicken –
- 3-4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces I used a fryer pack, 8 pieces total.
- 1 ¼ cup dill pickle juice
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- ¼ cup hot sauce Frank’s RedHot or Louisiana
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons creole seasoning
- 2 quarts peanut oil or vegetable oil
For the Spicy Oil –
- ¾ cup reserved fry oil
- ¼ cup ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
For Serving –
Instructions
- Brine the Chicken: Warm the pickle juice on the stovetop or in the microwave. Then stir in the sugar until dissolved. Pour the pickle juice brine into a large zip bag. Add the chicken pieces. Zip the bag closed. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but longer is better. (If you can brine the chicken for 8 hours or overnight, that’s best!)
- Once the chicken has brined, set out two shallow dishes. Pour the buttermilk and hot sauce in one shallow dish. Mix well. In the second dish, combine the flour, cornstarch, and creole seasoning. Mix well.
- Drain the brine off the chicken. Set out a metal rack. One at a time, dunk the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, then the buttermilk, then back in the flour mixture. Place the breaded chicken pieces on the rack. (It’s good for the chicken breading to rest before frying, so don’t heat the oil until all the chicken has been well coated.)
- Set a large saucepot on the stovetop and clip a cooking thermometer to the side of the pot. Pour enough fry oil into the pot to fill it about two-thirds full. Turn the heat on medium to medium-high.
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Set another rack on a baking sheet for the cooked fried chicken.
- Once the oil temperature reaches 350 degrees F, carefully place four pieces of chicken in the fry oil. Use tongs to move the chicken so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Fry for 7-8 minutes, until golden brown. (The largest pieces should be 165 degrees F inside.)
- Use the tongs to carefully pull the chicken pieces from the hot oil and place them on the clean rack. Place the fried chicken in the oven to keep warm and crisp.
- Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Place the second batch of fried chicken in the oven. Turn off the heat.
- For the Spicy Oil: Use a ladle to scoop ¾ cup of fry oil from the pot into a heat-proof mixing bowl. Add the cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Stir to mix.
- When ready to serve the chicken, remove the rack from the oven and brush the spicy oil over all sides of the fried chicken pieces. It’s traditional to serve the chicken over 2 slices of white bread, topped with pickles.
Nice crunch breading. I used all my pickle juice, no picklebacks until Amazon delivers in a few days.
My god. It’s perfect.
I lived in Asheville NC for a few years and HOW I MISS ROCKYS HOT CHICKEN SHACK.
I made this recipe pretty much exactly as it’s laid out and it’s *exactly* like Rocky’s does it which is to say the best Nashville style hot chicken I’ve ever had. Bravo!! I’ve been missing good Nashville hot chicken where I live now but this put be right back inside Rocky’s.
To get the full Rocky’s effect I got some sliced brioche and made sure some of the spicy oil soaked in. 👌🏻
Thank you ❤️❤️❤️
Hi Patrick,
Wow, that’s high praise. Thanks for reporting back! We love Rocky’s and still go there about once a month. :)
This recipe is amazing! I use this all the time when I get a craving for Nashville hot chicken. I use brioche buns and it’s top notch.
Trying this out tonight
Absolutely delicious!! I’ve made this recipe both in the air fryer and in the traditional way in a pot, and both are really good. For the air fryer, I increased the temp to 375 and 6 minutes for each side. In the air fryer, make sure to have a small layer of oil before placing your chicken
Perfect recipe chef
Thank you SO MUCH for an excellent recipe! My family has fallen in love with hot chicken sandwiches, and your recipe did not disappoint! The measurements were all perfect, it was a great level of heat/spice and the step by step instructions were so helpful! I’ll be making this again and sharing the recipe with friends and family.
I never comment on recipes but I made this last night and it was unbelievable. I used light brown sugar and added in an extra tablespoon for the coating just out of preference for liking a bit more sweetness with that heat.
I couldn’t find good Nashville hot chicken around me and this was everything I could have hoped for. Thank you!
So good, I used chicken breasts and it tuned our perfect!
nice recipe, especially the spiciness, my fried chicken is pretty plain by comparison and haven’t had fried chicken in a really long time and an nowhere near Nashville or anywhere else making chicken like this, so thank you for re-creating this Rocky’s dish
Spectacular. I’ve tried many recipes, this is the closest to Hattie B’s I’ve tasted.
Would we be able to mix the sauce in a saucepan to reduce it into a drizzable consistency?
Hi Nokolai,
The base of the spicy sauce is fry oil, so it would be tricky to reduce it to a thicker consistency. You could still put it in a squirt bottle, shake it well, and drizzle it over the chicken.
Amazing!
Live in Chicago area and visit my son in Asheville multiple times a year and Rockys is our number 1 place to go eat . Made this last night and the recipe is dead on nuts ! We will still go to Rocky but its so nice to now be able to make the real deal at home . Thank you so much !
Thank you for the recipe. This came out really well and was delicious. I ended up removing the bones from chicken thighs, since I wanted to eat it on a hamburger bun. It was great.
I made this tonight and it was amazing. I added extra brown sugar for a little more sweetness and it was a hit. I didn’t have peanut oil so I used vegetable oil and it worked. I will have peanut oil when I make it again.
Thank you for adding the Jump To Recipe option.
This was a huge hit at my house!! Really mind-blowing!
I mean this whole recipe was absolutely fantastic. So authentic.