Vic’s Tricks To…Nashville Hot Chicken

I loveeeeee spicy food.

Seriously, if I ain’t sweatin’ it’s not hot enough.

My company also opened an office down in Nashville a few years ago, so I was able to get down there to experience the real thing at Hattie B’s.

BEST. EXPERIENCE. EVER.

Granted, I got the extra hot which is VERY VERY hot and probably wasn’t a great choice in my hungover state. Woof.

But, ever since that visit, I’ve been working on perfecting my very own version of the southern delight.

Shoutout to my BFF Olivia who moved down to Nashville and is THRIVING!

The thing about Nashville hot chicken, is that the process of making the chicken is exactly the same as your average fried chicken.

First, you’ll want to soak your chicken (I used bone-in thighs) in buttermilk, hot sauce, and seasonings for at least 8 hours AKA overnight. (Use heavy cream if keto).

Then, create a dredge using flour and spices like salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne. I just threw it in a big ziplock bag, but paper bag works too – that’s the true southern way!

Take your chicken from the buttermilk and dip it into the bag with the flour and give it a good ole shake until totally coated. SAVE THE BUTTERMILK because…

Vic Trick: Set the chicken aside once you’ve dredged it once on a wire rack. Then after 15 minutes, repeat the process. Dredge in buttermilk, then into the flour. Then set back onto the wire rack for another 10 minutes or so.

Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet – the oil should hit about 1/3 way up the pan. We’re doing a somewhat shallow fry.

Vic Trick: If you can see the oil begin to ripple, it’s ready!

Set the chicken, skin side down, into the oil and let it sit over medium high heat for about 5-7 minutes depending on the size of your chicken.

In the meantime, you make the coup de grâce…

The Hot Oil.

It’s alllllll about the hot oil. And it’s fantastic because you get to mix up your own special blends of herbs and spices to create your special hot chicken.

To make a hot oil, you’ll want to microwave some form of fat.

Now, lard really works best here, but any sort of fat/oil should be fine. You can use Crisco (like I did) or butter or even a coconut oil. Any will work just fine.

Once you’ve microwaved the fat and it’s liquified, you’ll add in whatever spices you want! The customary ones are cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and brown sugar.

LIFE TRICK: TASTE YOUR FOOD!

Taste the oil once you’ve added the spices…too spicy? Add more sugar. Not spicy enough? Add more cayenne!

Once that’s ready, set aside as you finish the chicken.

Flip the chicken over and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165°.

Once it’s done, set it onto a paper towel to drain the excess oil. Then, toss it in the hot oil and serve immediately.

If you want to get fancy, you could serve them over some waffles OR chaffles!

Either way, dig in and enjoy your delicious spicy crispy crunchy creation.

Happy Eating!

Give it a try and rate this recipe!