Nashville Hot Chicken

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs chicken thighs and drumsticks (or your preferred bone-in, skin-on cuts)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1.5 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 cups neutral oil (vegetable or canola) for frying
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1.5 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 whole soft white bread rolls or sandwich buns
• ½ cup dill pickle slices

Instructions

1. 1

   Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels on all surfaces, front and back, including under any skin — this helps it get crispier when fried.

2. 2

   Pour the flour into a wide shallow bowl and stir in the paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until the mixture looks uniform with no visible white streaks.

3. 3

   Working one piece at a time, place a chicken piece in the flour mixture and turn it over and around until every surface, including crevices, is coated with a thin, even layer of seasoned flour.

4. 4

   Shake off any excess flour from each piece by holding it over the bowl and tapping gently, then place it on a clean plate.

5. 5

   Pour the neutral oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven — the oil should be about 2 inches deep — and heat over medium-high heat until a wooden skewer inserted into the oil produces steady, vigorous bubbles, about 10–12 minutes.

6. 6

   Carefully place the chicken pieces skin-side down into the hot oil, working in batches if needed so pieces are not crowded — they should have space around them.

7. 7

   Fry without moving the chicken for 7 minutes, until the skin turns the color of dark caramel and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165°F.

8. 8

   Use a slotted spoon to carefully lift each piece from the oil and transfer it to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain, leaving about 1 minute between removing pieces.

9. 9

   While the chicken drains, place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until it melts and turns a light golden color, about 2 minutes.

10. 10

    Add the cayenne pepper to the melted butter and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the mixture turns bright red and smells strongly peppery — this 'blooms' the spice.

11. 11

    Remove the pan from heat, stir in the honey, and pour the hot sauce into a shallow bowl.

12. 12

    One piece at a time, dip each fried chicken piece into the hot sauce, turning to coat all sides, then place it on a clean plate.

13. 13

    Split each bread roll and place one piece of sauce-coated chicken on the bottom half, top with 3–4 pickle slices, then cover with the top half.

Tools you’ll need

• paper towels
• wide shallow bowl
• large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
• meat thermometer
• wooden skewer
• slotted spoon
• plate
• small saucepan
• spoon for stirring

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