Nashville Hot Chicken

Fiery cayenne-coated fried chicken — Nashville''s spicy legend.

Ingredients

• 8 chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks)
• Brine: 2 cups buttermilk, 1 tbsp hot sauce, 1 tbsp salt
• Dredge: 2 cups flour, 1 tsp each garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper
• Hot paste: 3 tbsp cayenne, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 cup frying oil (hot)
• White bread, pickles

Method

1. Brine chicken in buttermilk mixture 4 hours or overnight.

2. Dredge in seasoned flour. Fry at 325°F for 12-15 min until golden and cooked through.

3. Hot paste: mix cayenne, sugar, paprika, garlic powder. Stir in 1/2 cup of the hot frying oil.

4. Brush hot paste generously over the fried chicken.

5. Serve on white bread with pickles.

What You're Practicing

• The hot paste is applied AFTER frying — it''s a cayenne-oil slurry that coats the crust.
• White bread on the bottom soaks up the spicy oil — it''s not a garnish, it''s essential.
• Start with less cayenne if you''re not a heat veteran. This is genuinely spicy.