Nashville Hot Chicken

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 09/14/21
Tested by Tara Omidvar
Nashville Hot Chicken

The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Marinate: 4 hrs
Total: 5 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1035 Calories
67g Fat
38g Carbs
68g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 1035
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 67g 86%
Saturated Fat 10g 52%
Cholesterol 331mg 110%
Sodium 1090mg 47%
Total Carbohydrate 38g 14%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 68g
Vitamin C 4mg 22%
Calcium 103mg 8%
Iron 5mg 27%
Potassium 800mg 17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Nashville hot chicken is Southern fried chicken, but with a hot and spicy difference. The fried chicken is finished with a spicy sauce made with a generous amount of cayenne and black pepper. This version of hot chicken can be adjusted to suit your heat tolerance. For super spicy chicken, increase the amount of cayenne, or cut back on the cayenne for a milder coating.

Nashville hot chicken is traditionally served with sliced white bread and pickles. Add a side of macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, or Southern-style greens for a fantastic meal.

"If you’re in the mood for fried chicken, this is a great recipe that’s full of flavor! The chicken is amazingly juicy inside and crunchy outside. It’s important to keep the oil temperature around 350 F so a thermometer is essential. The hot sauce is very tasty, and you can easily adjust the heat." —Tara Omidvar

Nashville Hot Chicken
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

  • 3 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken pieces

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Coating:

  • Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

  • 1 cup whole milk, or buttermilk

  • 2 large eggs

  • 4 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Texas Pete's, Frank's, or Tabasco

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

For the Hot Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper, or more

  • 1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil, reserved from the used cooking oil

  • White bread and pickles, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Nashville hot chicken

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  2. Dry the chicken pieces with a paper towel and arrange them in a pan or baking dish. Rub the chicken with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

    Chicken pieces with salt and pepper marinade in a baking pan

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  3. In a deep, heavy skillet or saucepan, heat about 2 inches of oil to 350 F.

    oil in a pot

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  4. Place a cooling rack in a rimmed baking pan. Preheat the oven to 200 F.

    Place a cooling rack in a pan

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  5. In a bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and hot sauce.

    Combine the milk, eggs, and hot sauce in a bowl

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  6. Pour the milk and egg mixture into a wide, shallow bowl. Put the flour in a separate wide, shallow bowl.

    Dredging bowls with an egg mixture and a flour mixture

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  7. Dip a chicken piece in the flour and turn until it is thoroughly coated.

    Dredging a chicken leg

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  8. Dip the flour-coated chicken in the milk and egg mixture and turn to coat.

    Dredging the chicken leg in egg

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  9. Dip the chicken piece in the flour once again, turning to coat.

    chicken leg in a flour mixture

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  10. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

    chicken on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  11. Fry the chicken in small batches in the hot oil for 12 to 17 minutes depending on the size of the pieces, or until the pieces reach about 165 F at their centers on an instant-read thermometer.

    chicken frying in a pot of oil

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  12. Remove the chicken pieces to the prepared pan with the cooling rack and place the pan in the oven. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Set the cooking oil aside to cool slightly.

    Remove the chicken to a rack

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  13. Now to make the hot sauce for the glazing. In a heatproof bowl, combine the cayenne pepper, brown sugar, paprika, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and the garlic powder. Add about 1/2 cup of the hot cooking oil to the spices and stir to blend.

    Combine the spices with the hot oil in a bowl

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  14. Brush the hot sauce over the chicken pieces. Stir the sauce frequently as you brush.

    Brush the hot oil over the chicken pieces

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  15. Serve with white bread and pickles. Enjoy.

    Nashville Hot Chicken served with bread and pickles

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

Tip

Make sure your oil is hot enough to cook the chicken—it should be at 350 F. This ensures your chicken will be crispy. Use a deep-fry thermometer and keep checking in between frying the next batch to make sure the temperature is correct.

Recipe Variation

Nashville Hot Turkey version: Replace the bone-in chicken pieces with 2 boneless skinless turkey breasts, about 3 pounds total. Slice each turkey breast across the grain on a diagonal into 1-inch thick "steaks." You should have about 5 to 6 pieces per breast. Fry 8 to 9 minutes until crisp and cooked through, flipping halfway through.