Nashville Hot Chicken Nuggets

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken Brine

2 cups dill pickle juice
1 garlic clove, smashed
½ tsp whole peppercorns
1 tsp salt
4 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized cubes

Chicken Dredge

Canola oil, for frying
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 cups whole milk
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup Frank’s hot sauce

Spicy Oil Coating

2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp cayenne
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp paprika
Hot frying oil

Instructions

Combine all ingredients for the chicken brine, cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight. Remove chicken from the brine and pat dry. Heat canola oil (I used about 4 cups) in a heavy bottomed pot until the oil reaches 350° (use a thermometer).

Assemble the chicken dredging station by combining flour and salt in a shallow dish and the eggs, milk and hot sauce in a second dish. Coat the chicken pieces in the flour first, then the egg mixture, then back in the flour. Gently shake off any excess. Fry the chicken pieces for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden. Place the cooked chicken on a rack-lined baking sheet and store in a warm oven while you fry the remaining pieces. Fry in small batches and monitor the temperature of the oil as you go.

Combine sugar and spices for the hot oil blend in a heat safe dish. Carefully ladle about a cup of hot frying oil over the spices and mix. The oil will bubble - make sure the dish used can withstand heat with extra capacity for bubbling oil. Mix, then brush over the chicken pieces. Serve hot! Reserve some spicy oil for those who want more kick.

Recipe Notes

Since I’m not from Nashville, I won’t claim to have an authentic Nashville Hot Chicken recipe. I have fallen in love with the hot chicken craze though, and our local Jay Bird’s Chicken makes some craveable HOT chicken sandwiches. After some research, I compiled the above recipe, making adjustments along the way. Pickle brine probably isn’t authentic, but I like it for juicy chicken, plus it’s great for smaller chicken pieces because you really don’t need to brine overnight. The dredge is a method I would use for regular fried chicken - hot sauce included. The spicy oil is really what makes this Nashville Hot Chicken, and this is where I suggest you make your own adjustments. First, the above hot oil quantities make a fairly sweet flavor. It’s hot, but on the mild side for us. You’ll want to increase or decrease the cayenne to your liking. Dump a whole bottle of cayenne in there if you want it really scorching. Next time I make this, I think I’ll do half extra-burning-hot and half sweet and mild.

Rating

You just can’t beat fried chicken. I love the sweet & spicy combination that the above quantities produce, and I can’t wait to make a hair-bending version next time.

Recipe Attempts

This recipe has been attempted by the author 1 time(s).

References

Tasting Table, Pickle Brined Fried Chicken

Delish, Nashville Hot Chicken