Today we get to make Nashville Hot chicken. If you’ve never had this elevated fried chicken let me try to explain. Nashville hot chicken is chicken that’s been marinated, battered, fried to crispy perfection, then smothered in a spicy blend of cayenne pepper and seasonings that have been mixed with the same oil the chicken was fried in.
Doesn’t that sound amazing!! Today we are going to kick it up a few notches by using rendered bacon fat to fry our chicken, by bringing the heat level to EXTREME, and we’ll be making pretzel buns to house this spicy masterpiece.
You can use any fat you want to fry the chicken, lard is often used but vegetable fat is ok as well (I’ll be using rendered bacon fat). When it comes to the spice profile be warned, if you follow this recipe as is you will be eating an extreme version of this dish. I have an affinity for spicy so for me this is right up my alley.
If you really want to nail this recipe, the secret is temperature. Temperature of the oil and temperature of the chicken. Being able to monitor both is the secret to achieving perfect results. If you can keep your fry oil at the right temperature during the fry you will ensure that your chicken achieves maximum crispiness. For me the easiest way to do this is with a MK4 Thermapen by Thermaworks.
For this recipe I’m looking for 350F. Keeping this temperature during the fry will ensure that my flour coating crisps up nicely and that my chicken cooks evenly.
Our next big obstacle is the chicken itself. Cooking chicken breast is very easy if you can monitor the temperature. I must admit that chicken thighs are much more forgiving when it comes to cooking but there’s something I just love about a perfectly cooked piece of white meat!
The way I monitor my fried chicken is by using a temperature probe that reads the internal temp of the chicken while it’s cooking. I set the alarm to whatever temperature I want (in this case 165F) and let it do it’s thing!!
I’ve used lots of external temperature probes in my kitchen but the one I trust the most is called DOT by Thermaworks.
It’s simple, affordable, and accurate. All I do is place the probe into the thickest part of the chicken, set my temperature alarm, and let it cook. Once the alarm goes off I’ll have perfect chicken every time!
Enjoy the video and the recipe. If you have any questions be sure to let me know.
Here are a few things I used in this recipe
- Carolina Reaper Pepper Powder
- Silpat mats
- cooling racks
- 17 inch cast iron skillet
- 15 inch cast iron skillet
- sheet trays
- Hard Bread Flour
- Thermapen MK4
- DOT Probe Thermometer
- Buttermilk Culture
- Louisiana Hot Sauce
- Fish Sauce
- Liquid Smoke
- Rendered Bacon Fat
If you want to see the different things that we use in operation our be sure to check out our new Amazon Store.
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Nashville Hot Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 large chicken breast boneless skinless
For the marinade
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp Louisiana hot sauce
- 2 tbsp pickle juice
- 1 tsp Carolina Reaper powder or any chili powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
For the spice mix
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3 tbsp cayenne pepper powder
- 1 tbsp Carolina Reaper powder to taste
- 2 tsp chipotle powder
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin powder
For the breading
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
For the fry station
- 2 liters rendered bacon fat or lard
Instructions
- In a bowl mix all the marinade ingredients together. Place the chicken in the marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to overnight
- In a metal bowl mix all the dry spice ingredients together. Set to the side.
- Take the marinated chicken out of the marinade and place on a drying rack. Pat down with a paper towel and lightly season with salt and pepper.
- To prepare the batter station you'll need to mix the flour and salt together. Sprinkle some of the buttermilk marinade into the flour mixture and mix around. This will give you a really crispy texture.
- Batter the chicken by dredging into the flour. Be sure to press that flour onto the chicken. Next place the chicken into the buttermilk marinade, then finally back into the flour. Really press the flour onto the chicken and once it's fully coated set on a drying rack to rest for 15 minutes.
- Fry your chicken in oil that has been heated to 350F till the internal temperature reaches 165F.
- After you have finished frying your chicken take a 1/2 cup of the hot oil and mix it with your dry seasonings. Baste your fried chicken with this spice mix. Enjoy with a pickle on a slice of bread or a pretzel bun.
Pretzel Buns
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups luke warm water
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2¼ tsp Instant dry yeast
- 1 tbsp turbinado sugar
- 57 g melted butter
- 4 cups bread flour
For the alkaline solution
- 1/2 cup baked baking soda
- 9 cups water
Instructions
For the alkaline solution
- in a 250F preheated oven place the baking soda on a tray and bake for 1 hour
- Once it has finished baking add the baked baking soda to the water that you plan on using to boil your buns
For the pretzel buns
- Mix the luke warm water, sugar, salt and yeast together. Allow the yeast to get active before using.
- Combine the flour, butter, and yeast solution. Knead until the dough comes together and becomes smooth and springy.
- Place into a bowl, cover with cling film, and let rise till its doubled in size.
- After it's doubled in size punch the dough down and knead again until the dough becomes smooth and springy again. If you press it with your finger the dough will bounce back.
- Once this has been achieved cut your dough into whatever size buns you would like.
- Form your buns by shaping them on your table. Roll the dough towards you with your hands to create surface tension and form by using the palm of your hand and rolling the rough in circles.
- Place on a baking mat with a little flour on the top and cover with cling film. Let double in size.
- Preheat oven to 450F
- Once the buns have doubled in size it's time to boil. Begin by bringing your alkaline solution to a gentle boil. Once it begins to boil gently add the buns to the solution. Allow them to boil for 30 seconds on each side.
- After they finish transfer to a baking mat and score the top. Brush with an egg wash (optional) and sprinkle with course pretzel salt.
- bake in a 450F preheated for 15-20 minutes till they are deep brown and glossy.
- allow the buns to cool before cutting into them
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