Nashville Hot Fried Chicken Recipe

Yields: 3 to 4 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 12 hours and 30 minutes

Directions: 

In a baking dish, add chicken. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In a small bowl whisk buttermilk, pickle brine, hot sauce and egg. Pour over chicken and make sure all pieces are coated. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

In another baking dish, whisk flour, cornstarch, salt, paprika and garlic powder. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Remove chicken pieces from buttermilk mixture. Let excess liquid drip off. Coat with flour mixture, shaking excess off, dip back into buttermilk mixture, and return to flour, coating until covered. Place on sheet tray and repeat with remaining chicken. Let chicken sit while oil is heating.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a shallow cast iron pan, fill oil to about 1/3 of the pan. Heat oil to 350 degrees, to test use a wooden spoon handle. Dip into oil and if bubbles, oil is ready. Carefully add chicken pieces into oil a few pieces at a time. Turning chicken over to coat until outside of chicken is brown and crispy, dark meat takes about 15 to 18 minutes, until inside reaches a temperature of 160 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer, pierce chicken with a knife into the center of the chicken, if juices run clear. Chicken is done. Remove to a sheet tray and place in oven. Let oil cool slightly.

In a large heat proof bowl, add chili powder, cayenne, brown sugar and salt. Whisk together. Slow add 1 cup of oil and whisk until combined. Remove chicken from oven and brush all over chicken. Serve with pickles.