Southern · main

Nashville Hot Chicken

Nashville Hot Chicken reads heat 5.6, allium 4.1 and umami 3.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Southern main, about 9 hr. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.2 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.6 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.7 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.4 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 3.6 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 6.4 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Heat 5.6 · Allium 4.1 · Umami 3.8 · Warm Spice 3.5 · Sweetness 3.4 · Richness 3.4 · Salinity 2.7 · Sourness 2.3 · Herbaceous 2.3 · Bitterness 1.2 · Funk & Ferment 1.1 · Citrus 1.1 · Earthy 1.0 · Fruity 0.6 · Nutty 0.5

What's in it (12)

• 3 pounds chicken tenders boneless, skinless
• 1/2 cup hot sauce
• 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons creole seasoning
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 2 eggs beaten
• 2 cups flour
• cooking oil

Time & effort: about 9 hr (45 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 265.6 kcal, 15.4 g protein, 11.2 g fat, 27.1 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (13 steps)

1. Rinse chicken and pat dry, cut into 2 inch chunks and place in a large bowl
2. Mix seasoning blend.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of seasoning blend to chicken, add eggs and hot sauce, mix well and set chicken aside.
4. Chicken can be marinated in the refrigerator for about 2 hours or overnight if desired.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of seasoning blend to flour, mix well, set aside.
6. Add cooking oil to a large deep pot over medium heat. Heat oil to 350 degrees.
7. Coat chicken in flour mixture in batches.
8. Add chicken to hot oil, don't overcrowd the pot, cook chicken in about 3 batches.
9. Fry chicken for 5-8 minutes, remove from pan, drain on paper napkins and repeat.
10. Turn oven on to 350 degrees and finish the chicken in the oven to keep the skin nice and crispy and the chicken moist and juicy.
11. Once you are finished cooking your chicken, take your Add 11/2 cups of fried chicken grease to a separate large pot
12. Heat oil, stir r2 tablespoons of seasonings into oil, immediately dump chicken into oil in batches, mix well, transfer chicken to a cookie sheet and repeat with remaining chicken.
13. Serve with green beans and roasted potatoes, or pickles and white bread like at the restaurant!

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Tere Siga (Raw Beef) — Ethiopian
• Gungo Peas Soup — Jamaican
• Chilaquiles Rojos — Mexican
• Steamed Fish — Jamaican
• Kedjenou (Sealed-Pot Chicken) — Ivorian

Keep reading: what heat, allium, umami mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.