Nashville Hot Chicken Wings

9 hours 0 mins Prep Time

40 mins Cook Time

Written By

Robin Winship

Looking to spice up your chicken wings? Make this Nashville Hot Chicken Wings recipe next time you're looking for the ultimate indulgent iteration on your classic wings. Brined for 8-24 hours in buttermilk, coated in flour, fried to crisp perfection and then tossed in a spicy Nashville hot seasoning mixture, this recipe is bound to appease all wings and fried chicken fanatics alike!

Ingredients

Buttermilk Brine

2 pounds chicken wings
1 cup pickle juice
1 litre buttermilk
2 tablespoons Louisiana-style hot sauce
4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Dredge

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Dip

1 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce

Nashville Seasoning Mixture

1 cup melted lard (or hot frying oil)
6 tablespoons cayenne
2 tablespoons light brown sugar (packed)
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

For Serving

Bread and butter pickles
Sliced white bread
Neutral oil, for frying

Directions

Nashville Hot Chicken Wings

8 Steps

Step 1

In a large bowl, whisk the buttermilk, pickle juice, salt, pepper and hot sauce together. Add the chicken wings and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours but for at least 8 hours.
Step 2

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Set aside. In another medium bowl, whisk milk, eggs and hot sauce together. Set aside. Add a tablespoon or so of wet mixture to dry mixture (this will aid in achieving a craggy crust on your chicken).
Step 3

Remove chicken from fridge, line a large sheet tray with paper towel and remove wings onto tray (patting them dry).
Step 4

Working in batches, dip wings in flour mixture, making sure you get into all the crevices, dip in wet mixture, making sure chicken is fully coated and dip back into flour mixture, pressing flour onto wings to ensure chicken is completely coated. Repeat with all the chicken wings and place on dry sheet tray or two large plates.
Step 5

While chicken comes to room temperature, make Nashville seasoning mixture. In a medium bowl combine cayenne, salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder and brown sugar. Mix to combine and set aside.
Step 6

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, fill pot 1/2 way up with neutral oil. Heat oil over medium heat until a temperature of 375°F is registered on a thermometer.
Step 7

Working in batches of 5-8 wings depending on the size of your pot, carefully lower wings into hot oil. Fry until golden brown and cooked through (9-12 minutes), turning occasionally with heatproof tongs or a spider. Remove onto a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Ladle out 1 cup of hot oil into a heatproof bowl and let cool slightly or if using lard, melt in microwave or in a small pot over the stove. Add oil or lard to bowl of Nashville seasoning mixture and whisk. Coat chicken thoroughly in mixture. Repeat with remaining wings.
Step 8

Serve wings on a platter with white bread on the bottom and bread and butter pickles on top.