Entree: United States – Tennessee – Tennessee Hot Chicken

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 1 hr

Cook 25 min

Additional 4 hrs

Total 5 hrs 5 min

Ingredients

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces, 1.6 kg gross; estimated 900 g cooked edible chicken meat and skin, assuming about 56% cooked edible yield after bones and cooking loss.
Buttermilk, 480 ml (about 495 g).
Louisiana-style hot sauce, 15 ml (about 16 g).
Kosher salt, 10 g, for marinade.
Black pepper, ground, 10 g, for marinade.
All-purpose flour, 240 g.
Cornstarch, 60 g.
Paprika, 30 g.
Garlic powder, 10 g, for dredge.
Onion powder, 10 g.
Kosher salt, 10 g, for dredge.
Black pepper, ground, 5 g, for dredge.
Peanut oil, 1.4 L (about 1,274 g) for deep frying; this is the amount supplied to the fryer, not an estimate of oil absorbed.
Unsalted butter, 90 g.
Vegetable oil, 45 ml (about 41 g), for paste.
Ground cayenne pepper, 39 g.
Packed brown sugar, 25 g.
Smoked paprika, 5 g, optional.
Garlic powder, 2.5 g, for paste.
Kosher salt, 2.5 g, for paste.
White sandwich bread, 8 slices (225 g). (estimated edible portion: 225 g)
Dill pickle slices, 8–12 slices; estimated 80 g using 10 g per slice.
Optional vegetable oil spray or melted butter for crisping; quantity not stated, omitted from the quantitative estimate.

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken dry. Whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce, marinade salt, and marinade pepper. Submerge the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
2. About 30 minutes before frying, remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Combine the flour, cornstarch, paprika, dredge garlic powder, onion powder, dredge salt, and dredge pepper. Shake excess marinade from each piece, coat thoroughly in the flour mixture, and rest on a rack for 15–20 minutes.
3. For the paste, melt the butter with the vegetable oil over low heat. Whisk in the cayenne, brown sugar, smoked paprika if using, paste garlic powder, and paste salt. Keep warm and stir occasionally.
4. Heat the frying oil in a deep, heavy pot to 325°F (163°C). Fry chicken in batches, turning once, until browned and the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C); keep the oil between 300°F and 350°F (149–177°C).
5. Transfer the cooked chicken to a rack over a tray and rest for 5 minutes.
6. Brush or spoon the warm cayenne paste over the skin of each piece. Rest for 2–3 minutes to set the coating.
7. For an optional crisping finish, briefly broil the coated chicken for 30–60 seconds, watching closely, or return it to 350°F (177°C) oil for 30–45 seconds. Ensure the chicken remains at least 165°F (74°C).
8. Serve 2 chicken pieces per serving on 2 slices of white bread with 2–3 dill pickle slices. Serve immediately.
9. Refrigerate cooled leftovers in a shallow airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 375°F (190°C) oven until hot and crisp, about 12–15 minutes.