Nashville Recipe
Spicy fried chicken, pickles, vinegar slaw, comeback sauce, tots
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Ingredients
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Chicken & Brine
Breading & Frying
Nashville Hot Oil
Vinegar Slaw
Comeback Sauce
Assembly & Garnish
Method
Chicken & Brine
- 1
Trim and brine
Pat chicken thighs dry, trim excess fat, and cut into evenly sized pieces if necessary so pieces are roughly the same thickness (about 4–6 pieces). In a bowl combine buttermilk, hot sauce, 1 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Submerge chicken in the buttermilk mixture, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. This tenderizes and seasons the chicken.
Breading & Frying
- 2
Prepare breading
In a wide shallow bowl or dish whisk together flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, 1.5 tsp salt, and 0.75 tsp black pepper until evenly combined.
- 3
Heat oil
Pour about 1 liter (or enough) vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or deep fryer. Heat oil to 350°F (175°C). Use a thermometer to maintain steady temperature. If you don't have a thermometer, test with a small pinch of flour — it should sizzle steadily.
- 4
Dredge and fry
Remove chicken from the buttermilk, let excess drip off (do not shake vigorously). One piece at a time, press chicken into the flour mixture to fully coat, then set on a wire rack for 5 minutes to help the crust adhere. Fry chicken in batches without overcrowding: lower pieces gently into 350°F oil and fry until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F (about 6–8 minutes per piece depending on size). Transfer fried chicken to a wire rack over a sheet pan to drain and rest. Keep warm in a 200°F oven if needed while finishing remaining pieces.
Nashville Hot Oil
- 5
Make spicy oil
In a small saucepan combine 0.5 cup vegetable oil, brown sugar, 1.5 tbsp cayenne, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 0.5 tsp garlic powder, and 0.5 tsp salt. Warm gently over low heat until sugar dissolves and the mixture is fragrant (about 2–3 minutes). Do not let the oil smoke. Remove from heat and let steep for 2 minutes. When ready, spoon or brush about 1–2 tbsp of the hot oil over each piece of fried chicken, turning to coat. Taste and adjust more cayenne or salt if you prefer extra heat.
Vinegar Slaw
- 6
Make the slaw
In a mixing bowl combine shredded green and red cabbage and grated carrot. Whisk together apple cider vinegar, sugar, 0.5 tsp salt, 0.25 tsp black pepper, and 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Pour dressing over cabbage mix and toss thoroughly to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes to mellow and marinate; toss again before serving.
Comeback Sauce
- 7
Whisk sauce
In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, Dijon mustard, hot sauce, smoked paprika, apple cider vinegar, and 0.25 tsp salt until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning — add a splash more vinegar for tang, or extra hot sauce for heat. Chill until ready to use.
Tots & Assembly
- 8
Cook tots
Cook frozen tater tots according to package directions (oven or air-fryer) until golden and crisp. Lightly toss with 1 tbsp neutral oil or spray and sprinkle salt immediately after cooking if desired.
- 9
Assemble plate
To build each serving: place a generous scoop of vinegar slaw on the plate, top with 1–2 pieces of Nashville hot chicken brushed with comeback sauce underneath or drizzled on top as desired. Add 3–4 dill pickle slices per sandwich/portion alongside and a portion of hot tater tots. Serve immediately so chicken remains crisp. Provide extra comeback sauce and hot oil on the side for guests who want more heat.