A Southern-style Nashville buttermilk fried chicken recipe has been shared, featuring a spicy, crispy dish complemented by a hot honey butter drizzle and a mustard-infused mayonnaise. The recipe serves four and utilizes boneless, skinless chicken thighs marinated in a mixture of buttermilk, egg, hot sauce, and spices.
To prepare, the chicken thighs are cut into smaller pieces and coated thoroughly in the marinade before being refrigerated for a minimum of four hours, preferably overnight, to enhance flavor and tenderness. For frying, a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as rice bran oil, is heated to approximately 170°C. A flour and potato starch mixture, seasoned with salt and pepper, is used to create a textured coating on the chicken.
The marinated chicken pieces are dredged in the flour-starch mixture and fried in batches to avoid overcrowding, turning occasionally until achieving a golden brown and crispy exterior. The cooked chicken is then drained and kept warm on a rack in the oven while the rest is fried.
The hot honey butter drizzle, which can be served on top or on the side, combines honey, butter, hot sauce, chili flakes, smoked paprika, and sea salt to add a sweet and spicy glaze to the dish. Additionally, a "spiky mustard mayo" made from egg mayonnaise, crushed garlic, American yellow mustard, wholegrain mustard, apple cider vinegar, honey, and seasonings is offered as a condiment.
Optional accompaniments include store-bought waffles and pickles, providing a traditional Southern presentation. The recipe’s cook’s note suggests using vinegar-based hot sauce to best replicate the classic flavor profile of Nashville fried chicken.
This recipe offers a balance of heat, sweetness, and crispiness, characteristic of the popular Tennessee dish, adapted for home preparation with readily available ingredients and straightforward methods.
