Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich with Kimchi Slaw

Cook Time 5 hours
Yield 8
RECIPE Ingredients

Dredging Mixture:

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup corn starch
  • 1½ tablespoons smoked paprika
  • 1½ tablespoons granulated garlic
  • 1½ tablespoons chili powder
  • 1½ tablespoons kosher salt
  • ½ tablespoon ground cayenne pepper

Marinade:

  • 1 quart of buttermilk
  • Tabasco to taste

Sauce for Chicken after Frying:

  • ¾ cup neutral oil
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
  • Kosher salt to taste

Kimchi Slaw:

  • 3 cups thinly sliced green and red cabbage, and shredded carrots for color (or a coleslaw mix)
  • 1 cup chopped kimchi
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon chili crunch
  • 2 tablespoons duck fat mayo (or regular mayo)
  • 2 tablespoon kimchi juice (juice from the jar)
  • 1 tablespoon pickle juice
  • Salt to taste

Other Ingredients:

  • 8 brioche hamburger rolls
  • Sliced dill pickles
  • Hot honey
  • Sriracha aioli
  • 3 quarts of neutral oil for frying
Recipe notes
This Nashville hot chicken is the last fried chicken recipe you will need. Crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside, every bite is bliss. We used boneless chicken thighs but feel free to substitute breast if preferred. For those who love it spicy, there are layers of heat in the breading, sauce, and accompaniments. If not, it is easy to dial back the spice. The ingredients list is long, but it all comes together easily. Don’t skip the pickles and tart slaw which perfectly complement that amazing rich fried chicken flavor.
RECIPE Preparation
  1. Mix buttermilk with Tabasco (to taste) in a large bowl. Add chicken thighs, and fully submerge in the mixture. Marinate for 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
  2. Remove chicken from buttermilk marinade, allowing excess to drip off.
  3. In a large vessel, whisk together the dredging mixture ingredients.
  4. Dredge each chicken thigh in the flour mixture, and evenly coat. Shake off excess flour and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
  5. Repeat the dredging process, dipping the chicken back into the buttermilk and then into the flour mixture again for a double breading. Place the final dredged pieces of chicken on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
  6. Heat 3 quarts of oil in a 6 to 8-quart pot to 350 degrees F. Use avocado oil or neutral oil for frying.
  7. Carefully place 3-4 pieces of chicken in the hot oil and fry for approximately 5-7 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Fry in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot.
  8. While the chicken is frying, prepare the sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients together until well combined.
  9. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the oil and place it on a cooling rack to allow excess oil to drip off. When chicken is slightly cooled, brush the fried chicken with the prepared sauce.
  10. To prepare the slaw, combine thinly sliced cabbage, chopped kimchi, rice wine vinegar, chili crunch, duck fat mayo (or regular mayo), and salt to taste in a bowl. Mix well.
  11. To assemble the sandwiches, toast the brioche hamburger rolls. Spread sriracha aioli on the bottom bun. Place 2 pieces of hot chicken on each sandwich. Drizzle with hot honey. Spoon the kimchi slaw over the chicken and top with sliced dill pickles. Place the top bun on each sandwich and serve immediately.