If you love Nashville Hot Chicken, you'll really love these chicken wings that are battered, crispy fried, and slathered in spicy Nashville hot sauce! Boom!
Nashville Hot Chicken Wings - Spicy and Crispy!
Craving chicken wings? You've come to the right place! As a spicy food lover, chicken wings are a perfect choice, as they're not only satisfying comfort food, but chicken wings go hand in hand with vibrant spices and spicy sauces.
This recipe takes an American favorite, Nashville Hot Chicken, and gives it the chicken wing treatment. I brine the chicken for extra moisture and juiciness, then bread them in a mixture of buttermilk, flour and cornstarch for a flaky-crispiness that will seriously blow your mind.
The wings are then brushed (or slathered!) with its signature spicy oil (Nashville hot sauce) that makes Nashville hot chicken so wonderful and flavorful.
If you love hot wings, you're definitely going to love this recipe.
Let's talk about how to make Nashville hot chicken wings, shall we?
Nashville Hot Chicken Wings Ingredients
- FOR THE BRINE
- Pickle Juice. For a spicier version, use the brine from pickled peppers, or a combination of both.
- Sea Salt.
- FOR THE CHICKEN WINGS
- Chicken Wings. Use 2 pounds chicken wings, separated, and wing tips removed. I like to save the wing tips to make chicken stock.
- Butter Milk.
- Eggs.
- Hot Sauce.
- All-Purpose Flour.
- Cornstarch.
- Spices. Smoked paprika, cayenne, salt and black pepper.
- Vegetable Oil. For frying. Peanut or canola oil are good.
- FOR THE NASHVILILE HOT SAUCE / OIL
- Cayenne Pepper.
- Brown Sugar.
- Smoked Paprika.
- Garlic Powder.
- Honey. Optional, for a touch of sweet.
- Salt and Black Pepper.
- FOR SERVING. Pickled slices, white bread
How to Make Nashville Hot Chicken Wings - the Recipe Method
Brine the Chicken. Add the chicken wings to a large bowl and add the pickle juices and salt. Add enough water to cover, about ½ cup. Cover and refrigerate to brine for at least 4 hours. Overnight is best for the most flavor penetration.
Dry the Chicken Wings. When you’re ready to cook, remove the chicken wings and pat them dry. Season with salt and pepper.
Set Up the Breading Station. In one large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and hot sauce.
In another large bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, paprika and cayenne.
Prep the Fry Oil. Heat the oil in a large wide pot over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F. If you are unable to measure the temperature, add a droplet of batter to the oil. It is ready when the batter sizzles. Do NOT bring the oil to a boil.
Bread and Fry the Chicken Wings. Dredge the chicken wings in the seasoned flour, then into the buttermilk mixture, then into the flour one more time.
Fry the chicken wings in the oil 7-8 minutes, or until they turn golden brown, stirring here and there to ensure even cooking. An instant read thermometer inserted should measure 165 degrees F internally.
Remove and drain on a paper towel lined plate, or on a wire rack.
FOR THE HOT & SPICY OIL
The Spices. Add the cayenne, brown sugar, ghost pepper flakes, paprika, garlic, cumin and salt and pepper to a heatproof bowl. This is where your heat factor comes in. Use extra cayenne or ghost chili flakes if you'd like.
You can skip the ghost pepper flakes and dial back on the cayenne for a milder version.
Add the Fry Oil. Carefully scoop out ¾ cup of the hot frying oil. Whisk it into the seasonings until well combined. This is your Nashville hot sauce, or hot oil.
Brush the Chicken with Hot Oil. Brush the hot oil over the chicken and serve with pickle slices and white bread. And extra hot sauce!
Boom! Done! Your spicy Nashville hot chicken wings are ready to serve. Look at how flaky and crispy these are! I love these hot wings. So good!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Check out my Fried Chicken Wings Recipe page for further tips and tricks for making the best fried wings.
- You can skip the brining process if you'd like to save time. Simply pat dry the chicken wings and proceed with the recipe. The brine adds flavor as well as moisture, resulting in nice, juicy chicken wings, but you'll still get some great wings without brining.
- Always fry your chicken in a single layer. It is best to not overcrowd the pot or pan, or your chicken won't fry properly and could clump together. I usually fry my wings in batches.
Storage
Fried chicken wings will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Warm them up in the oven to enjoy them again, though they may not be as crispy.
You can store any leftover spicy hot oil in a sealed container for week.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my Nashville hot chicken wings recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
Tools Used For This Recipe
Thermapen Meat Thermometer from ThermoWorks (affiliate link, my friends!)
A meat thermometer is the most foolproof way to ensure your chicken wings are cooked all the way through. I like to use my Thermapen from ThermoWorks to get the perfect temperature every time.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Nashville Hot Chicken Wings Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE BRINE
- 1 cups pickle juice or use the brine from pickled peppers, or both
- ½ cup water enough to cover the chicken
- 3 tablespoons salt
FOR THE CHICKEN WINGS
- 2 pounds chicken wings separated and wing tips removed
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1-2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 1 cup flour all-purpose
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon cayenne
- 4 cups vegetable oil or use peanut or canola, for frying
FOR THE NASHVILILE HOT SAUCE / OIL
- 4 tablespoons cayenne
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon honey optional, if desired
- Salt and pepper to taste
- FOR SERVING: Pickled slices, white bread
Instructions
- Add the chicken wings to a large bowl and add the pickling juices and salt. Add enough water to cover, about ½ cup. Cover and refrigerate to brine for at least 4 hours. Overnight is best for the most flavor penetration.
- When you’re ready to cook, remove the chicken wings and pat them dry. Season with salt and pepper.
- In one large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and hot sauce.
- In another large bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, paprika and cayenne.
- Heat the oil in a large wide pot over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F. If you are unable to measure the temperature, add a droplet of batter to the oil. It is ready when the batter sizzles. Do NOT bring the oil to a boil.
- Dredge the chicken wings in the seasoned flour, then into the buttermilk mixture, then into the flour one more time.
- Fry the chicken wings in the oil 7-8 minutes, or until they turn golden brown, stirring here and there to ensure even cooking. An instant read thermometer inserted should measure 165 degrees F internally. Remove and drain on a paper towel lined plate, or on a wire rack.
FOR THE HOT & SPICY OIL
- Add the cayenne, brown sugar, ghost pepper flakes, paprika, garlic, cumin and salt and pepper to a heatproof bowl.
- Carefully scoop out ¾ cup of the hot frying oil. Whisk it into the seasonings until well combined.
- Brush the hot oil over the chicken and serve with pickle slices and white bread. And extra hot sauce!
Notes
Nutrition Information
jim says
How much ghost pepper and cummin do you use? These look amazing!
Mike Hultquist says
1/2 teaspoon of each for me!
Jérémie says
Hey Mike!
Always love the brine marinade I've discovered with you!
In the ingredients list for the Nashville hot sauce/oil, you did not mention cumin; but, in the instructions, cumin sundenly pop up out of the blue (fortunately!).
I added homemade reaper sriracha in the batter, and a mix of smoked paprika, smoked ghost pepper powder and nora chili powder in the seasoned flour = some dynamite in there!
This hot and spicy oil is a killer, and the taste of the wings are amazing! THANKS, buddy!
Mike Hultquist says
Oops on the cumin! Yes, I added that back in. Thanks for seeing that! Very happy you enjoyed it!!
Dave says
99% of all Mike's recipes are great, I been forcibly separated from my Wife & Kids in Davao, Philippines and I often send them copies of what I think they would like and they have loved them all, Keep up the good work Mike
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Dave. Sorry to hear about the separation. I hope you will be reunited soon.
Keith in Charlotte says
This is fantastic. Love the hot oil brush approach and incorporated hot sauce into the batter
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Keith!
Ramya says
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use mushrooms or tofu or tempeh i never had nashville hot chicken wings beforeCant wait to try this in my air fryer at home perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work