Nashville Hot Chicken

Step 1

Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels on all surfaces, front and back, including under any skin — this helps it get crispier when fried.

Step 2

Pour the flour into a wide shallow bowl and stir in the paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until the mixture looks uniform with no visible white streaks.

Step 3

Working one piece at a time, place a chicken piece in the flour mixture and turn it over and around until every surface, including crevices, is coated with a thin, even layer of seasoned flour.

Step 4

Shake off any excess flour from each piece by holding it over the bowl and tapping gently, then place it on a clean plate.

Step 5

Pour the neutral oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven — the oil should be about 2 inches deep — and heat over medium-high heat until a wooden skewer inserted into the oil produces steady, vigorous bubbles, about 10–12 minutes.

Step 6

Carefully place the chicken pieces skin-side down into the hot oil, working in batches if needed so pieces are not crowded — they should have space around them.

Step 7

Fry without moving the chicken for 7 minutes, until the skin turns the color of dark caramel and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165°F.

Step 8

Use a slotted spoon to carefully lift each piece from the oil and transfer it to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain, leaving about 1 minute between removing pieces.

Step 9

While the chicken drains, place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until it melts and turns a light golden color, about 2 minutes.

Step 10

Add the cayenne pepper to the melted butter and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the mixture turns bright red and smells strongly peppery — this 'blooms' the spice.

Step 11

Remove the pan from heat, stir in the honey, and pour the hot sauce into a shallow bowl.

Step 12

One piece at a time, dip each fried chicken piece into the hot sauce, turning to coat all sides, then place it on a clean plate.

Step 13

Split each bread roll and place one piece of sauce-coated chicken on the bottom half, top with 3–4 pickle slices, then cover with the top half.