Air fryer Nashville hot chicken
Craggy, buttermilk-dredged chicken painted with a fiery cayenne oil, served the Nashville way on white bread with pickles.
- 50 min total
- 35 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 2
- About $2.69 a serving
- 840 calories
Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 1 lb boneless chicken thighs, about 4 thighs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 tbsp hot sauce
- 2 slices white bread
- 2 dill pickles, sliced
From your pantry
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder, divided
- 1½ tsp paprika, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ cup vegetable oil, divided
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
Each serving has about 840 calories, 55 g protein, 63 g carbs and 39 g fat, and costs about $2.69 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No boneless chicken thighs? Chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins work.
- No hot sauce? Sriracha works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Soak the chicken in the buttermilk, hot sauce and ½ teaspoon of salt in the fridge, covered, for at least 15 minutes.
Timer: 15 min
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
the air fryer to 380°F. the flour, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of paprika, the black pepper, baking powder and remaining salt in a shallow dish.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Timer: 5 min
Press each thigh into the flour, dip it back in the buttermilk, then press it into the flour again.
Dolly’s tip: The double dip makes the craggy bits that go extra crunchy. Use one hand for wet and one for dry.Let the coated chicken sit 5 minutes, then brush both sides with 1 tablespoon of oil.
Timer: 5 min
Cook 10 minutes, flip, and cook 8 to 10 minutes more, until and the thickest thigh reads 165°F.
Crispy. Crispy means the outside is dry, firm and crunchy. It comes from high heat, a little oil and room in the pan, because crowded food steams and goes soft.
How you’ll know: It sounds crunchy when you tap or bite it, and it doesn’t flop when you lift it.
Timer: 19 min
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a small over low for 1 to 2 minutes. Off the heat, in the cayenne, brown sugar and remaining paprika and garlic powder.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Low heatTimer: 1 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: The hot oil blooms the cayenne. The fumes can make you cough, so don’t lean over the pan.Brush the spicy oil all over the hot chicken and serve it on the white bread with pickle slices on top.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
