Not all southern food was created equal. This Nashville-style fried chicken has a kick to it that most traditional recipes don't. If you like the flavor of hot sauce on your chicken without the soggy breading to go with it, you'll love this recipe from Food Wishes.

Check out the recipe below and don't forget to watch Food Wishes's video at the end for a few extra tidbits of helpful information.

Preparation Time: 5 min + 2 to 4 hours (marinading time)
Total Time: 5 to 6 hours
Serves: 8

Ingredients
1 whole chicken (marinated with kosher salt overnight)

Marinade:
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup pickle brine (juice)
2 tablespoons hot sauce
1 large egg

Flour mixture
2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of table salt or 4 teaspoons of kosher salt

Sauce mixture
1/4 cup of lard
1/4 cup of butter
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. If you can, toss your chicken with salt the night before you plan to make this dish. (If you forgot, no worries, you can still follow the recipe).

2. Combine all of the ingredients for your marinade in a medium to large mixing bowl. Mix well.

3. Add your chicken pieces to the marinade and make sure all of the pieces are completely coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the chicken and marinade for 2 to 4 hours.

4. Remove chicken from the marinade, wiping excess drippings back into the bowl. Place the chicken pieces on paper towels to rest and further remove excess moisture.

5. Then, coat each chicken piece with the flour mixture. Make sure the chicken is completely coated. Then dip the chicken back into the leftover marinade. Coat and let the excess drip off before a final dip in the flour mixture.

6. Allow the chicken to sit out for about 15 minutes to dry out a bit.

7. While the chicken is drying, combine all of your ingredients for your sauce in a pan. Melt the fats over medium-high heat and stir the sauce until all of the ingredients are combined. Keep warm until needed.

8. Fill a skillet 1/3 of the way with oil. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Maintain a temperature of 325 degrees until the chicken is cooked to 160 degrees inside. Each piece cooks for about 8 to 10 minutes per side.

9. Allow chicken to drain on a pan and then brush each side with a generous helping of your hot sauce.

10. Enjoy!

Pro tip: Use a pan with a tray drain. This allows excess oils to fall away from the meat chicken for a crispier (slightly less greasy) dish.

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