Nashville Hot Chicken Strips

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 4 long inch strips)
• 2 cups buttermilk (divided)
• 1/2 cup dill pickle juice
• 4 Tbsp hot sauce (divided)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
• 2 large eggs
• 6 cups vegetable oil for frying (reserve 1/3 cup for chili oil)
• Chili oil:
• 1/3 cup frying oil
• 1/4 cup salted butter (melted)
• 2 Tbsp cayenne pepper
• 2 Tbsp light or dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dark chili powder

Instructions

1. 1

   Place chicken into a non reactive bowl or large plastic storage bag. Add 1 cup buttermilk, pickle juice and 3 Tbsp hot sauce. Mix, then cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

2. 2

   Coating Chicken: Remove chicken from buttermilk brine allowing excess to drip off. (Tip: I typically empty into a colander to drain while I prepare the dredge.)

3. 3

   In a shallow bowl, whisk together flour, corn starch, salt, paprika, cayenne and granulated garlic. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together reserved 1 cup buttermilk, eggs and 1 Tbsp hot sauce.

4. 4

   Dredge chicken strips in flour, then into buttermilk-egg wash and back into flour mixture. Repeat until all chicken pieces are breaded. Have nearby a pan fitted with a rack, placing breaded chicken strips on rack.

5. 5

   Let chicken sit on counter for 20 minutes, or place into the fridge to chill for 1 hour to help coating adhere.

6. 6

   Deep Frying: In a large pot or dutch oven fitted with a fry thermometer, heat oil to 325-335°F. Fry chicken strips in batches for a total of 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Adjust cooking time depending on the size of the pieces. Place on a pan lined with paper towels to drain grease. Keep warm.

7. 7

   Chili Oil: Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk together 1/3 cup hot oil from frying with melted butter, cayenne, brown sugar, paprika, salt and chili powder. Warm over low heat or using the melt setting to prevent seasonings from burning. Stir occasionally.

8. 8

   Brush cooked chicken pieces with hot chili oil. Serve immediately with dill pickles and slices of white bread.

9. 9

   Special Note: The hot chili oil for this chicken must be cooked over low heat to avoid burning the spices. The spices won't dissolve, they're purpose is to season the oil. Gently tip the saucepan to separate the oil from the seasonings and brush the oil, not the seasonings, onto the chicken pieces.