Recipe

Mole Hot Fried Chicken

by Tim Chin

I’ve had Nashville Hot Chicken only once. Packed to the brim with cayenne pepper, this Tennessee fried chicken specialty goes on my short list of foods that have had me in tears, desperately reaching for a glass of milk. But it was worth the pain for incredibly crunchy, juicy fried chicken. The real star of Nashville Hot Chicken is the spicy oil (or lard) that gets lacquered onto the craggy crust after the chicken comes out of the fryer. Unlike buffalo sauce, which contains lots of water that quickly sogs out fried wings, the oil adds flavor without compromising crunch. For this recipe I take that brilliant technique and combine it with the rich flavors of Mexican mole—roasted chiles, chocolate, cinnamon, cumin—for an intense, dark chile oil that I brush onto the crunchy crust after frying.

Now for that crunchy crust. To ramp up the crisp and crunch factor, I use a blend of all-purpose flour and potato starch (the secret ingredient in Japanese fried dishes such as chicken karaage) in the coating. Due to its unique composition, potato starch forms a dense, brittle exterior when fried. After dredging the chicken, I let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator to allow the starches to hydrate so that the coating is thick and cohesive, not crumbly and dusty. This chicken is spicy and packed with deep, satisfying flavor, but it won’t melt your face off. In fact, you’ll probably go back for seconds.

Learn more about the science of spiciness in our feature story, Hurts So Good.

Photography by Kevin White
Food Styling by Catrine Kelty

Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients

Brine

144 g kosher salt
144 g sugar
1,892 g water
1,500 g bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed

Coating

175 g all-purpose flour
125 g potato starch
7 g cayenne pepper
4 g plus 2 g kosher salt, divided
3 g plus 3 g pepper, divided
3.5 g baking powder
220 g buttermilk

Spice Oil

75 g vegetable oil
6 g sesame seeds
4.5 g cayenne pepper
4 g chipotle chile powder
2 g garlic powder
1 g kosher salt
0.35 g ground cinnamon
0.35 g cocoa powder
0.35 g ground cumin
2,700 g vegetable oil

Brine

1 cup kosher salt
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
2 quarts water
3½ pounds bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed

Coating

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup potato starch
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 teaspoon plus ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup buttermilk

Spice Oil

⅓ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1½ teaspoons chipotle chile powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon cocoa powder
⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
3 quarts vegetable oil
Essential Equipment
Instructions
    • 144 g kosher salt
    • 144 g sugar
    • 1,892 g water
    • 1,500 g bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed
    For the Brine: Dissolve salt and sugar in water in large bowl. Add chicken, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Drain chicken.
    • 175 g all-purpose flour
    • 125 g potato starch
    • 7 g cayenne pepper
    • 4 g plus 2 g kosher salt, divided
    • 3 g plus 3 g pepper, divided
    • 3.5 g baking powder
    • 220 g buttermilk
    For the Coating: Whisk flour, potato starch, cayenne, 4 grams salt, 3 grams pepper, and baking powder together in large shallow dish. Whisk buttermilk, remaining 2 grams salt, and remaining 3 grams pepper together in large bowl. Working with 3 pieces at a time, dunk chicken in buttermilk mixture, then dredge in flour mixture, pressing mixture onto chicken to form thick, even coating. Place chicken, skin side up, on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
    • 75 g vegetable oil
    • 6 g sesame seeds
    • 4.5 g cayenne pepper
    • 4 g chipotle chile powder
    • 2 g garlic powder
    • 1 g kosher salt
    • 0.35 g ground cinnamon
    • 0.35 g cocoa powder
    • 0.35 g ground cumin
    For the Spice Oil: Whisk all ingredients together in small saucepan. Bring mixture to simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is fragrant and slightly darkened, about 5 minutes. (Cooled spice oil can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat over medium heat before using.) 
    • 2,700 g vegetable oil
    Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees F/93 degrees C. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F/177 degrees C. Place half of chicken in oil and fry until breasts register 155 degrees F/68 degrees C and drumsticks/thighs register 165 degrees F/74 degrees C, 13 to 16 minutes. (Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 300 degrees F/149 degrees C and 325 degrees F/163 degrees C.) Transfer chicken to second wire rack set in second rimmed baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Return oil to 350 degrees F/177 degrees C and repeat with remaining chicken. Stir spice oil to recombine and brush over both sides of chicken. Serve.
Instructions
    • 1 cup kosher salt
    • ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
    • 2 quarts water
    • 3½ pounds bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed
    For the Brine: Dissolve salt and sugar in water in large bowl. Add chicken, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Drain chicken.
    • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
    • ¾ cup potato starch
    • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
    • 1 teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon pepper, divided
    • 1 teaspoon plus ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
      1 cup buttermilk
    For the Coating: Whisk flour, potato starch, cayenne, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and baking powder together in large shallow dish. Whisk buttermilk, remaining 1 teaspoon pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt together in large bowl. Working with 3 pieces at a time, dunk chicken in buttermilk mixture, then dredge in flour mixture, pressing mixture onto chicken to form thick, even coating. Place chicken, skin side up, on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. 
    • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
    • 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
    • 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
    • 1½ teaspoons chipotle chile powder
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ⅛ teaspoon cocoa powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
    For the Spice Oil: Whisk all ingredients together in small saucepan. Bring mixture to simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is fragrant and slightly darkened, about 5 minutes. (Cooled spice oil can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat over medium heat before using.)  
    • 3 quarts vegetable oil
    Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees F/93 degrees C. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F/177 degrees C. Place half of chicken in oil and fry until breasts register 155 degrees F/68 degrees C and drumsticks/thighs register 165 degrees F/74 degrees C, 13 to 16 minutes. (Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 300 degrees F/149 degrees C and 325 degrees F/163 degrees C.) Transfer chicken to second wire rack set in second rimmed baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Return oil to 350 degrees F/177 degrees C and repeat with remaining chicken. Stir spice oil to recombine and brush over both sides of chicken. Serve.
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