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Nashville Un-Fried Hot ChickenThis Nashville Un-Fried Hot Chicken is gooooood. Trust me!

Since I certainly wasn’t going to make fried chicken in my kitchen for a weeknight meal, I decided to do a whole30 + paleo rendition of this famous Nashville-style chicken. This chicken thigh recipe is absolutely to die for and every time I bite into the crispy skin on the top, I kinda feel like I am eating fried chicken. So, I used that same method to get the chicken extra crispy and tossed it with a spicy hot ghee mixture and threw it on a plate. Easy as can be and it’s absolutely delicious. 

Nashville Un-Fried Hot Chicken

So for all of you spicy food lovers out there like me, give this easy Nashville Un-Fried Hot Chicken recipe a try! You won’t regret it!

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Nashville Unfried Hot Chicken
Serves 3
A fantastic Whole30 + Paleo approved rendition on the classic soul food "Nashville Hot Chicken"
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
40 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
40 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 tbsp. Tabasco
  2. 1 tsp. white vinegar
  3. 2 tbsp. ghee
  4. 2 cloves minced garlic
  5. 1/2 tsp. cayenne
  6. 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  7. 1/2 tsp. paprika
  8. 1 tsp. coconut aminos
  9. 6 bone-in skin on chicken thighs
  10. kosher salt, to taste
  11. black pepper, to taste
  12. 2 tbsp. avocado oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
  2. Pat dry chicken thighs. Season them all over generously with kosher salt and pepper.
  3. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When pan is hot (but not smoking), place chicken, skin side down, and sear, occasionally rearranging chicken thighs and rotating pan to evenly distribute heat, until fat renders and skin is golden brown, about 8 minutes.
  4. Transfer skillet to oven (chicken should still be skin side down) and cook 10 more minutes.
  5. Flip chicken; continue cooking until skin crisps and meat is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate; let rest 5 minutes before serving.
  6. While chicken is resting, heat the ghee, tabasco, vinegar, coconut aminos, minced garlic, cayenne, paprika, and chili powder over medium heat. Let simmer for 3-5 minutes, you may need to reduce the heat a bit, until it is fragrant and flavors have combined.
  7. Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl. Pour sauce over the top and toss to coat.
  8. Serve immediately!
The Defined Dish https://thedefineddish.com/

Welcome! I’m Alex.

I’m a food lover sharing healthy, simple, delicious, recipes from my kitchen to yours. Here you’ll find lots of Whole30, lots of healthy, and a little indulgence here and there because…it’s all about balance y’all!

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19 Comments

  2. Can’t believe you hadn’t been to Nashville before you made this chicken! You nailed it (as always). These are a regular in our house

    Reply

  3. OhMyGOSH! So easy and so delicious! Craving comfort food but make it spicy? This is IT!!!!!! Roasted some carrots until they were tendercrisp, chopped up some celery and mixed that with some butter lettuce and added Balanced Bites ranch seasoning. All done in less than 30 min!
    I used thighs with bone and skin but cut out the bones for the hubby’s preference, cooked according to directions, and it was PERFECT!

    Reply

  4. I got your cookbook and just made this. I have never made fried chicken this tasty. I’m not usually a fan of skin, I planned on taking it off after cooking. I did that but I just tried a little. My GOSH!! The best! Worth the calories. Next time I see organic chicken on sale I may just do this again, enjoying all the skin. Your instructions were especially good for my gas stove and cast iron skillet. I did cook a little longer but I think the time would be exactly right for organic chicken. The sauce was great, but I subbed some things using up hot sauces in my fridge. With a little thought and planning there are may tasty variations.

    Reply

  5. I had some bone in skin on breasts and had no idea what to do with them but knew you wouldn’t lead me astray. Hands down best chicken I’ve ever made. Didn’t even use the sauce (for kids) and it was gobbled up. Thank you for being such an accessible chef.

    Reply

    1. yes, if they are boneless– they’ll take less time to cook. I’d say 4-5 mins per side. You also won’t need to transfer to the oven. I’d just sear stove top and toss.

      Reply

  8. This looks great! I can’t have ghee-is there a substitute you would recommend? Could I use more avocado oil?

    Reply