Name: Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe
Prep time: 1 h 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup buttermilk (8 oz, $0.70*); ¼ cup pickle juice (from the pickle chips, 2 oz, $0.14); ¼ cup hot sauce (any kind, 2 oz, $0.60); 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1.5lb, 680g, $3.52**); 1 cup all-purpose flour (120g, $0.13***); ¼ cup cornstarch (30g, $0.14); 1 tsp baking powder ($0.04); 2 cups vegetable oil (16 oz, $1.28***); 2 Tbsp cayenne ($0.84); 1 tsp brown sugar ($0.01); ½ Tbsp paprika ($0.30); 1 Tbsp chili powder ($0.19); 1 Tbsp garlic powder ($0.06); ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.08); 1 Tbsp salt (divided, $0.12); 4 pieces of Texas bread (thick sliced bread, $0.87); 8 pickle chips (sliced pickles, $0.19)

1 Gather all ingredients. Mix the buttermilk, pickle juice, and hot sauce (I used Frank's hot sauce, but you can use any kind) in a Ziploc bag or large bowl. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

2 Once the chicken has marinated for an hour, strain the buttermilk brine into a clean bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and ½ tablespoon of salt.

3 Dredge each chicken thigh in the flour mixture, dip back into the buttermilk, then coat again in flour, pressing to adhere. Place the breaded chicken on a clean plate and repeat with the remaining pieces until ready to fry.

4 Fill a heavy-bottomed skillet with vegetable oil, about 1/3 of the way up. Heat oil to 350°F over medium-high heat. I use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the oil. Once the oil is hot, carefully place two chicken thighs into the oil. Do not move the chicken for at least 3 minutes, or you may knock off the coating.

5 Fry until one side is golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Using tongs, gently flip the chicken and continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer reads 165° F, 4-5 minutes.

6 Once the chicken is done frying, remove it to a wire rack. Continue frying the last two chicken thighs and remove them from the skillet once they are done.

7 In another bowl, combine the cayenne, brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, pepper, and remaining salt.

8 Once the chicken is finished cooking, turn off the heat. Carefully whisk ½ cup of the hot reserved oil into the spice blend, then brush it over both sides of the chicken. Serve over white bread and top with pickle chips.