Nashville Hot Chicken Wings

Craving some spicy wings? Being from Nashville, I am surrounded by classic Nashville Hot Chicken everywhere. I’ve done a few “Nashville Hot” inspired recipes in the past, and I thought it was time for another. So here they are, my Nashville Hot Chicken Wings. 

I brined them in pickle juice for that classic umami flavor and then topped them with a tangy sauce. So if you’re craving wings and love a nice spicy kick, you’ve gotta try these Nashville Hot Chicken Wings!

What is Nashville Hot Chicken Wings

Nashville Hot Wings are a fun take on traditional Nashville Hot Chicken. We are talking brined in pickle juice overnight, seasoned with my Nashville Hot Chicken seasoning from Spiceology, smoked, then fried over the flames and tossed with the seasoned oil.

For this recipe, I chose to serve them with some Alabama White Sauce for a tangy kick at the end! Plus, it helps cool down the spiciness if that’s what you need to enjoy more wings. 

Why You’ll Love Nashville Hot Chicken Wings

A while back, a few of my cooking friends told me the key to perfect wings is to fry them. Frying them gives them that crispy exterior we all love and seals in the smoky flavor!

Now that you’re in on the secret, you too can have perfect, crispy chicken wings. I find them to be significantly better than wings that are only grilled, baked or smoked. 

My personal favorite is the smoked and fried wing (like this recipe). For recipes like this one, check out my Smoked and Fried Sticky Wings and Smoked Double Fried Wings. 

I prefer to fry my wings in either peanut oil or canola oil. Whatever you choose, make sure to get an oil with a high smoke point, because we do not want to burn our wings. For example, olive oil tends to have a lower smoke point, so I’d avoid it.

Frying is all about searing in the flavor. That first bite into a nice crispy wing is the day’s best moment. If you follow this recipe, you’ll have some delicious chicken wings!

How to Make Nashville Hot Chicken Wings

Nashville Hot Chicken Wings Ingredients

Chicken:

• Chicken Wings
• Nashville Hot Seasoning
• Frying Oil
• Chopped Parsley

Brine:

• Pickle Brine
• White Sugar

Alabama White Sauce:

• Mayonnaise 
• White Vinegar
• Prepared Horseradish
• Brown Sugar
• Lemon
• Cayenne Powder
• Black Pepper
• Kosher Salt

Let’s Get Cooking 

Prep the Chicken

Begin by adding your pickle brine and white sugar to a large bowl. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved, then add your chicken wings to the bowl. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

If you’ve never used a pickle brine for chicken then you might be a bit skeptical about it. However, I’m urging you to trust me. This is an important step to recreate that classic Nashville Hot Chicken flavoring. 

Next, discard the excess brine and pat your chicken wings dry. Season generously with ¾ cup of my Nashville Hot Chicken dry rub from Spiceology. Set chicken aside until ready to use.

Add all the Alabama White Sauce ingredients to a small bowl and mix. Set in the fridge until ready to use.

Cooking Nashville Hot Chicken Wings

Preheat your smoker to 250F for indirect cooking. Add some hickory wood chunks for added smoke flavor if desired.

Add your chicken wings to the smoker and cook for about 1.5-2 hours or until 165F internal. As the wings are close to done, preheat a grill, fire pit, or stovetop for direct cooking.

Add a dutch oven to it and *carefully* add your frying oil (leaving at least 2-3″ of space from the oil and the top of the skillet). Heat the frying oil to 325-350F. 

Once the wings are done in the smoker, pull them off and let them rest for 2-3 minutes. Carefully add wings to the hot oil and cook for 2 minutes. Flip and stir occasionally. Once they are crispy and cooked, pull them off and let them cool for 2-3 minutes. 

Add 2-3 tbsp of the frying oil and the remaining ¼ cup of the Nashville Hot Chicken Seasoning in a skillet. Mix thoroughly.

Add your crispy chicken wings to a tossing bowl. Cover the wings in the oil and spice mixture and toss thoroughly. Then, serve the Nashville Hot Chicken Wings with the Alabama White Sauce on the side, garnish with parsley and pickle slices and enjoy!

For more Nashville Hot recipes, check out my Hot Cast Iron Salmon, Nashville Hot Smoked Cream Cheese, Hot Chicken Sliders and Hot Grilled Shrimp.  

What to Serve with Nashville Chicken Wings

Serve your Hot Chicken Wings with a side of celery sticks, carrots, or whatever sounds good to you! If you’d prefer ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing over that Alabama White sauce, that’s okay too!

Storage

If you wind up with some leftover Nashville Wings, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. They make a great on-the-go snack or quick meal!

Reheating/Leftovers

To reheat your leftovers, arrange them on a baking sheet and place them in the oven at 375 F until warm. Alternatively, you can air fry them. Just pop them into the air fryer basket on the chicken setting and leave them in for 8-10 minutes until you’ve got some crispy wings.

Your taste buds will thank you for giving this recipe a go, that is, after they cool down! It’s the perfect Nashville Hot Wings recipe when you’re craving some chicken wings and a little bit of spice!

For more delicious recipes, check out my second cookbook Flavor X Fire or my first cookbook Food X Fire!

Needing more spice in your life? My spice line can help with that. Check them out here.