Yard House Nashville Hot Chicken

Ingredients

• For the chicken brine
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz / 170g each)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon Frank's RedHot or Crystal hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• For the seasoned dredge
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Neutral oil for frying (vegetable or canola, about 4 cups)
• For the Nashville hot butter sauce
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
• 1½ tablespoons cayenne pepper (use 1 tbsp for medium, 2 tbsp for very hot)
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• For the honey hot drizzle
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon Frank's RedHot or Crystal hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• For the sweet potato pancakes (makes 8 pancakes)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup canned pure sweet potato purée (not pumpkin, not candied yam — plain sweet potato; about half a 15-oz can)
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• For serving
• Dill pickle chips
• Ranch dressing (bottled or homemade — see FAQ)
• Optional: 8 fresh sage leaves + 1 tablespoon butter (for crispy fried sage garnish)

Instructions

1. 1.Brine the chicken. Whisk the buttermilk, hot sauce, and salt in a large bowl or zip-lock bag. Add the chicken breasts, turn to coat, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Don't skip the brine — it carries heat deep into the meat and keeps it moist through frying. When ready to cook, remove the chicken and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while you set up the fry station.
2. 2.Mix the sweet potato pancake batter. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the sweet potato purée, buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla until completely smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined — a few lumps are fine, overmixing activates the gluten and makes tough pancakes. Rest the batter for 5 minutes while you heat the frying oil.
3. 3.Set up the fry station. Pour about 2 inches of neutral oil into a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Clip on a thermometer and heat over medium-high to 350°F (175°C). Set a wire rack over a sheet pan lined with paper towels nearby. Keep the thermometer in the oil the whole time — maintaining 350°F is the difference between crispy, cooked-through chicken and greasy, underdone chicken.
4. 4.Dredge the chicken. Whisk all the dredge ingredients together in a shallow dish. Remove each chicken breast from the brine, letting the excess drip off — don't pat it dry, the wet surface helps the flour stick. Press each breast firmly into the flour on both sides, then lift and shake off any loose excess. You want a thick, even coat with no bare spots.
5. 5.Fry the chicken. Working in batches of 2, carefully lower the dredged chicken into the 350°F oil. Fry for 7–9 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until deep golden brown all over and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest point reads 165°F. Transfer to the wire rack. Between batches, let the oil come back to 350°F before adding the next batch — temperature drop is what makes fried chicken greasy.
6. 6.Make the Nashville hot butter sauce. While the second batch fries, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the cayenne, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved and the sauce is glossy and uniform, about 90 seconds. Remove from heat. The sauce should be loose and pourable — if it tightens up, add 1 teaspoon of warm water and stir. Brush or spoon the hot sauce liberally over each piece of fried chicken the moment it comes off the rack — the heat of the chicken sets the glaze.
7. 7.Make the honey hot drizzle. Stir together the honey, hot sauce, and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside at room temperature.
8. 8.Cook the sweet potato pancakes. Heat a nonstick griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Brush lightly with butter or neutral oil. For each pancake, ladle about ¼ cup of batter onto the surface and let it spread naturally — don't press it. Cook until bubbles form across the entire surface and the edges look set and slightly dry, about 2–3 minutes. Flip and cook another 60–90 seconds until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a sheet pan in a 200°F oven to keep warm while you finish the batch. You should get 8 pancakes.
9. 9.Optional — fry the sage garnish. In a small skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat until it foams. Add the sage leaves in a single layer. Fry 30–45 seconds per side until they go from dark green to a slightly duller, crispier shade. Transfer to paper towels. They crisp up further as they cool and are worth the 3 minutes.
10. 10.Plate and serve. Place 2 sweet potato pancakes on each plate. Set a piece of Nashville hot chicken on top or to the side. Drizzle the honey hot sauce over the chicken and across the pancakes. Add a small pile of dill pickle chips alongside. Tuck 2 crispy sage leaves against the chicken if using. Serve the ranch in a ramekin on the side. Eat immediately — the pancakes soak up the hot butter sauce from the chicken and become richer the longer they sit.