Stovetop Nashville hot tallow fried chicken crispy spicy

South Chicago Packing 100% Pure Nashville-Style Fried Chicken

Name: South Chicago Packing 100% Pure Nashville-Style Fried Chicken
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 6 pieces bone-in chicken pieces (thighs & drumsticks); 2 cups buttermilk; 3 tbsp hot sauce; 1 tbsp kosher salt; 2.5 cups all-purpose flour; 3 tbsp Nashville spice mix (paprika, cayenne, smoked paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar); 3 cups South Chicago Packing 100% Pure

Crispy, spicy Nashville-style fried chicken fried in beef tallow for extra richness, high smoke point, and unbeatable crunch. Uses South Chicago Packing 100% Pure tallow to deliver deep flavor and a perfectly blistered, spicy finish.

0.0(0 reviews)

Prep: 25m · Cook: 20m · Total45 mins

DifficultyMedium

Serves4

AuthorJake

South Chicago Packing 100% Pure Nashville-Style Fried Chicken

Ingredient Spotlight

Nashville spice mix (paprika, cayenne, smoked paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar)

A regional American blend used to make Nashville hot chicken—it's cayenne-forward with smoky paprika, garlic and a touch of brown sugar for sweetness. Originating in Nashville, Tennessee, it tastes spicy, smoky and slightly sweet and is often mixed with oil to coat fried chicken. You can find premade blends at some grocery stores or online, or simply make your own by combining cayenne (dominant), smoked paprika, sweet paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar and salt as a substitute.

Ingredient Spotlight

South Chicago Packing 100% Pure

This likely refers to South Chicago Packing’s 100% pure lard (rendered pork fat), a traditional cooking fat used for frying and baking. Lard has a rich, mildly porky aroma when rendered and gives exceptional crispness and mouthfeel compared with many vegetable oils. Look for it at Hispanic/Latin markets, some supermarkets, butcher shops or online; suitable substitutes are neutral high‑smoke‑point oils (peanut or canola), vegetable shortening, or beef tallow—each will alter flavor and texture slightly.

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Jake's note

"This is a show-stopping stovetop chicken that shines at casual dinner nights or game-day spreads. Home cooks will love the deep, beefy richness the South Chicago Packing tallow adds and how reliably it produces an extra-crispy crust."

South Chicago Packing 100% Pure Nashville-Style Fried Chicken

Nashville-style hot chicken is all about contrast: a yielding, juicy interior and a blistered, spicy crust that sings of smoked paprika, cayenne and caramelized brown sugar. This rendition leans into that contrast by frying in South Chicago Packing 100% Pure tallow — its beefy, savory backbone and high smoke point give a deeper, more complex fried flavor and an exceptionally crisp, blistered crust that neutral vegetable oils simply don’t produce. A tangy buttermilk-and-hot-sauce soak seasons and tenderizes the meat from the inside, while the flour-and-spice dredge builds the signature lacquered surface.

This recipe is for cooks who want restaurant-quality results at home without fuss: mind your oil temperature, fry in small batches, and finish each piece with a spoonful of warmed, spiced tallow for that glossy Nashville sheen. Serve it simply—white bread and dill pickles are not nostalgia but practical palate cleansers—and have extra finishing oil at the table for anyone who wants more heat. With a quick instant-read thermometer and a little patience, you’ll get pieces that are deeply flavored, crackling-crisp, and unapologetically indulgent.

Plan your timing

Enter your target meal time:

6:07 pm–6:15 pm→Marinate the chicken

6:15 pm–6:23 pm→Prep the dredge and spice mix

6:23 pm–6:31 pm→Heat the South Chicago Packing tallow

6:31 pm–6:39 pm→Dredge and fry the chicken

6:39 pm–6:47 pm→Make the Nashville hot finishing oil

6:47 pm–6:55 pm→Rest and serve

Ingredients

Yield

Instructions

Marinate the chicken

Pat the chicken dry and place in a large bowl or zip-top bag. Combine buttermilk, hot sauce, and kosher salt, pour over the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight for best tenderness and flavor infusion.

For this step

6 piecesbone-in chicken pieces (thighs & drumsticks)
2 cupsbuttermilk
3 tbsphot sauce
1 tbspkosher salt

Prep the dredge and spice mix

In a shallow bowl or tray, whisk together the flour and the Nashville spice mix (about 2 parts paprika to 1 part cayenne plus smoked paprika, garlic powder and a touch of brown sugar). Set a wire rack and baking sheet nearby for dredged pieces to rest while the tallow heats.

For this step

2.5 cupsall-purpose flour
3 tbspNashville spice mix (paprika, cayenne, smoked paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar)

Heat the South Chicago Packing tallow

In a heavy Dutch oven or deep skillet, add South Chicago Packing 100% Pure and warm over medium-high heat. Use a thermometer and bring the fat to 325–350°F (160–175°C) for frying — steady medium-high heat gives a crisp crust without burning the spices.

For this step

3 cupsSouth Chicago Packing 100% Pure

Dredge and fry the chicken

Remove chicken from the marinade, letting excess drip off, then evenly coat each piece in the seasoned flour, shaking off excess. Fry in batches, skin-side down first, about 6–8 minutes per side (12–16 minutes total) until deep golden and internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C); avoid overcrowding and adjust heat to maintain 325–350°F.

Make the Nashville hot finishing oil

Reserve about 2 tablespoons of hot tallow from the pot and gently warm it with an extra teaspoon of the Nashville spice mix, a splash of hot sauce, and a pinch of brown sugar to balance heat. Spoon or brush this bright, spicy oil over the fried chicken while still hot to create the classic Nashville lacquered finish.

Rest and serve

Transfer chicken to a wire rack and let rest 5 minutes so juices redistribute and the crust firms. Serve immediately with pickles and white bread or your preferred sides; the spice mellows slightly as it cools, so brush extra hot oil at the table if you like it fiery.

Tips from the kitchen

Pat Dry Thoroughly

Remove excess buttermilk before dredging — too much moisture causes the flour to clump and yields a gummy crust instead of a blistered one.

Stabilize Oil Temperature

Use an accurate thermometer and keep the tallow between 325–350°F; lower temps make greasy chicken, higher temps burn the spice and brown sugar in the crust.

Double-Dredge For Crust

For an extra-thick, crackly shell, dip the floured pieces quickly back into a light wash (buttermilk or beaten egg) and dredge again in the spiced flour before frying.

Reserve Finish Tallow

Save a couple of tablespoons of hot tallow to bloom the spice mix — warming spices in fat unlocks aroma and creates the lacquered finish that defines Nashville chicken.

Rest On Wire Rack

Transfer fried pieces to a wire rack over a sheet pan to rest; this prevents sogginess by letting steam escape and lets the crust firm up.

Variations & substitutions

Turn Up The Heat

Increase cayenne in the dredge and finish oil, or add a few drops of cayenne-tinged vinegar to the finishing tallow for a sharper sting; serve extra hot oil at the table.

Swap Tallow For Lard

If you prefer a porkier richness, rendered lard behaves similarly to tallow and still offers a high smoke point and excellent crisping power.

Oven-Friendly Option

After dredging, bake at 425°F on a rack for 25–30 minutes, then finish with a quick broil to crisp the skin and brush on the spiced tallow for flavor if you want to avoid deep frying.

Use Wings Or Breasts

Wings crisp faster — fry 8–10 minutes — while bone-in breasts take longer (18–22 minutes); always adjust for size and check internal temp for 165°F.

Storage & make-ahead

Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To preserve crispness, reheat in a 375°F oven or an air fryer until the crust is hot and dry — avoid microwaving, which will make the coating soggy. You can make the buttermilk marinade a day ahead and keep dredged pieces on a tray in the fridge briefly before frying, but don’t let coated chicken sit too long or the flour will pick up moisture.

What to serve with it

Serve on slices of plain white bread with plenty of dill pickles to cut the fat and highlight the heat, or alongside classic sides like tangy coleslaw, vinegary baked beans, or creamy potato salad. For drinks, an ice-cold lager or a bright, sweet iced tea balances the spice; present the chicken on a platter with a small bowl of the warmed finishing oil so guests can add heat at the table.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use skinless or boneless pieces?

Yes, but skin-on bone-in pieces give the best texture and flavor because the skin crisps and the bone helps keep meat juicy; boneless will cook faster and can dry out, so watch time closely.

Is beef tallow safe and healthy to use?

Rendered tallow is a stable cooking fat with a high smoke point and long shelf life; like all saturated fats, use it in moderation, but it delivers flavor and crispness that many other oils can’t match for frying.

How do I know the chicken is cooked through?

Use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part without touching bone; the safe internal temperature is 165°F (74°C), though thighs may be juicier if pulled at 170°F and rested.

Can I make the spice mix ahead of time?

Absolutely — the dry Nashville spice can be blended days ahead and stored in a sealed jar; brown sugar in the mix may clump slightly over time, so give it a quick sift or mix before using.

Why does my crust peel off after frying?

Peeling usually comes from insufficient drying before dredge, overcrowding the pan, or flipping too early; ensure pieces are well-dredged, don’t disturb them for the first few minutes, and rest them on a rack after frying to set the crust.

About the author

Jake

Hello, I'm Jake. I started this recipe site with the idea that I hated recipe websites that overwhelm you with long stories and ads just to see plain content that's not helpful. My goal is to provide you with quality recipes, simple ideas and a fun cooking experience. There's lots of fun things to cook, and I think as you browse the site you'll find that TopShelf.Recipes is the place for quality recipes on the web.

See all recipes by Jake →

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Ingredients

4 servings

Step 1: Marinate the chicken

bone-in chicken pieces (thighs & drumsticks)6 pieces
buttermilk2 cups
hot sauce3 tbsp
kosher salt1 tbsp

Step 2: Prep the dredge and spice mix

all-purpose flour2.5 cups
Nashville spice mix (paprika, cayenne, smoked paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar)3 tbsp

Step 3: Heat the South Chicago Packing tallow

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Nutrition Facts

Per serving: 1 large chicken thigh and 1 drumstick (850g)

Calories2877

Total Fat129g

Saturated Fat27g

Trans Fat0.7g

Polyunsaturated Fat42.8g

Monounsaturated Fat40.8g

Total Carbohydrates255.1g

Dietary Fiber17.5g

Total Sugars85.7g

Protein175.9g

Nutrition values are estimated from USDA ingredient data and may vary based on preparation, brands, and portion sizes. Values are provided for informational purposes only.

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