Buttermilk-brined chicken, fried golden, and finished with Nashville Hot Oil — stacked on a toasted brioche bun. Served with from-scratch fries tossed in a chicken salt seasoning of their own.
Mix the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, and cayenne together. This base rub gets used three more times below, so make it once and portion it out.
Whisk 3 Tbsp of the rub into the buttermilk. Submerge chicken thighs or breasts and brine 4–12 hours in the fridge — overnight is best.
Combine the flour with 3 Tbsp of the rub. Coat the brined chicken thoroughly, pressing the flour on.
Fry in peanut oil or beef tallow at 350–360°F until golden and cooked through (internal temp 165°F). Drain on a wire rack.
Warm ½ cup of the frying oil in a pan over medium heat. Whisk in 1 Tbsp rub, cayenne, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, and salt.
Pour or spoon the hot oil over the fried chicken. Let it sit 5–10 minutes so it soaks in.
Boil thin-sliced russet potatoes 5–7 minutes, until they bend but don't break. Drain and spread on a tray.
Oven at 400°F for about 10 minutes to dry them out, then fry until golden and crispy.
Mix the Chicken Salt ingredients together and toss the fries in it immediately while hot.
Stack the hot chicken on a toasted brioche bun with pickles, and ranch or comeback sauce if using. Also great without the pickles — swap in a drizzle of honey instead.