The Chicago Hot Chicken is a fried buttermilk brined chicken thigh that’s coated in a JP Graziano hot giardiniera seasoning oil, similar to the method of a Nashville hot, but with a Chi Town spin. It’s topped with Chicago-style giardiniera pimento chchees Bif cheese, Zabs hot honey, pickles, cole slaw, and garlic mayo on a toasted seeded brioche bun.

All ingredients purchased at the best grocery store in Chicago, @freshmarketplace 🤝

Recipe:

Boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 cup AP Flour

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 pickle juice

1 egg

1 tbsp brown sugar

@jpgraziano hot giardiniera seasoning

@bifcheese Chicago style pimento cheese

Cole slaw (homemade or store bought)

@stonewallkitchen garlic aioli

@zabs hot honey

Dill pickles

Frying oil of choice

Kosher salt and pepper

Sesame seed brioche buns

Method:

Mix buttermilk, pickle juice, egg, 2 tbsp of hot giardiniera seasoning, and 1 tsp salt together and add chicken. Let brine for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. Season flour with a big pinch of salt, black pepper, and 1 tsp of giardiniera seasoning. Remove chicken from brine and coat in flour. Fry at 350°F for 4-6 minutes or until the internal temperature hits 165°F. Season with salt. Mix 1/4 cup of giardiniera seasoning with brown sugar and grind together into a powder with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Ladle in a 1/2 cup of your hot frying oil and whisk together. Brush your chicken with the giardiniera spiced oil. Dry toast your buns in a skillet and set aside.

To build.

Spread garlic mayo on each bun. Top bottom bun with pickles, slaw, chicken, @bifcheese , and drill drizzle with @zabs hot honey.