Chicken and Waffles is the perfect mix of crispy, fluffy, sweet, and savory. A Southern favorite finished with a drizzle of hot honey!
Crispy Fried Chicken and Fluffy Waffles are both comfort food favorites. The only way to make them even better is to combine them into one incredible Breakfast or Brunch Dish.
Sabrina’s Chicken and Waffles Recipe
If you haven’t tried fried chicken with fluffy waffles before, then this combination might not seem obvious. However, you shouldn’t write off this comfort classic until you try it — it will blow your mind. The combination of crispy and spicy savory chicken with buttery waffles and sweet syrup is as unexpected as it is delicious. For the best experience, take a bite with syrup, chicken, and waffles in it so that you can get all the incredible flavor and texture all at once.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Fried Chicken:
- 4 chicken breasts , boneless and skinless
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce , optional
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- canola oil , for frying
Belgian Waffle:
- 2 cups flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs , separated
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , melted
- 2 cups whole milk
Hot Honey:
- 1 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce , Tapatio is our favorite
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
Fried Chicken:
- Pound the chicken breasts to an even 1″ thickness with a kitchen mallet.
- Score the top of the chicken breasts into an x pattern (this will help the coating adhere better and give you a better crunch).
- Mix the chicken, buttermilk, salt, pepper and hot sauce in a large bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- Mix the paprika with the flour in a medium bowl with a baking sheet set up next to it.
- Remove the chicken from the buttermilk, then add each chicken piece to the flour, coating well, then place onto the baking sheet and let sit for at least 30 minutes (the flour will become paste-like).
- Prepare a large dutch oven ½ full with canola oil heated to 365 degrees and fry in batches if needed (do not crowd the pan).
- Cook for 8-10 minutes (check that chicken has reached 165 degrees and is cooked through).
- Make the waffles after you finish the chicken, letting the chicken rest and serve together still hot.
Belgian Waffle:
- Spray the waffle maker with a bit of oil.
- Into a large bowl sift the flour and baking powder. Then add the salt and sugar, mixing well.
- Using a hand mixer beat the egg whites in a small bowl, until they form stiff peaks which stand straight up.
- In a second bowl whisk the egg yolks, butter, milk and vanilla together.
- Whisk the butter mixture into the flour mixture until just combined then, very very gently, fold in egg whites (do not stir)
- Pour ⅓ cup servings into your Belgian waffle maker to cook as directed.
Hot Honey:
- In a large pot on medium-high heat, add the honey, hot sauce and cayenne pepper until it just comes to a simmer.
- Drizzle over the cooked chicken.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Notes
Sauce is an essential part of every dish in my opinion! Iu003cspan data-preserver-spaces=u0022trueu0022u003enstead of hot honey, you can make a sweet and spicy sauce with a rich maple flavor. Simply substitute the cup of honey with a cup of real maple syrup, and prep the incredible breakfast sauce as usual. u003c/spanu003e
Table of contents
About this Recipe
You can enjoy this recipe day or night. While you may think of waffles as a breakfast dish, the chicken makes it a more hearty dish to enjoy for a mid-morning meal or dinner. You can serve it up with Southern food favorites like Buttermilk Biscuits and Baked Mac and Cheese.
Ideas to Serve
To serve Chicken and Waffles, place a freshly cooked waffle on your plate. Then top it off with one or two chicken pieces. Drizzle the sweet and spicy sauce over the dish (yes, even the chicken). Enjoying Fried Chicken with amazing homemade hot honey is one of the best flavor combinations in this recipe, so don’t skip it.
How to Store
- Serve: Don’t leave this at room temperature for more than two hours.
- Store: If you have leftovers, you can keep this dish for later. To keep both components fresh, separate the chicken from the waffles to store them in two separate airtight containers. The chicken can stay good for 3-4 days in the refrigerator, and the waffles for 2-3 days. To reheat the recipe, put the chicken and the waffles on a baking sheet and put them in a preheated oven until warmed through.
- Freeze: You can also seal Fried Chicken to store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Although Chicken and Waffles are often thought of as Southern food, according to food scholars, the soul food brunch dish actually originated in Harlem, NYC. Many believe it originated in the Wells Super Kitchen during the jazz era as something for musicians to eat between their sets. The dish is now popular in the South, LA, and all over the country.
If you’re looking for side dishes to go with this recipe, you can’t go wrong with more soul foods. Mac and Cheese, cheesy grits, Cornbread, or collard greens all taste delicious with this dish.
Although they’re an unexpected pair, Chicken and Waffles taste incredible together. The sweet and savory flavors complement each other well, and both the waffles and chicken taste delicious with the hot honey topping. The texture of the crispy chicken also contrasts wonderfully with the soft and fluffy waffles.
Yes, you can replace the boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this recipe with chicken thighs. Opt for boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat instead of bone-in, and prep the meat with a meat mallet just like you would with chicken breast. The thigh meat will take slightly longer to cook through than the chicken breasts.
Variations
- Chicken, Waffles & Gravy: The combination of Chicken and Waffles is surprising and delicious, and adding white gravy is another unexpected delight to try with this recipe. To make the classic breakfast gravy, add 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter to a saucepan. Once the butter melts, add 2 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons whole milk, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Stir until the flour dissolves into the gravy. Bring the mixture to a simmer until it thickens. Then, serve the gravy over the breakfast dish, and top with freshly chopped scallions.
- Waffles and chicken strips: You can make an easy version of of this recipe using your go-to chicken strips or chicken tenders recipe. Once prepared, place the strips of chicken over the waffles and serve just like the original recipe.
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These photos were used in a previous version of this post.
My siblings loved having this for brunch! Now my family thinks I’m like a chef and it’s all thanks to Sabrina Snyder!
Family “thumbs up” is the goal Davi! Thanks for your kind words and five star review.