Chicken and Waffles

Chicken and Waffles is the ultimate sweet and savory combination of fluffy Belgian waffles and crispy fried chicken topped with 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.

Chicken and Waffles chicken and waffles on plate

If you haven’t tried this recipe before, then the combination of Chicken and Waffles might not seem obvious. However, you shouldn’t write off this comfort classic until you try it. The combination of crispy and spicy chicken with fluffy and sweet waffles is as unexpected as it is delicious.

Top the whole dish off with pancake syrup or the homemade honey syrup in this recipe. 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 at once.

You can enjoy Chicken and Waffles 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.

Can you use chicken thighs?

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.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles might not be the first place you think of when someone mentions Fried Chicken and Waffles. However, when visiting LA, make sure to enjoy this delicious food at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. This restaurant has become famous for its Chicken and Waffles recipe, and it’s no wonder why. The soul food chain was founded by Herb Hudson, a Harlem native, in 1975, and it’s been an LA staple ever since.

How to Make

Prep chicken: Pound the chicken breasts with a meat mallet until they’re 1″ thick. Then, score the top of each chicken breast with an x. Scoring the chicken helps the coating adhere and gives the Fried chicken a crunch. Add the chicken, buttermilk, kosher salt, black pepper, and hot sauce to a large mixing bowl. Refrigerate for four hours.
Chicken coating: Add the paprika and all-purpose flour to a mixing bowl with the baking sheet to the side. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk, and add each chicken piece to the seasoned flour. Coat well, then place the chicken onto the baking sheet. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes until the flour mixture becomes paste-like.
Fry: Put a large dutch oven over medium heat. Fill the pot halfway with canola oil and heat to 365 degrees. Then fry the chicken pieces in batches, being careful not to overcrowd them. Cook for 8-10 minutes, checking that the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees. Let the Fried Chicken rest while you make the waffles.
Waffle Batter: Spray your waffle iron with a bit of oil. Then, sift flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add kosher salt and sugar, then mix the dry ingredients well. Add egg whites to a separate small bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Whisk the egg yolks, butter, milk, and vanilla in a third bowl. Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture, and mix until the wet ingredients are just combined. Then gently fold in the egg whites. Don’t stir, or you’ll deflate the egg whites.
Cook Waffles: Scoop ⅓ cup of batter into the Belgian waffle iron. Cook as directed for golden brown, fluffy waffles.
Hot honey: Add honey, hot sauce, and cayenne pepper to a large pot. Turn the stovetop to medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Drizzle the hot honey over the prepared Chicken and Waffles.

Delicious Breakfast Recipes

FAQS

Where did Chicken and Waffles originate?

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.

What goes with chicken and waffles?

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.

Why do Chicken and Waffles go together?

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.

Key Ingredients

Chicken: We used boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. You could also use other chicken pieces like skinless chicken thighs if you don’t have chicken breasts.
Buttermilk: Before frying the chicken or adding the breading, marinate the chicken in buttermilk. The acidity in the buttermilk tenderizes the meat.
Hot sauce: We used hot sauce to flavor the chicken. Slightly spicy chicken tastes amazing with the sweet waffles.
Eggs: For the eggs in the waffle recipe, you want to separate the egg yolks and egg whites. The egg yolks mix well with the melted butter and milk for the simple wet ingredients. You will beat the egg whites into stiff peaks. The whipped egg whites add extra air to the batter so that the Belgian Waffles turn out delicious and fluffy.
Honey: Warm honey is an easy and delicious syrup to pair with this waffle recipe. Adding hot sauce and cayenne pepper to the honey creates an incredible balance of sweet and spicy.

Variations

Hot maple syrup: Instead 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.
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 Chicken and Waffles, and top with freshly chopped scallions.
Waffles and chicken strips: You can make an easy version of Chicken and Waffles 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.

How 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 syrup is one of the best flavor combinations in this recipe, so don’t skip it.

Chicken Recipes

How to Store

Serve: Don’t leave Chicken and Waffles 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 and 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 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.