It was just a few years ago that I was still a Chicken ‘n Waffles virgin. I had heard of them, along with mixed reviews. Then Lay’s Potato Chips came out with a Chicken ‘n Waffles flavor. Well, that was a flop which didn’t endear me to run out an try them. But as they became more and more popular, I thought I better get on the band wagon and check these bad boys out.
So, hubby and I were on a trip to New Orleans, when I got my first taste of Chicken n’ Waffles! I was hooked. The chicken was juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside with slightly sweet waffles topped with a spicy glaze…just freakin’ YUM!
The simplicity of the recipe is incredible. But I have since tried many versions of Chicken ‘n Waffles, from North Carolina to New Orleans to California. My favorite will always be my first one! The one that I had at The Original Pierre Masperos in New Orleans in the French Quarter. It’s got to be one of your bucket list restaurants, even the building has a great history.
There are so many versions of chicken and waffles. There are the cornmeal, Belgium and Liege waffles as well using chicken thighs versus chicken breasts and of-course the boneless or bone-in dispute. I am here to tell you they all taste pretty great. You can’t go wrong with any one of them. However, I do prefer breasts and boneless, I find that boneless thighs have a lot of fat in them. I also like using regular Belgium waffles, mostly because they are fluffy with a sight sweetness and a crispy outer crust. The cornmeal waffles taste pretty good too, and I have used them. But I prefer the texture of the regular Belgium waffles with the slight sweetness paired with the savory chicken, glazed with the spicy maple syrup. I have even used Liege Waffles and while they are more dense than Belgium waffles, with lovely little pops of sugar, we gobbled them up and didn’t think twice!
This recipe uses regular Belgium Waffles and juicy boneless chicken breasts.
Bon Appetit!
Ingredients & Preparation
The Usual Suspects:
For the Chicken Brine
- 2 lbs chicken boneless, skinless and cleaned
- 4 tablespoons kosher salt
- 4 cups water or enough to cover the chicken
- 4 tablespoons of brown sugar (optional)
For the Chicken Dry Dredge
- 3 cups AP flour
- 3 tsp salt
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 tsp ground oregano
- 1 tsp ground marjoram
- 1 tsp ground basil
- 1 tsp ground sage
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1 tsp white pepper
For the Wet Dredge
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 to 2 Tbsp hot sauce
For the hot maple sauce
- 1/2 cup good maple syrup
- 2 to 3 tsp hot sauce (more or less for your level of heat)
For the waffles
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon, optional
- 2 cups buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, separated
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Oil for Frying
The Plan:
Clean the chicken and cut into strips, about 2 inches wide. This is an optional step. You can leave the chicken breast whole and fry it that way also. It is a matter of choice. If I leave it whole, then I usually pound it out a little to make the breast all one thickness. Rinse the chicken and place in a one-gallon Ziploc bag.
Add water, salt and sugar, if using. Massage salt and sugar into the chicken. Seal, and set in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours
While the chicken is brining, make the waffle mix and the syrup
Preheat oven to 150° to 200°F and then turn off
Drain the chicken in a colander, pat dry slightly
Mix in a medium bowl, the dry dredge ingredients
Place three shallow dishes or pie pans on the counter, next divide 1/4 of the dry dredge mixture into the first dredge pan and the remaining mix into third dredge pan
Mix the buttermilk, eggs and hot sauce in the second dredge pan
Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet, then begin coating the chicken
Dredge the drained chicken one piece at a time in the first pan and cover with flour mixture, shaking any excess off, then dip the chicken into the buttermilk mixture and then into the third dredge pan to cover with flour mixture. Shake off any excess and place on the wire rack, repeating until all chicken strips are coated
Let set for about 15 to 30 minutes for crispier chicken
Meanwhile, fill a large cast iron or heavy bottom pan with oil until it’s about 2″ high. Heat over medium-high until oil reaches about 350°F. You want to cook the chicken around 325°F, but the temperature will drop when you add the chicken
When oil is hot, carefully add about 6 to 8 pieces of chicken, depending on the size of your pan, and cook, turning every 1-2 minutes, until all chicken is a golden brown color and has an internal temperature of 160°F, about 6-7 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to a clean wire rack, then repeat with remaining chicken
Transfer chicken to the warmed oven to keep warm until waffles are finished and ready to serve
To Make the Waffles
Beat egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer until stiff peaks form.
Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg yolks, and vanilla.
Whisk wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then gently fold in egg whites.
Preheat waffle maker and coat with nonstick oil spray
Pour about 1/2 cup of waffle mix into the hot waffle iron, do not over fill. If you overfill your waffle iron the waffle will steam rather than crisp up, leaving it soft and flimsy. Cook according to waffle maker directions.
Place cooked waffles on a plate in the oven to keep warm also until all the waffles are cooked
To serve place one waffle, a few pieces of chicken and a drizzle of maple syrup or a whole lot of syrup!! I also add a little bit of butter to my waffles, only because I love the butter and syrup together
Serve HOT!!
Southern Fried Chicken 'n Waffles
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Loading...Sweet billowy soft waffles with crisp edges crowned with crispy juicy chicken drowning in hot syrup! Add a little butter for that royal treatment!
Ingredients
- The Usual Suspects
- For the chicken brine
- • 2 lbs chicken breasts boneless, skinless and cleaned
- • 4 Tbsp kosher salt
- • 4 Cups of water or enough to cover the chicken
- • 4 Tbsp brown sugar (optional)
- For the Chicken Dry Dredge
- • 3 cups AP flour
- • 3 tsp salt
- • 2 tsp garlic powder
- • 2 tsp paprika
- • 1 tsp chili powder
- • 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
- • 1 tsp ground oregano
- • 1 tsp ground marjoram
- • 1 tsp ground basil
- • 1 tsp ground sage
- • 1 tsp celery salt
- • 1 tsp white pepper
- For the Wet Dredge
- • 2 cups buttermilk
- • 3 large eggs
- • 1 to 2 Tbsp hot sauce
- For the sauce
- • 1/2 cup good maple syrup
- • 2 to 3 tsp hot sauce (more or less for your level of heat)
- For the waffles
- • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- • 1 Tbsp baking powder
- • 3 Tbsp sugar
- • ½ tsp kosher salt
- • ½ tsp ground cinnamon, optional
- • 2 cups buttermilk
- • ½ cup vegetable oil
- • 2 large eggs separated
- • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Oil For Frying
Instructions
The Plan
Clean the chicken and cut into strips, about 2 inches wide. This is an optional step. You can leave the chicken breast whole and fry it that way also. It is a matter of choice. If I leave it whole, then I usually pound it out a little to make the breast all one thickness. Rinse the chicken and place in a one-gallon Ziploc bag.
Add water, salt and sugar, if using.
Massage salt and sugar into the chicken.
Seal, and set in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours
While the chicken is brining, make the waffle mix and the syrup
Preheat oven to 150° to 200°F and then turn off.
Drain the chicken in a colander, pat dry slightly.
Mix in a medium bowl, the dry dredge ingredients.
Place three shallow dishes or pie pans on the counter, next divide 1/4 of the dry dredge mixture into the first dredge pan and the remaining mix into third dredge pan
Mix the buttermilk, eggs and hot sauce in the second dredge pan
Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet, then begin coating the chicken
Dredge the drained chicken one piece at a time in the first pan and cover with flour mixture, shaking any excess off, then dip the chicken into the buttermilk mixture and then into the third dredge pan to cover with flour mixture.
Shake off any excess and place on the wire rack, repeating until all chicken strips are coated.
Let set for about 15 to 30 minutes for crispier chicken.
Meanwhile, fill a large cast iron or heavy bottom pan with oil until it’s about 2" high.
Heat over medium-high until oil reaches about 350°F. You want to cook the chicken around 325°F, but the temperature will drop when you add the chicken
When oil is hot, carefully add about 6 to 8 pieces of chicken, depending on the size of your pan, and cook, turning every 1-2 minutes, until all chicken is a golden brown color and has an internal temperature of 160°F, about 6-7 minutes per batch.
Transfer chicken to a clean wire rack, then repeat with remaining chicken.
Transfer chicken to the warmed oven to keep warm until waffles are finished and ready to serve.
To Make the Waffles
Beat egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer until stiff peaks form.
Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg yolks, and vanilla.
Whisk wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then gently fold in egg whites.
Preheat waffle maker and coat with nonstick oil spray.
Pour about 1/2 cup of waffle mix into the hot waffle iron, do not over fill. If you overfill your waffle iron the waffle will steam rather than crisp up, leaving it soft and flimsy. Cook according to waffle maker directions.
Place cooked waffles on a plate in the oven to keep warm also until all the waffles are cooked
To serve place one waffle, a few pieces of chicken and a drizzle of maple syrup or a whole lot of syrup!!
Serve HOT!!
