I’ve done chicken and waffles the old school way but my chicken and waffle sliders are a bit spicy and sassy. I marinate the chicken with a chipotle flavored buttermilk before frying up crispy. Then I make fluffy cornmeal waffles and a homemade spiced maple butter to pair with them. Crazy good!
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How to Make Chicken and Waffle Sliders
For the Marinade
- Blend buttermilk, chipotle, Tabasco, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper until smooth. Pour over chicken, cover, and chill 5–6 hours.
To Fry
- Mix flour, cornstarch, and seasonings in a bag. Drizzle in a little buttermilk and toss to form crumbs. Coat chicken, rest 20 minutes in fridge. Heat ¾” oil to 350°F, fry in batches 13–15 minutes until golden and 165°F inside. Keep warm in oven.
For Waffles
- Preheat waffle iron (oven 200°F to hold). Whisk batter, cook until crisp and golden, then quarter waffles.
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For the Maple Butter
- Whisk butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, Tabasco, and cayenne. Chill 30 minutes, then roll in parchment.
Assemble Sliders
Spread maple butter on waffles, sandwich fried chicken between quarters. Serve with extra Tabasco and maple syrup.
Chicken and Waffle Sliders Recipe
The ultimate marriage between sweet and spicy, Tabasco Chicken and Waffle Sliders are Southern comfort at its finest! Steeped in a Spicy Tabasco Chipotle marinade, dredged in seasoned flour, fried to golden-brown perfection and coated in a maple-spiced butter, this fried chicken is on a whole other level. All of that goodness is sandwiched between sweet, fluffy cornmeal waffles!
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Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
For the Spicy Tabasco Chipotle Fried Chicken Marinade
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 adobo chipotle peppers in sauce
- 1/4 cup tabasco sauce
- 1 tbsp worcheshire sauce
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 6 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
To Fry Chicken
- vegetable oil for frying
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp buttermilk
For the Cornmeal Waffles
- 8.5 oz corn muffin mix
- 1 large egg
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
For the Maple Spiced Butter
- 1/4 cup salted butter room temp
- 1 1/2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp tabasco sauce
- cayenne pepper pinch
Instructions
To Marinade
- Add buttermilk, chipotle peppers, Tabasco sauce, Worcheshire sauce, salt and pepper to a heavy duty blender or food processor and process until smooth.
- Pour the marinade into a large bowl then add chicken making sure to completely submerge then cover and refrigerate for 5-6 hours.
To Fry
- When ready to fry, add flour, cornstarch, salt, paprika, onion and garlic powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper and cayenne to a plastic bag and shake together until combined.
- Next, drizzle buttermilk into the flour mixture and use a fork to mix it in to create crumbs.
- Using tongs, remove one piece of chicken at a time and add to the flour bag. Coat thoroughly, shake off access then set on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat until all pieces are on the tray then add to the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Add vegetable oil to a cast iron skillet or dutch oven about ¾ inch deep and heat to 350 degrees.
- Remove chicken from the refrigerator and let it get back to room temperature for 10 minutes then add a few at a time to oil making sure you don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry for 13-15 minutes turning chicken halfway. To make sure chicken is done, check for golden brown crunchy exterior and an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Remove and drain on paper towels. Add chicken to a preheated oven to stay warm while you complete the rest of the components.
For the Waffles
- To make the waffles, preheat a waffle iron. If you want to hold the finished waffles until serving time, preheat an oven to 200°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients until just combined.
- Grease the grids of your waffle iron then spoon in batter according to the manufacturer’s instructions then bake until crisp and golden brown. Separate the waffles into four sections/quarters based on the waffle grid. Each waffle will make two complete sliders (2 waffle quarters).
- Add completed waffles to a preheated oven just so they stay warm while you make the rest.
For the Maple Butter
- Whisk together together butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, Tabasco sauce and cayenne pepper until well mixed. Chill in the refrigerator, for about 30 minutes. Form into a roll using parchment paper and serve over chicken and waffle sliders.
To Build Sliders
- Brush or spread maple butter over the top of chicken allowing it to melt down over it and glisten. Add maple butter to the bottom waffle as well allowing it to melt down.
- Next sandwich the chicken between two waffle quarters. Serve with extra Tabasco and Maple Syrup.
Notes
For Storage
To Store, allow the chicken to completely cool, wrap well (with foil or plastic wrap) and store on the top shelf of the fridge. To reheat, let the chicken rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cover a baking sheet with foil. Place the chicken on the baking sheet, cover with another piece of foil to insulate and bake for 15-20 minutes. Waffles are intended to be eaten hot and fresh; cooked waffles go stale quickly. I wouldn’t suggest storing leftover waffles for later consumption. Instead, only cook as many waffles as you’ll immediately need and store the leftover batter in an airtight container. Once in the refrigerator, leftover waffle batter will keep for 2 days. To Use, remove the batter from the fridge and whisk gently to repair any separation and loosen the mixture.Nutrition
Calories: 618kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 1837mg | Potassium: 701mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 1248IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 182mg | Iron: 3mg
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Recipe Tips
- Adjust to your liking: Adjust the seasonings according to your own personal tastes! Like it spicier? Sprinkle in a bit more cayenne. Heavy handed on garlic? Go for it and add a few more pinches! It’s your world boos.
- Cornmeal waffle swap: This recipe works wonderfully with my buttermilk waffle recipe.
- Double the butter: It’s fantastic as a spread on pancakes, sandwiches, and biscuits. Just store in a tightly-sealed jar and keep in the fridge.
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great thinking! Sliders are the perfect serving size for chicken and waffles, especially for those of us who don’t want the classic full sized portion, plus cornbread waffles, oh my, thank you!
Do you think this would work in an air fryer?
Gawd yes, gimme all the chicken and waffle sliders! What a fun recipe with crazy delish results! Perfect for stay-home dinner. Thanks for sharing!
Love this idea! Chicken and waffles that are bite-sized, YUM! My kids are going to eat this up
Chicken and waffles is one of my favorite food combinations ever! Loving the slider idea. Perfect!
These were perfect for brunch! Everyone loved them! Thanks for the great recipe
These chicken and waffle sliders are what dreams are made of! Love the flavor combo.. the maple spiced butter is so delicious!!