This chicken and waffles recipe is all the way legit, boos! I dredge and fry that chicken up perfectly making sure to get that crispy, golden brown crunchy crust with a juicy inside. Then I pile the fried chicken on my light, fluffy from scratch waffles. Drizzle on syrup and get that savory, salty and sweet combo guaranteed to make you weak in the knees. Roscoe’s betta scoot over!
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How to Make Chicken and Waffles
Make the Waffle Batter
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl and whisk together.
- Add the egg yolks, buttermilk, melted butter, and a splash of vanilla extract to the bowl and mix until combined.
PRO TIP: Most of us ain’t got buttermilk just lying around. Make your own by grabbing some milk and adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let sit for about 10 minutes and it is ready to go for this chicken and waffles recipe!
Beat the Egg Whites for Fluffy Waffles
- Place the egg whites in a clean bowl.
- Beat them until those stiff peaks develop. This is gonna keep those waffles nice and light.
- Add the fluffy egg whites to the batter.
- Gently fold the whipped whites into your batter. Be gentle!
Cook Your Waffles
- Preheat your waffle maker, give it a good spritz of non-stick spray.
- Cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Bread the Chicken and Let it Rest
- Whisk together the eggs, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce in a medium-sized bowl.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, seasoned salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to a paper bag and shake to mix everything together.
- Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture turning to get both sides coated.
- Dip the coated chicken into the seasoned flour thoroughly covering both sides.
- Place each chicken piece to a baking sheet after it’s breaded. Let sit for 10-15 minutes to let it set up.
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Fry the Chicken
- Heat 1-1/2 inches of oil in a cast iron skillet or heavy-bottom tall pot over medium-high heat. It should get to about 375 F in temperature.
- Fry the chicken, four pieces at a time, on each side starting with dark meat since it takes longer. Make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan. After each side has turned slightly golden, cover with the lid to steam the inside of the chicken ensuring doneness. After a couple of minutes remove the lid and continue to fry until the crust is crispy and golden brown.
- Remove the chicken from the oil and place it on paper towels or a wire rack to drain all the excess oil. Place the chicken on a baking sheet covered with parchment and add it to the oven to keep warm while finishing the other chicken pieces.
Assemble
- Layer each waffle with 1-2 fried chicken pieces, drizzle with warm pure maple syrup and sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and serve!
Homemade Chicken and Waffles Recipe
Southern Chicken and Waffles Recipe with super crispy, seasoned fried chicken on top of a fluffy waffle!
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Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the Waffles
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs separated
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 6 tbsp salted butter melted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Fried Chicken
- 8 chicken pieces
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons seasoned salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
Instructions
For the Waffles
- In one large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and ground cinnamon.
- Next whisk in egg yolks, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract.
- Beat remaining egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold stiff egg whites into batter.
- Heat waffle maker, spray maker with non-stick spray and prepare waffles according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Once you finish your waffles, you can keep them warm in a preheated oven (around 200°F/95°C) while you fry the chicken.
For the Chicken
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together eggs, hot sauce and worcestershire and set aside.
- Next add flour, cornstarch, seasoned salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to a paper bag and shake to mix well.
- Dip each piece of chicken into egg wash coating both sides then dip into seasoned flour thoroughly coating each piece. Then add piece to baking sheet to rest.
- Finish coating all chicken and let sit for 10-15 minutes until coating has set.
- While coating sets, add 1-1/2 inches of oil to a cast iron skillet or heavy bottom skillet and heat over medium high heat. Also turn on oven to 275 degrees.
- This is my test for knowing when the oil is ready: Big Mama always tossed a tiny bit of flour in the oil and if it began to fry and sizzle, the oil was ready.
- Fry four pieces at a time on each side starting with dark meat since it takes longer. Make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan.
- After each side has turned slightly golden, put the top on the skillet to steam the inside of the chicken ensuring doneness. After a couple of minutes, remove the top and continue to fry until the crust is crispy again and completely golden brown.
- Remove chicken from oil and place on paper towels or rack to drain. Place chicken on a baking sheet covered with parchment and add to warmed oven while finishing the other chicken pieces.
- Fry the remaining chicken pieces and drain and add to oven. Add the remaining chicken to the oven.
To Assemble
- Add butter to waffles and allow to melt.
- Lastly, layer each finished waffle with two pieces of chicken, drizzle with warm pure maple syrup and sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and parsley to serve.
Video
Notes
- Preheat your waffle iron. You’ll get waffles that are crisp outside, soft inside. Just right for this Southern chicken and waffles combo!
- Don’t overmix your waffle batter. No need to get too whisk-happy, boos. Overmixing makes them rubbery.
- Let the coating set before frying. This keeps it from slipping off in the oil. After frying, let the chicken rest 10 minutes. Helps keep it juicy.
- Keep the oil steady at 350°F. Too hot and the crust burns, too cold and it turns out greasy. Use a thermometer to stay on track.
- Keep waffles warm in a 200°F oven while frying the chicken. That way everything hits the table hot and fresh.
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- Fridge: For the chicken, cool leftovers completely then line an airtight container with paper towels and carefully transfer the chicken. It lasts for 3-4 days. For the waffles, cool leftovers down then add them to an airtight container with a piece of parchment between them. That helps them not stick together. They last about 3 days.
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- Freezer: For the chicken, store the same way as above and add to the freezer. It lasts up to 3 months. For the waffles, add to a freezer bag and store for up to 2 months.
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- Reheat: For the chicken, let it sit out at room temp for at least 30 minutes then preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread out the chicken on the baking sheet and cover with another baking sheet to insulate. Heat for 20 minutes, and then let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. toaster or oven at 350°F (175°C) until heated through and crispy. If frozen, no need to thaw; just add a couple of minutes to the reheating time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 619kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 6102mg | Potassium: 472mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 845IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 179mg | Iron: 5.1mg
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Serving Suggestions
- Drizzles: For condiments, use classic maple syrup, honey or even hot sauce. I’ve even seen folks pour on some creamy gravy for a switch up. Or you can try this cranberry maple syrup for something a bit different.
- Breakfast: Candied bacon or brown sugar bacon, grits or cheese grits and eggs are always bomb.
- Brunch: Make the ultimate carb brunch fest with fluffy pancakes, drop biscuits, and even homemade cinnamon rolls! Calories be damned y’all.
- Dinner: Want fried chicken and waffles for dinner? Serve it up soul food style with collard greens or mustard greens, baked mac and cheese, and candied yams.
- Top it Up: Add candied pecans, whipped cream, berries, or strawberry preserves for different textures in your chicken and waffles recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make my waffle batter ahead?
Not really, boos. The egg whites will deflate overnight. But you can mix the dry ingredients ahead and store them until you’re ready.
What’s the best order to cook my homemade chicken and waffles?
Make the waffles first and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the chicken.
How do I keep the breading from falling off my fried chicken?
Let the chicken rest after dredging. It REALLY helps the coating stick better.
Why is my fried chicken soggy?
The oil is likely not hot enough. Low temps let the oil soak in instead of crisping. Also, don’t overcrowd the pan! It drops the temp fast.
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This makes me miss living in Memphis cause that’s the first place I ever had chicken and waffles!
Oh gosh now I need to try chicken and waffles in Memphis for sure now!
this looks SO beyond delicious! I cannot wait to try it
Thank you so much Heather! I adore chicken and waffles!
Oh yea homie!
I love this response!
I LOVE chicken and waffles! They are definitely a guilty pleasure of mine and there are finally a couple places that serve them here in NM! These came out beautifully and I love all the tips that you’ve given! Thank you, thank you! 🙂
Thanks so much Renee! I think I want to try chicken and waffles everywhere now!
Loving all the herbs on this – what a great meal!
Thank you Shikha!
Can you believe I’ve never had chicken and waffles together? I’m a huge waffle fan! Add chicken. Wam! Sounds fabulous. Still not sure why I’ve never done this.
Hubby just made us the homemade waffles with home churned ice cream a few days ago. Maybe I’ll give him some hints for him to make me this. 🙂
Ohhh now I want waffles with ice cream. That sounds so fantastic!
I love how in some of these photos the chicken pieces look like hearts… it’s like they’re telling me how full of love and happiness and deliciousness this recipe is. YUM.
They do look like little hearts don’t they? I never realized that! It definitely must be the love Stephanie!
I have never had waffles and fried chicken but that is about to change this weekend. Since I saw the preview on FB last night, plans have been made!! This is the perfect meal!!! Thank you for sharing with us 🙂
Woot woot!!!!!! Gosh girl it is an insane flavor combo. I can’t wait to hear what you think of your first chicken and waffles experience!!
That is some perfect-looking fried chicken! I have had chicken and waffles but not nearly enough! My favorite is one I had at Amy Ruth’s in Manhattan – I can’t get the taste of their chicken out of my mind and think about it all the time. Need to go back one day!
Oh gosh I need to go to Amy Ruth’s and try theirs!!!! And thank so much!
My goodness! It’s coming up to lunchtime where I am and this post just made me a LOT hungrier than I already am. You definitely eat more blatant sweet-savory combinations over there in North America, but I definitely get it. I would love to try this combination. Crispy chicken, maple syrup and batter-y waffle … triple yum!
It is such an interesting combination of flavors indeed Helen!!