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Maple syrup being poured fried chicken and waffles ready to serve for breakfast
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5 from 6 votes

Spicy Chipotle Fried Chicken & Cornbread Waffle Sliders

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!
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time30 minutes
Marinating Time6 hours
Total Time7 hours 30 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Main Course
Cuisine: Cajun/Creole, soul food, Southern
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 618kcal
Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams

Ingredients

For the Spicy Tabasco Chipotle Fried Chicken Marinade

  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 adobo chipotle peppers in sauce
  • 1/4 cup TABASCO® BRAND ORIGINAL RED SAUCE
  • 1 tbsp worcheshire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

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 melted butter
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup

For the Maple Spiced Butter

  • 1/4 cup salted butter room temp
  • 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp TABASCO® BRAND ORIGINAL RED SAUCE
  • pinch of cayenne pepper

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

Frying chicken is quite a bit of work so let’s not let anything go to waste! Allow the chicken to completely cool, wrap it well (with aluminum 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