American
Chicken and Waffles
Chicken is fried in a pot of oil while a simple batter cooks in a hot waffle iron. The plate tastes salty and peppery against sweet waffles, with maple syrup tying the two together.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
Why you’ll love it
- The chicken is fried first and held on a rack so the waffles can be made fresh.
- Buttermilk in the dredge helps the flour stick.
- A hot waffle iron sets the batter before it dries out.
- Maple syrup is the sweet contrast, not a glaze cooked onto the chicken.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Stir the chicken with the buttermilk, paprika, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Let it sit 10 minutes.
- 2
Pour the peanut oil into a heavy pot and keep the oil below the halfway mark. Heat it to 350°F. If the oil smokes, turn the heat off and let it cool before you continue.
- 3
Lift the chicken from the buttermilk and dredge it in 3/4 cup of the flour. Fry in batches until the center reaches 165°F and the crust is brown, about 6 minutes. Drain on a rack.
- 4
Heat a waffle iron to about 375°F. Whisk the remaining flour, the remaining salt, the egg, sugar, baking powder, milk, and melted butter into a batter.
- 5
Cook the batter in the waffle iron until the waffles are golden and crisp, about 4 minutes per waffle.
- 6
Serve the chicken on the waffles and drizzle with the maple syrup.
Pro tips
- Do not fill the waffle iron to the edges or the batter will spill.
- Hold fried chicken on a rack in a 200°F oven if the waffles take longer.
- Season the chicken well; the syrup is sweet and the meat should stay savory.
Easy substitutions
- buttermilk
- 3/4 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- maple syrup
- honey
- peanut oil
- vegetable oil
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate chicken and waffles separately for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat the chicken on a rack at 400°F for about 10 minutes and toast the waffles until crisp.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 612
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 54 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Moderate · Stovetop · High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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