Chicken and waffles might not sound like the most natural pairing, but once you try it, you’ll be a believer! Crunchy fried chicken with fluffy soft waffles! Here’s how to make it at home.
Pin this recipe now to save it for later
Pin RecipeAre you a fan of sweet and savory combinations? Then you’ll love chicken and waffles!
This dish is a popular comfort food that’s easy to make at home. All you need is some fried chicken, waffles, and your favorite toppings. Hello, breakfast for dinner!
Could you buy fried chicken and waffles instead? Of course! But making it yourself isn’t as hard as you might think and the results are so worth it.
Classic Chicken and Waffles Recipe
Chicken and waffles is a classic Southern dish that has gained popularity all over the country. This flavorful breakfast (or dinner!) is made with pantry staples like Bisquick, flour, spices, and oil—in fact, you might have almost everything you need to make chicken and waffles on hand already!
Once you try chicken and waffles, I think you’ll agree that they make a great pair. They’ve got that combination of salty and sweet, which is always irresistible, plus a crispy-meets-soft texture contrast.
Alongside Homemade Biscuits and Gravy, chicken and waffles is one of my favorite Southern breakfasts!
Grab My Favorite Tools
Click on the products below to see my favorite tools for making this recipe!
Ingredients
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
For the Chicken:
- Boneless chicken thighs
- Canola oil – Or another oil that works well for frying, like peanut oil.
- Cornstarch
- Egg – Here’s the best way to crack an egg!
- Buttermilk – You can make your own buttermilk by placing 1 1/2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup, then filling it to the 1/2 cup mark with whole milk; whisk and let the mixture sit for a few minutes to thicken.
- All-purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Baking powder
- Paprika
- Cayenne – You can add more or less, according to your tastes and heat preferences!
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
For the Waffles:
- Bisquick mix – Use store-bought or make your own Bisquick!
- Whole milk
- Canola oil – Or another oil you like to use for baking.
- Egg
- Kosher salt
Variations
- You can save yourself some time by buying the fried chicken from the grocery store or a restaurant.
- Or you can save time by using frozen waffles and making the chicken from scratch!
- Try Sourdough Waffles for something different.
How to Make Chicken and Waffles
- Prepare: Fill three shallow containers: one with cornstarch, one with buttermilk and egg, and another with flour and seasonings. Whisk together the egg and buttermilk, then whisk the flour and seasonings.
- Coat the chicken: Dredge a chicken thigh in cornstarch, followed by the egg mixture, and the flour and seasonings. Place the coated chicken on a sheet pan and repeat with the remaining chicken, ensuring sure they’re completely coated.
- Heat the oil: Heat the oil in a Dutch oven until it reaches 350°F on a thermometer.
- Fry the chicken: Fry the chicken one piece at a time, flipping once if it’s not submerged, until an internal temperature of 160ºF is reached. Carefully remove the chicken from the oil and let it drain on a rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken thighs.
- Make the waffle batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of the waffle ingredients.
- Form the waffles: Pour the batter onto a heated waffle iron and cook until the waffles are lightly browned and crisp around the edges, about 4 minutes. (Follow the instructions that came with your waffle iron.)
- Serve: Serve the waffles with the chicken, butter, and your favorite warm syrup.
Quick Tip
You can make the waffles ahead of time and save time prepping this dish! I like to make waffles in large batches and then freeze them for later so that my meal prepping and planning goes quicker.
How to Store Leftover Chicken and Waffles
Store the chicken and waffles in the refrigerator separately; keep them in airtight containers for up to 3 days. I think the best way to reheat this recipe is in the air fryer, but a 350ºF oven or even the microwave will work too (although the chicken won’t be crispy this way).
FAQ
Yes! You may be surprised that the pairing works, but it totally does! You get the perfect combination of sweet and savory, crispy and soft. Really, it’s not all that different than pairing chicken with biscuits!
If you’re serving chicken and waffles for breakfast, you can pair it with fresh fruit or maybe. For dinner, try serving it with Creamy Bacon Mac and Cheese or Instant Pot Corn On The Cob.
Chicken and waffles is definitely popular in the South, but there’s some debate about where the dish originated! Some people say it was born in the South, while others say it was in New York City, while still others think it’s a Pennsylvania Dutch invention.
More Breakfast Favorites
Waffle Recipes
Waffle Recipe
Breakfast
Easy Breakfast Casserole
Breakfast
Coconut Flour Pancakes
Breakfast
Overnight Breakfast Casserole
Chicken & Waffles
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 4 boneless chicken thighs add chicken legs along with thighs for the fried chicken recipe
- 3 cups canola oil for frying
Waffles
- 2 cups Bisquick mix
- 1 ⅓ cups whole milk
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Using three shallow containers, fill the first with the cornstarch, the second with the egg and buttermilk (whisked to combine,) and the third with the flour and seasonings.1 cup cornstarch, 1 large egg, ½ cup buttermilk, 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp cayenne, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp baking powder
- One thigh at a time, dredge first in the cornstarch, then the egg mix, and finally into the flour mix making sure the chicken is fully coated. Set aside on a sheet tray until ready to fry.4 boneless chicken thighs
- In a dutch oven, heat the oil until a thermometer reaches 350F. Fry the chicken one at a time, flipping only once if not submerged, until an internal temperature of 160F is reached. Carefully remove and let rest on a rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken thighs.3 cups canola oil for frying
- For the waffles, combine all the bisquick ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Ladle into a hot waffle iron and cook until crispy and golden brown, about 4 minutes.2 cups Bisquick mix, 1 ⅓ cups whole milk, 2 tbsp canola oil, 1 large egg, ½ tsp kosher salt
- Serve with the warmed syrup of your choice and butter.
Lovely and comprehensive article. Will love to read these food blogs patiently and make my own writings better.
I write my own food blog and the learnings from this article will surely allow me to become better.
https://spiceoflifecumbernauld.co.uk/