Southern Fried Chicken and Waffles
Southern fried chicken and waffles are great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! The fried chicken is super crispy and the waffles are perfectly fluffy, when you combine the two, you get the most incredible meal ever!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs *check notes*
- vegetable oil or frying
Chicken Brine
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce or pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Flour Coating
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Buttermilk Waffles
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Maple Syrup
- 1 cup real maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine 1 tbsp salt, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 2 tsp paprika, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Stir in the buttermilk, egg, and hot sauce.
- Place the chicken in the buttermilk brine and let it marinate for a minimum of 1 hour.
- In a large brown paper bag or freezer bag, combine the flour, cornstarch, 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp of salt, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 2 tsp paprika, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Mix well.
- Add 3-4 pieces of chicken at a time to the bag and mix well. Shake the bag! Make sure to discard any excess buttermilk before adding the chicken to the flour mixture. Make sure to coat the chicken very well on both sides!
- Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil over medium heat. The oil should be at 350 degrees F.
- Add the chicken to the frying pan, about 3-4 pieces at a time, shaking off any excess flour, don't overcrowd the skillet. Cook the chicken for 6-7 minutes on each side or until it reaches 165 degrees F. If using bone-in chicken, it will take longer to cook so make sure to cook for 10 minutes on each side or until it reaches 165 degrees F.
- For the waffles: Mix the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, buttermilk, and melted butter in a large bowl.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until well combined but do not overmix. Spray the waffle iron with nonstick spray and add about 3/4 cup of the waffle batter to the iron and cook until done.
- For the cinnamon maple syrup: In a small saucepan, combine maple syrup, butter, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Heat over medium-low until butter is melted and the sauce is warm. Stir occasionally.
- Place the fried chicken on top of the waffles, serve with cinnamon maple syrup, and enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure to remove the chicken from the fridge at least 30 minutes before frying. You should never fry cold chicken.
- For perfectly cooked fried chicken, use a thermometer to ensure the oil is at 350°F. Cook the chicken over medium heat, if you use high heat, the crust will burn while the inside remains raw.
- Don't overmix the waffle batter, just mix until well combined. Also, make sure to spray the waffle machine with nonstick spray.
- I highly recommend cooking the waffles as soon as the chicken comes out of the fryer. The chicken needs to rest for 4-5 minutes, which gives you just enough time to cook the waffles since they cook quickly.
- Want to get creative with your waffles? Add some chocolate chips or shredded cheddar cheese for a twist.
- Serve warm with lots of maple syrup for best results!
Nutrition
Calories: 846kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 251mg | Sodium: 2774mg | Potassium: 843mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1606IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 319mg | Iron: 6mg