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Southern US · American

Chicken and waffles

Non-vegetarian

Crisp buttermilk-brined fried chicken served on fluffy homemade waffles with butter and maple syrup — a sweet-and-savoury pairing tied to soul food and Harlem supper clubs.

Chicken and waffles is a Southern US main course from United States, ready in about 1 hour and made with chicken thigh and all-purpose flour. It serves 4 and is rated advanced to cook.

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Savory fried chicken with waffles and fresh coleslaw on a rustic table setting.
Photo: Jay Moon / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
25 min
Cook
35 min
Total
1 h
Serves
4
Level
Advanced
Calories
1025

Plus at least 2 hours (or overnight) for brining the chicken.

Ingredients

4 servings

Chicken

Waffles

To serve

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the buttermilk (opens in a new tab), hot sauce (opens in a new tab) and 1 tsp of the chicken salt. Add the chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

    • 5 min

    Food safety: Keep raw chicken refrigerated while it marinates.

  2. Step 2

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) the dry waffle ingredients; whisk the eggs (opens in a new tab), milk (opens in a new tab) and melted butter (opens in a new tab) separately, then combine until just mixed. Rest the batter while you fry.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Heat the oil to 170 °C. Mix the flour, paprika (opens in a new tab), garlic powder (opens in a new tab), pepper (opens in a new tab) and remaining salt. Lift the chicken from the buttermilk (opens in a new tab) and press firmly into the seasoned flour.

  4. Step 4

    Fry the chicken in batches, turning, until deep golden and cooked through. Drain on a rack.

    • 14 min
    • 170°C

    Food safety: Chicken must reach 74 °C inside. Never fill the pot more than half full of oil and keep a lid nearby.

  5. Step 5

    Cook the waffles in a hot greased waffle iron (opens in a new tab) until crisp and golden, about 4 minutes each.

    Keep finished waffles crisp on a rack in a low oven.

  6. Step 6

    Top each waffle, still crisp from the iron, with a piece of chicken, a knob of butter (opens in a new tab) and plenty of maple syrup (opens in a new tab). Serve at once.

    • 2 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
United States · Commonly attributedOften linked to 1930s Harlem, though chicken with waffles appears earlier in Pennsylvania Dutch cooking.More food from United States
Dish
Brunch · Dinner · Main courses
Cooking method
Deep-fried, Oven-baked
Taste
sweet & savoury, buttery, salty
Diet
No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Chicken thigh · All-purpose flour · Buttermilk · Chilli sauce (sriracha-style) · Paprika · Garlic powder
Techniques
Baking · Deep-frying

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom buttermilk, milk, butter
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

1025 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 529 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 20%
  • Carbohydrate 41%
  • Fat 39%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy1025 kcal194 kcal
Protein51.1 g9.7 g
Carbohydrate105.6 g20 g
Net carbohydrate102.6 g19.4 g
Sugars32.1 g6.1 g
Added sugars——
Fibre3 g0.6 g
Fat43.7 g8.3 g
Saturated fat14 g2.6 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol293 mg55 mg
Sodium1936 mg366 mg
Salt equivalent4.8 g0.9 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
876 mg
Calcium
401 mg
Iron
6.7 mg
Magnesium
89 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
227 µg
Vitamin C
2 mg
Vitamin D
1.7 µg
Vitamin B12
1.8 µg
Folate (DFE)
297 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: butter.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • A little hot sauce mixed into the warm maple syrup adds a nice kick.

Common mistakes

  • Frying at too low a temperature, which gives greasy, pale chicken.

Storage

  • Refrigerate leftover chicken up to 3 days; freeze waffles up to 2 months.

Reheating

  • Re-crisp chicken in a 200 °C oven for 12–15 minutes; toast waffles from frozen.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Chicken

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 10 min

    Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.

  2. Rest · about 20 min

    Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.

  3. Bake · about 15 min

    Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.

  4. Start to finish: about 45 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Gummy or wet crumb

    Likely causes

    • Under-baked
    • Sliced while hot
    • Hydration too high for the flour

    What to do

    • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
    • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
    • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
  • Collapsed or sunken middle

    Likely causes

    • Oven door opened too early
    • Too much leavening or sugar
    • Under-baked centre
    • Over-proofed yeast dough

    What to do

    • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
    • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
    • Test the centre before removing
    • Proof less
  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Cracked or domed top

    Likely causes

    • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
    • Too much leavening
    • Overmixed batter

    What to do

    • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
    • Use the exact leavening amount
    • Fold just until combined
  • Big holes or tunnels

    Likely causes

    • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
    • Air trapped while shaping bread
    • Uneven proof

    What to do

    • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
    • Degas gently and shape tightly
    • Proof covered in an even, warm place
  • Dry or crumbly

    Likely causes

    • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
    • Over-baked
    • Too little fat or sugar

    What to do

    • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
    • Check 5 minutes early
    • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

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