Fried Chicken and Waffles

Crispy fried chicken served over homemade bacon and cheddar waffles with hot maple syrup make this recipe a hard breakfast/brunch to top.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 15

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 858kcal

In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs and hot sauce. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and place for 30 minutes.
In medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt, paprika, garlic powder and black pepper. Whisk until blended.
Remove chicken from marinade and dredge in flour mixture. Set aside on baking sheet for 5 minutes.
Fill cast iron skillet with oil about ¾" deep. Heat to 350°F. Working in batches, fry each piece of chicken about 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Place chicken on baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place bacon on parchment sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until crispy. Set on paper towel-lined plate and reserve bacon fat.
Reduce oven to 200°F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk to combine the egg yolks, buttermilk, butter and bacon fat. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Set aside.
Pour the egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until almost combined. Add the bacon, cheese and scallions and fold in. Finally, gently fold in the egg whites until just combined.
Preheat a waffle iron and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add 1 cup of waffle mixture and cook to waffle iron's instructions. (About 5 minutes for me). When waffle is done place on wire rack in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with fried chicken and hot maple syrup.

Soak the chicken in the buttermilk mixture for at least 30 minutes or overnight to get a tender piece of chicken.
After coating chicken in flour, let sit for 5 minutes on baking sheet so it adheres to the chicken.
Don't overcrowd the skillet with chicken or you will lower the temperature of the oil and not get crispy skin.
Using a good waffle maker is half the battle. You will want a cast iron on non-stick model. If it has a done indicator, even better.
When making the waffles, do not overmix it. It is better to have some lumps than overmix or you will have a tough waffle.
Use the oven at 200°F to keep the waffles and fried chicken warm while you are making everything in batches.