Breakfast & Brunchbonappetit5.0
Best Chicken and Waffles
Three keys to the best chicken and waffles recipe: marinate the meat overnight, add cornstarch to the dredge, and make sure you have a working waffle maker.
👥 4 Servings👤 Inés Anguiano📖 bonappetit
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●bowl
- ●whisk
- ●spatula
- ●baking dish
- ●baking sheet
- ●pot
📝 Preparation Steps
1
CHICKEN
2
Whisk 4 cups buttermilk and ¾ cup Frank’s RedHot sauce in a large bowl to combine. Add 1 small bunch rosemary, 1 small bunch sage, 1 small bunch thyme, 3 fresh bay leaves, and 2½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs. Cover and chill at least ⏱️ 3 hours and up to ⏱️ 12 hours.
buttermilk4 cupsfresh bay leaves3½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs2
3
WAFFLES
4
Whisk 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp. plus ¾ tsp. baking powder, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton Kosher salt in a medium bowl to combine.
all-purpose flour3 cups½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for baking sheet2. plus ¾ tsp. baking powder1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton Kosher salt1 tsp
5
Separate yolks from 2 large eggs over a small bowl to catch egg whites. Place yolks in a large bowl. Set egg whites aside. Add 2 cups whole milk, ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled, ¼ cup sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla paste or extract to bowl with egg yolks and whisk until smooth. Whisking constantly, gradually add dry ingredients; continue to whisk until incorporated. Lightly whisk reserved egg whites until foamy, then fold into batter with a rubber spatula.
large eggs2whole milk2 cups. vanilla paste or extract1 tsp
6
Heat a waffle iron on medium-high; lightly coat with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Pour ½ cup batter onto iron and cook until waffles are golden brown and cooked through, about ⏱️ 4 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter, coating iron with more nonstick spray as needed.
Nonstick vegetable oil sprayVegetable oil (for frying; about 9 cups)
7
ASSEMBLY
8
While you are cooking the waffles, mix 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. garlic powder, 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 Tbsp. freshly ground white pepper, 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika, 2 tsp. ground mustard, and 1 tsp. cayenne powder in a baking dish to combine. Add 2½ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cornstarch and whisk until incorporated.
. plus 1½ tsp. garlic powder1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2½ tsp. Morton kosher salt1 Tbsp. freshly ground white pepper1 Tbsp. smoked paprika1 Tbsp. ground mustard2 tsp. cayenne powder1 tspall-purpose flour3 cups½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for baking sheet2
9
Working with 1 piece at a time, remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip back into the bowl. Transfer to baking dish with seasoned flour mixture and turn to coat thoroughly on both sides, gently pressing to adhere, then shake off excess. Place on a lightly floured parchment-lined baking sheet.
10
Pour vegetable oil into a large heavy pot fitted with thermometer to come 2" up sides. Heat oil over medium-high until thermometer registers 325°. Carefully add 3 or 4 pieces of chicken to pot and cook, adjusting heat to keep oil between 310°–325°, until golden brown and crisp, 8–⏱️ 10 minutes. Using tongs, transfer to a wire rack set inside another rimmed baking sheet; season immediately with flaky sea salt. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Nonstick vegetable oil sprayVegetable oil (for frying; about 9 cups)Flaky sea salt
11
Serve chicken on top of waffles, drizzled generously with pure maple syrup. Editor’s note: Head this way for more of our favorite waffle recipes →
Pure maple syrup (for serving)
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