Southern Fried Chicken and Waffles Recipe
User Reviews
4.6
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Total Time
30 mins
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Servings
8 servings
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Calories
506 kcal
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Course
Breakfast
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Cuisine
African-American Fusion
Southern Fried Chicken and Waffles Recipe
Description
Southern Fried Chicken and Waffles combines tender chicken thighs soaked in a flavorful buttermilk brine with a crunchy crust of seasoned flour and cornstarch. The chicken is deep-fried to achieve a crisp exterior while remaining juicy inside. The accompanying spicy honey butter sauce blends honey’s sweetness with a touch of chili powder and butter, offering a balanced glaze. This dish is a well-known combination that pairs the savory fried chicken with the soft, warm texture of waffles, creating a hearty meal.
The buttermilk brine infuses the chicken with moisture and spices, while the dredge’s cornstarch helps ensure a crisp coating. During preparation, it’s important to rest the coated chicken to help the crust set before frying at the right temperature. The honey butter sauce can be drizzled over the finished chicken to add a note of sweetness and subtle heat.
Serve the fried chicken alongside warm waffles for a classic take, or customize with your favorite waffle recipe. The dish can be enjoyed for brunch, lunch, or dinner and satisfies with its contrasting textures of crunchy crust and tender meat.
When buttermilk is unavailable, soured milk created by adding lemon juice to regular milk can be used for the brine, maintaining the marinade’s tenderizing effect. Ensure the oil temperature is steady for even frying and avoid overcrowding the pan to retain crispiness.
Ingredients
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- vegetable oil for deep frying
Buttermilk Brine
- 2 cups buttermilk or soured whole milk
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp hot sauce or chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
Seasoned Flour Crust
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 384 g
- 1/3 cup corn starch 43 g
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp black pepper freshly cracked
Spicy Honey Butter Sauce
- 1/4 cup honey 85 g, can substitute maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp chili powder or more if you like a lot of spice
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter 57 g
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Best Belgian Waffles Recipe click the link for the full waffle recipe
Instructions
- Whisk the buttermilk or soured milk, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, hot sauce, and smoked paprika together in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the boneless, skinless chicken thigh to the bowl, making sure every thigh is covered in the brine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the chicken marinate in the buttermilk brine from 1 hour to overnight in the fridge.
- In a dutch oven pot, heat up about half the pot's worth of vegetable oil. Allow the oil to reach 350 degrees F (180 degrees C/ 160 degrees C if using a fan-forced oven).
- While the oil is heating up, in a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and seasonings. Take each chicken thigh from the brine and dredge into the seasoned flour. Thoroughly coat the chicken all over, then let rest on a plate for five minutes before frying.
- Fry the chicken in the hot oil (no more than about 4 thighs per batch) until golden brown, crispy, and cooked through completely, about 8-9 minutes.
- Carefully take the chicken out of the oil and place them on a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack and let cool slightly before serving. Repeat until all the chicken thighs are fried.
- Make the Belgian Waffles and serve the chicken on top of the waffles, then drizzle generously with spicy honey butter sauce or maple syrup.
- Spicy Honey Butter Sauce
- In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat with honey, chili powder, and kosher salt. Whisk well until the mixture is incorporated and homogenized.
- Lower the temperature to 'warm/low' heat and keep for serving.
Notes
- If buttermilk isn’t available, sour regular milk with about half a lemon’s juice per cup and let sit 3-5 minutes before use.
- Allow coated chicken to rest briefly before frying to help the crust adhere better.
- Heat oil to 350°F and fry chicken in small batches to maintain consistent temperature and crispiness.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 506 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1g | |
| Calories | 506kcal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 46g | 15% |
| Protein | 35g | 70% |
| Fat | 20g | 31% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 12g | 71% |
| Cholesterol | 168mg | 56% |
| Sodium | 2138mg | 89% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
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