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This quick and easy chicken and waffles recipe includes crispy chicken tenders, hearty cornbread waffles, and a drizzle of maple syrup, honey, or powdered sugar. The combination is sweet, savory, and perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner! Serve the classic Southern dish with fresh fruit, a simple green salad, bacon-wrapped asparagus, or hash brown potatoes for a delicious and satisfying meal at any time of day.
Chicken and waffles is a classic Southern dish that combines the best of breakfast (waffles), with the best of lunch and dinner (fried chicken)! You’ll often find this meal on the brunch menu at diners and restaurants throughout the Southeastern United States; however, we think it’s especially tasty when served as a weeknight dinner.
While it might sound like an odd mix at first, one bite is all it takes to understand the appeal of this Soul food favorite. You get the savory, salty, crispy fried chicken alongside hearty, slightly sweet, fluffy cornbread waffles, for the ideal union of flavors and textures. No matter the time of day, this meal is always well received!
Chicken and Waffles Origin
While some folks claim that “chicken and waffles” originated at the Wells Supper Club in Harlem, New York in the 1930s, different versions of this dish date back to the founding of our country many centuries before. Some historians argue that the combination was originally created by the Pennsylvania Dutch back in the 1600s, while others believe that it began in the South with enslaved Africans mixing rice flour batter and cooking it to create golden-edged waffles, dabbing on spoonfuls of blackberry preserves (a la iconic Southern chef and author Edna Lewis), and frying chicken on the side.
Soul food scholar and author Adrian Miller explains that chicken and waffles smothered in gravy was a standard Sunday supper for German settlers during the 19th century. By the early 1800s, a “Virginia Breakfast” featuring a combination of fried or baked meats with any sort of hot quick bread, was the gold standard of plantation hospitality.
Regardless of its origin, one thing is certain: chicken and waffles has been a beloved meal and an important part of the food culture in my home state of Virginia, the South, and the larger United States since before our country was founded. The combo is delicious, affordable, and should become a part of your regular meal routine, too!
Easy Chicken and Waffles Recipe
This chicken and waffles recipe is particularly easy, since it takes advantage of frozen chicken strips for a quick meal that’s on the table in about 30 minutes! Sure, you can make it entirely from scratch with homemade chicken fingers in a skillet, or crispy buttermilk fried chicken in a Dutch oven — but that’s certainly not necessary. And if you’re really in a rush? Frozen waffles will work, too! Take the idea and make it as simple (or as complicated) as your schedule allows.
Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the simple ingredients that you’ll need for our favorite chicken and waffles recipe. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Frozen crispy chicken strips: we like Tyson brand, but any similar variety will work. See my notes below if you prefer to make your own fried chicken from scratch.
- Yellow cornmeal: the base of the cornbread waffles.
- All-purpose flour: lightens up the waffle batter a little bit, giving the waffles a slightly softer texture.
- Sugar: for just the right amount of sweetness in the waffles.
- Baking powder: the leavening agent that helps the waffles rise a bit and gives them a lighter texture.
- Salt: to enhance the other flavors in the waffles.
- Buttermilk: the liquid that thins the batter. Buttermilk is acidic, activating the baking powder to tenderize the waffles and help them rise.
- Egg: gives the waffles structure.
- Butter: the fat is a key ingredient for crispy waffles with a tender, chewy inside. Salted butter gives them great flavor that you don’t get with oil.
How to Make Buttermilk at Home
You need the acidic buttermilk to activate the baking powder in these cornbread waffles. While real, whole buttermilk yields the best flavor and texture, you can also make your own buttermilk at home to use in this recipe. To do so, pour either 1 ½ tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice or 1 ½ tablespoons of white vinegar into a large measuring cup. Add enough milk to equal 1 ½ cups of liquid. Give it a stir, let it sit for about 5 minutes, and then use it in the recipe as directed.
How to Make Chicken and Waffles
This easy chicken and waffles recipe comes together from start to finish in about 30 minutes, thanks to help from a tasty shortcut!
- Bake the frozen chicken strips according to the package instructions.
- While the chicken is in the oven, stir together the waffle batter by whisking together the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Add the buttermilk mixture to the cornmeal and flour mixture, then stir just until combined.
- Cook the cornbread waffles in a waffle iron.
- Top each waffle with a chicken piece (or two or three).
- Garnish with toppings to taste, and serve!
What to Serve with Chicken and Waffles
Serve the chicken and waffles with toppings like maple syrup, honey, hot sauce, a dash of paprika or cayenne pepper, butter, honey butter, jam, apple butter, or a dusting of powdered sugar. The easy recipe pairs well with a wide variety of sides, too — from brunch favorites like candied bacon or sausage gravy, to dinnertime fare like collards or salad. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Candied Bacon
- Sausage Gravy
- Hash Brown Casserole
- Great Grandmother’s Crispy Potato Pancakes
- Roasted Potatoes
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
- Broccoli with Cheese
- Southern Collard Greens
- Mixed Greens Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette or House Salad with Candied Pecans
- Carrot Salad
- Baked Apples, Southern Fried Apples, or Applesauce
- Fried Cabbage with Apples and Onion, Braised Red Cabbage, or Roasted Cabbage
- Fruit Salad
- Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Cucumber Dill Salad
Storage
Leftover chicken strips will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Allow the leftover waffles to cool completely, then wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat
Reheat the chicken tenders in a 350°F oven until heated through and crisp again, about 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Reheat the waffles directly from the freezer or fridge in a toaster until hot and crisp.
Recipe Variations
- Instead of frozen chicken strips, fry your own chicken tenders at home, make baked chicken tenders, use oven-fried chicken breast, or serve the waffles with classic southern fried chicken in a buttermilk brine. Homemade chicken nuggets and frozen chicken nuggets will also work!
- Rather than using cornbread waffles, serve the chicken with our favorite Bisquick waffles, traditional homemade waffles, or even frozen toaster waffles or Belgian waffles (like Eggo brand) for the ultimate shortcut!
- Chicken and Waffles Gravy Recipe: if you like your chicken and waffles with milk gravy rather than syrup or honey, try this chicken and gravy recipe with the cornbread waffles. You might also like to try serving the chicken and waffles with sausage and black pepper gravy.
Tips for the Best Chicken and Waffles Recipe
- Don’t over-mix the waffle batter. Stir just until the ingredients are combined. You will might still have some lumps, which is fine. Over-mixing will result in dense, tough, and dry waffles.
- Use a good waffle iron that will cook your waffles to an even golden-brown color with those beautiful crispy edges. I love my All-Clad waffle iron, but there are many good options on the market.
- Make sure to use a brush to lightly oil the waffle iron before adding each round of batter or spray with cooking spray. This will prevent the waffles from sticking to your waffle maker. Just don’t use too much oil on the pan, or the waffles can come out greasy.
- If desired, you can keep the waffles warm while you finish with the rest of your batter in remaining batches by placing the cooked waffles on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven.
More Easy Chicken Recipes to Try
- Southern Chicken Salad Recipe
- Crock Pot BBQ Chicken
- Shortcut Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits
- Oven Fried Chicken Breast
- Chicken Broccoli Stuffing Casserole
- Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
- Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumpling Soup
- Potato Chip Chicken Strips
Chicken and Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 (25 ounce) package frozen crispy chicken strips, such as Tyson brand
CORNBREAD WAFFLES:
- 1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups whole buttermilk, well shaken
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup salted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- Optional, for serving: additional butter; maple syrup; honey; powdered sugar
Instructions
PREPARE THE CHICKEN:
- Bake the chicken tenders according to the package instructions.
MAKE THE WAFFLES:
- While the chicken bakes, prepare the waffles. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl (or large measuring cup), whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and melted butter.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; stir just until combined.
- Cook waffles in a lightly oiled waffle iron for 3-5 minutes each, or until cooked through and golden brown.
SERVE:
- Top each waffle with chicken, and serve with an extra pat of butter, maple syrup, or powdered sugar.
Notes
- Instead of frozen chicken strips, fry your own chicken tenders at home, make baked chicken tenders, use oven-fried chicken breast, or serve the waffles with classic buttermilk fried chicken. Homemade chicken nuggets and frozen chicken nuggets will also work!
- Rather than using cornbread waffles, serve the chicken with our favorite Bisquick waffles, traditional homemade waffles, or even frozen toaster waffles like Eggo brand for the ultimate shortcut!
- Chicken and Waffles Gravy Recipe: if you like your chicken and waffles with milk gravy rather than syrup or honey, try this chicken and gravy recipe with the cornbread waffles. You might also like to try serving the chicken and waffles with sausage gravy.
- Don’t over-mix the waffle batter. Stir just until the ingredients are combined. You will might still have some lumps, which is fine. Over-mixing will result in dense, tough, and dry waffles.
- Use a good waffle iron that will cook your waffles to an even golden-brown color with those beautiful crispy edges. I love my All-Clad waffle iron, but there are many good options on the market.
- Make sure to use a brush to lightly oil the waffle iron before adding each round of batter or spray with cooking spray. This will prevent the waffles from sticking to your waffle maker. Just don’t use too much oil, or the waffles can come out greasy.
- If desired, you can keep the waffles warm while you finish with the rest of your batter by placing the cooked waffles on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven.