Chicken and Waffles

This quick weeknight 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!

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword chicken and waffles, cornbread waffles, easy chicken and waffles recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings - 6 people

Calories 640kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

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.

Nutrition