Buttermilk Chicken and Waffles
The perfect brunch treat, southern fried buttermilk chicken and waffles!
Ingredients
Fried Chicken
- 2 lbs chicken thighs (boneless & skinless)
- 1 1/2 cups Buttermilk
- 3 large Eggs
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp Hot Sauce
- 1 tsp Ground Pepper
- 2 tbsp Salt
- Canola or Vegetable Oil
Waffles
- 2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 3 tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tbsp Baking powder
- 2 cups Buttermilk
- 2 large Eggs
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Sauce
- 2 tbsp Honey
- 8 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Ground Pepper
Instructions
Make The Fried Chicken
- Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, then cut into ¼” thick strips. Place chicken in a large bowl and season with salt and black pepper, then cover with plastic wrap and let sit.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups buttermilk, 3 large eggs, and 1 tbsp hot sauce. In a second large bowl, whisk together 3 cups all-purpose flour, 3 tsp salt, and 2 tsp garlic powder.
- Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet, then begin coating chicken in the marinade. Dip each piece of chicken first in the flour mixture, then in the buttermilk, then again in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Transfer to the wire rack, then repeat until all chicken strips are coated.
- Fill a large heavy bottom pot with oil until it’s about 2” high. Heat over medium-high until oil reaches about 350 F. You want to cook the chicken around ~325F, but the temperature will drop when you add the chicken. If you have a oil fryer use that instead.
- When oil is hot, carefully add about pieces of chicken, depending on the size of your pan, and cook, turning every 1-2 minutes, until all chicken is a golden brown color and has an internal temperature of 160 F, about 6-7 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to a clean wire rack, then repeat cooking remaining chicken.
The Sauce
- Combine all marinade ingredients and heat over medium-high until butter has melted and spices become fragrant, stirring well. Use a brush to coat each piece of chicken with the sauce.
Waffles!
- Preheat waffle maker and coat with nonstick oil spray (I use vegetable oil). Beat egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer until stiff peaks form. Whisk 2 ¼ cups flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 3 tbsp sugar,½ tsp salt and ½ tsp cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups buttermilk, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 egg yolks, and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
- Whisk wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then gently fold in egg whites.
- Pour about ½ cup batter into each waffle mold, then cook according to waffle maker directions. Serve waffles immediately with chicken and any toppings you'd like.