Chicken and Waffles

Southern Fried Chicken and Waffles with Maple Syrup

A soul-food classic that bridges breakfast and dinner: shatter-crisp buttermilk fried chicken stacked on a golden buttermilk waffle, drizzled with warm maple syrup and a slick of melted butter, with hot sauce on the side for those who want heat.

Prep

25 min

Cook

35 min

Total

60 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •900 g (2 lb) bone-in chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks), skin-on for best crust
• •480 ml (2 cups) buttermilk, for marinade; can sub 480 ml milk + 2 tbsp lemon juice, rested 10 min
• •2 g (1 tsp) hot sauce (e.g. Tabasco), plus more for serving
• •250 g (8½ oz) all-purpose flour
• •40 g (½ cup) cornstarch, for extra-crisp crust
• •12 g (1 tbsp) fine sea salt
• •6 g (2 tsp) black pepper, freshly ground
• •6 g (1 tbsp) paprika, smoked or sweet
• •4 g (1 tsp) garlic powder
• •4 g (1 tsp) onion powder
• •1 liter (about 4 cups) neutral frying oil, peanut, canola, or vegetable; peanut oil traditional but home kitchens often substitute canola
• •250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour (for waffles)
• •30 g (¼ cup) cornstarch (for waffles), keeps waffles crisp
• •12 g (1 tbsp) baking powder
• •5 g (1 tsp) baking soda
• •8 g (1½ tsp) fine sea salt (for waffles)
• •30 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
• •2 whole (2 large) eggs, room temperature, cooked-through internal temp 71°C / 160°F if no carryover concern; waffle batters reach well above this
• •480 ml (2 cups) buttermilk (for waffles)
• •110 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• •pure maple syrup, for serving, to taste, Grade A Dark Robust gives the classic punch
• •softened butter, for serving, to taste
• •additional hot sauce, for serving, to taste

Steps

1. 1 Marinate the chicken: pat the chicken pieces dry. In a large bowl whisk 480 ml buttermilk with the 2 g hot sauce and 6 g salt. Submerge the chicken, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Do not reuse this marinade after raw chicken has touched it.
2. 2 Mix the dredge: in a wide bowl whisk the 250 g flour, 40 g cornstarch, 12 g salt, 6 g black pepper, 6 g paprika, 4 g garlic powder, and 4 g onion powder until evenly combined.
3. 3 Heat the oil: pour the oil into a heavy Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet to a depth of about 2.5 cm (1 in). Heat to 175 °C / 350 °F on a deep-fry thermometer. Adjust burner to hold this temperature.
4. 4 Dredge the chicken: lift each piece of chicken, letting excess buttermilk drip off, then press firmly into the seasoned flour, turning to coat on all sides. Place on a wire rack and rest 10 minutes so the coating sets; this gives a craggy, shattery crust.
5. 5 Fry the chicken in batches, skin-side down, without crowding. Maintain oil at 165–175 °C / 330–350 °F. Fry thighs and drumsticks 12–14 minutes total, turning every few minutes, until deeply golden. Smaller pieces will cook faster.
6. 6 Doneness cue: insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part without touching bone. Chicken is safely cooked at 74 °C / 165 °F internal temperature; the juices should run clear and the coating should read deep brick-gold, not pale.
7. 7 Drain fried chicken on a clean wire rack (not on paper towels, which steam the crust). Keep warm in a 95 °C / 200 °F oven on a rack set over a sheet pan while you cook remaining pieces.
8. 8 Make the waffle batter while the chicken rests: in one bowl whisk the 250 g flour, 30 g cornstarch, 12 g baking powder, 5 g baking soda, 8 g salt, and 30 g sugar. In a second bowl whisk the 2 eggs, 480 ml buttermilk, and 110 g melted butter until smooth.
9. 9 Pour the wet into the dry and fold gently with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain; small lumps are fine. Do not overmix or the waffles will be tough.
10. 10 Cook the waffles: preheat a waffle iron and lightly grease it. Ladle about 125 ml (½ cup) batter per waffle; cook 4–5 minutes until steam slows and the iron lifts easily. The exterior should be golden and crisp, the interior tender.
11. 11 Hold cooked waffles directly on the oven rack (not stacked) so they stay crisp while you finish frying.
12. 12 Plate each waffle on a warm plate, top with 2 pieces of fried chicken, add a pat of softened butter, drizzle generously with warm maple syrup, and serve hot sauce on the side. Serve immediately so the crust stays audible.