Waffle-crusted fried chicken (... and waffles)

Waffle-crusted fried chicken and waffles — Thrillist Recipes
Drew Swantak
Drew Swantak

This isn't your Mama's chicken 'n' waffles, mainly because your Mama refuses to innovate and bread (waffle?) her chicken with actual waffles. (Note: if your Mama is doing this, please let us know, because we'd love to hire her.)

The chicken wings are loaded with salt, spice, and garlic, and then coated in buttery waffle crumbs and fried to a golden crisp. If heaven had a flavor that wasn't clouds and God's beard, this would be it.

Taste-testers were more than satisfied with just the waffle-crusted chicken, but I'm greedy and wanted even more waffles -- some fluffy ones to offset the crunchy ones, you know? Willis, the test kitchen's resident canine, seemed to agree as he happily ran away with a mouthful.

You'll have to bite through fried waffles to get to the chicken, which is just fine.
Drew Swantak

Waffle-Crusted Chicken and Waffles Recipe

Total Time: 2<span> hours, 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 12 (about 3lbs) whole chicken wings

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/3 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 2/3 cups milk
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 3/4 cup water

  • 6.5-inch round waffle iron
  • Deep-fat fryer or 3-quart Dutch oven fitted with an oil thermometer
DIRECTIONS:
  • In a small bowl combine salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, poultry seasoning, and garlic powder. Place wings in a shallow dish. Sprinkle all sides evenly with the seasoning. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
  • Preheat waffle iron.
  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt for the waffles. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs with an electric hand mixer until fluffy. Stir in oil, milk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix just until smooth.
  • Pour a 1/2 cup of the mixture onto the hot waffle iron and cook until golden brown, following the manufacturer's instructions for timing. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and repeat until you have six waffles. Cover remaining batter and chill it in the fridge.
  • Heat oil to 300°F in a deep fryer or Dutch oven fitted with an oil thermometer.
  • Pulse cooled waffles in a food processor until crumbly but still chunky. Transfer to a shallow dish or tray.
  • Whisk together all the batter ingredients in a medium-size bowl.
  • Dredge chicken wings in the batter, then in the waffle crumbs to coat. Place wings three at a time into the hot oil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined tray. Make sure oil returns to temperature before adding the next batch.
  • While the last batch cooks, make the remaining waffles. You should have enough batter for three waffles. Cut each waffle into quarters.
  • Serve each plate with three waffle quarters, three pieces of fried chicken, and a liberal drizzle of maple syrup.
Making waffle-crusted chicken wings — Thrillist Recipes
Drew Swantak
Making waffle-crusted chicken wings — Thrillist Recipes
Drew Swantak
Making waffle-crusted chicken wings — Thrillist Recipes
Drew Swantak