Chicken and Savory Waffles

Chicken and Savory Waffles

Chicken and waffles is a beloved dish in Southern cuisine, with a history dating back to the 18th century. The origins of the dish can be traced back to the Pennsylvania Dutch, who served waffles with pulled chicken and gravy as a hearty breakfast. Over time, the dish evolved and became a popular soul food dish in the Southern United States.

The combination of fried chicken and waffles may seem like an unlikely pairing, but it works surprisingly well. The sweet and savory flavors complement each other perfectly, making for a satisfying and indulgent meal. In recent years, chicken and waffles has become a trendy dish, with restaurants all over the country offering their own spin on the classic dish.

Savory Waffles

For this recipe, I have taken a savory approach to the waffles, adding garlic, chives, parsley, and thyme to the batter, along with shredded cheddar cheese for extra flavor. I decided to make a yeasted waffle and the result is a crispy, flavorful, light, yet sturdy waffle that pairs perfectly with the juicy and crispy breaded chicken chunks.

You will notice that baking soda and baking powder are ingredients in this recipe. Since baking soda needs acid to react, vinegar is an ingredient, creating “buttermilk.” I think vinegar contributes to the savory flavors of this recipe, but authentic buttermilk could be substituted for the milk and vinegar. Combining yeast, baking soda, and baking powder allows these waffles to be baked after rising for 5-10 minutes, instead of overnight. I really appreciate the rise these waffles get as they are baking.

Don’t forget, drench Chicken and Savory Waffles in maple syrup and sprinkle with shredded cheddar, which adds a touch of unforgettable sweetness and enhanced flavor to the dish.

Ingredients for Chicken and Savory Waffles:

• Breaded chicken chunks: I really love the new breaded chicken product at Costco, Just Bare. The chicken is lightly breaded, with healthy ingredients. You could use breaded chicken strips or breaded chicken breasts as well. The recipe lists a quick ingredient for pre-breaded chicken, but you could bread and fry the chicken yourself!

Getting the Rise:

• Milk, plus added Vinegar: Buttermilk, or this common substitute, gives the baking soda the acid it needs to react. I like the added flavor the vinegar gives to the savory taste of these waffles.
• Yeast: Yeast in waffles creates a crispy exterior and a wonderfully light, yet sturdy texture that can hold its own against breaded chicken.
• Sugar and Salt: Sugar feeds the yeast and adds just a hint of sweet to this waffle. And salt enhances the savory flavor profile of these waffles. Both are necessities!
• All-purpose flour: I think all-purpose flour creates the texture I prefer best. But a mix of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour could be quite delicious!
• Baking soda and Baking powder: Three types of leavening are used in these waffles to create a fast, yet steady rise. Yeast creates the steady rise, especially after sitting for a bit of time. Baking soda reacts with the acid ingredients, while on the other hand, baking powder reacts with the liquids and later with the heat from the waffle iron. The combination of yeast (for a bready taste) and baking soda and baking powder (for a fast rise) is the perfect answer for savory waffles.

Making it Savory:

• Savory spices (chives, parsley, thyme): I appreciate the flavor profiles of freeze-dried spices and in this case, recommend you use freeze-dried spices available for each of these ingredients. It really makes a difference in the taste!
• Cheddar cheese: For this recipe, I used finely shredded cheddar cheese. If you grate your own, or buy larger sized grated cheese, you may need to add a greater amount of cheese. Since more cheese can fit in a measuring cup when it’s smaller, please take that into account. Also, error on the side of too much cheese in your waffles. You will not regret it!
• Fresh garlic: Fresh garlic in these waffles adds a sweetness, whereas, dried garlic can add a bitter note. It is best to smash or finely mince the fresh garlic so the flavor spreads through the waffle batter, instead of pockets of flavor.
• Eggs: Use a fork or a whisk to pre-beat the eggs before adding them to the waffle batter.
• Unsalted butter: For this recipe, I used unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, decrease the salt in the recipe.

How to Make Chicken and Savory Waffles:

1. To make the yeasted waffles, start by mixing warm milk, vinegar, yeast, and sugar in a large glass measuring bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, we mix together the dry ingredients. These ingredients include: flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, chives, parsley, thyme, and shredded cheese.
3. After the yeast has bubbled, we add in the whisked eggs, melted butter, and minced garlic. Combine the wet and dry ingredients just until no white remains. Set aside to gain some rise.
4. Allow the waffle batter to rise and the waffle irons to heat. Add approximately a ½ cup of batter to each 4×4 waffle iron square and cook to desired crispness.
5. Bake the breaded chicken chunks according to the instructions on the package and serve on top of the waffles.
6. To garnish, we recommend drizzling maple syrup over the chicken and waffles. Top waffles with shredded cheese and a sprinkle of freeze-dried parsley.

This dish is perfect for a weekend brunch or a hearty dinner. It’s a delicious and satisfying meal that’s sure to become a family favorite. Enjoy!

–Kim

Print Recipe

Chicken and Savory Waffles

A 25-minute savory approach to Chicken and Waffles with these yeasted waffles filled with garlic, chives, parsley and thyme, loaded with shredded cheddar cheese, topped with breaded chicken and drenched in maple syrup.

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Main Course

Keyword: chicken, savory, waffles

Servings: 6 people (12 4×4 squares)

Author: Kim Melanson

Equipment

• waffle iron

Ingredients

• 1 pound breaded chicken chunks cooked
• 1 ¾ cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vinegar
• 2 teaspoons yeast
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 4 teaspoons freeze-dried chives
• 4 teaspoons freeze-dried parsley
• 1 ½ teaspoons freeze-dried thyme
• 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese finely shredded
• 3-4 cloves garlic finely minced
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup melted butter

Garnishes:

• Maple syrup
• Shredded cheese
• Freeze-dried parsley

Instructions

• Bake breaded chicken chunks according to directions on bag/box.
• Add milk and vinegar to large glass measuring bowl. Warm in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, until lukewarm but not hot. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over warm milk and stir slightly. Set aside to allow yeast to bubble.
• In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, chives, parsley, thyme and cheese. Whisk together thoroughly.
• Finely mince garlic and add to yeast mixture, along with whisked eggs and melted butter. Stir together.
• Add dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to gain some rise, while waffle iron heats.
• Add approximately a ½ cup of batter to each 4×4 waffle iron square. Cook to desired crispness.
• Serve with cooked breaded chicken chunks, and garnishes such as: maple syrup, shredded cheese, parsley.