Chicken & Waffles
I always say Waffles in Donkey’s voice. Slightly aggressive, definitely excited, and very sure of myself : “WAFFLES.’ Periodt.
As a Millennial, everyone says we have done “over-kill” on Avocado Toast – which may or may not be true, I enjoy avocado toast but I don’t order it literally anywhere cause I can make that shit fo free & easily at home. But Chicken & Waffles is a whole ‘nother story.
My point is, I’m not sure what era Chicken & Waffles belongs to…..I’d like to think it may also be a Millennial offering? Who knows. I don’t really care to do the research, but I do care to share my take on Chicken & Waffles with y’all, my fine readers.
what makes it different
I like to jazz up the waffles by adding a few things & “make it fall” by using a Pumpkin Waffle mix – ohh yes. We goin’ there. I also like to skip the fanfare of fried chicken and use Shake-n-Bake for my Chicken – there had better be zero judgment here. I realize Shake-n-Bake is a very old-school item but it has definitely stood the test of time. I think AirFryers have brought the fire back for people to truly appreciate Shake-n-Bake…..at least I do.
I love cutting up Chicken breasts and throwing some extra seasonings into a bag of Extra Crispy Shake-n-Bake and cooking up those babies in the AirFryer – it really is like magic. And then serving them with a side of CFA sauce? Wooooo get outta here!
no bones about it.
So that brings me to the Chicken part of our Chicken & Waffles – the choice of Chicken is insanely important. I’ve definitely ordered Chicken & Waffles out in a restaurant for brunch. I’m sad to report that some idiot chef is always like “let’s serve our guests chicken with a fucking BONE in it atop of their fluffy waffles” like what is WRONG with you? That means you can’t just have a clean cut of dreamy waffle with crispy chicken bite. THE INSANITY. Literally almost nothing makes me more irate. It’s just a stupid idea. Nobody wants to cut their chicken off a bone to then go back and try to get a bite of deboned chicken with waffle. It’s stupid. DON’T DO IT.
RANT OVER.
So obviously, after all the shit I just talked, we use Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs. They are tender, dark meat & are perfect for this recipe! I really don’t know who else would think any other part of the chicken could ever top the Chicken Thigh. Don’t even try me. Because we aren’t deep frying our Chicken Thighs, there’s no need for all the mess & prep of a Buttermilk soak, which you’re welcome for, btw. I guess you could deep-fry if you really wanted to, but I personally don’t see the point.
Ingredients
· 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
· Pumpkin Waffle Mix (& whatever ingredients it calls for)
· 1 TBS fresh rosemary, chopped fine
· ¼ TSP Cayenne Powder
· ½ TSP Garlic Powder
· ½ TSP Ground Cinnamon
· 1 PKG Shake & Bake, Extra Crispy
· S+P, to taste
· Real Maple Syrup
· Salted Butter
Instructions, 1
It’s best to whip up your Pumpkin Waffle Mix & let it sit for a hot minute while you’re assembling / AirFrying the chicken thighs – just some advice.
Mix up whatever Pumpkin Waffle Mix your heart has desired – we use the Trader Joe’s brand of Pumpkin Waffle Mix and boyyyy is it good.
Add to the waffle mix the ½ TSP of Ground Cinnamon & the 1 TBS of freshly chopped Rosemary – yesssss we making savory waffles! But a bit sweet from the pumpkin & warm from the cinnamon – either way, it’s gonna be good!
Set aside & start on your amazing Chicken Thighs! THE STAR OF THE SHOW.
((Actually….I have a hard time deciding who exactly is the star of this show….they are both headliners : Chicken AND Waffles….is there a favorite? Does it matter? Probably not.))
There is NO NEED for any dredging stations here my friends. No Mess. No super sticky-icky fingers. None of that!
Add the Garlic Powder & Cayenne to the bag of Shake & Bake – YES, both ingredients are necessary & DELICIOUS. The garlic powder gives a little punch of savory & the cayenne helps balance out the sweetness of the pumpkin waffles – TRUST me, it all works.
Simply sprinkle S+P over your chicken thighs & toss (one at a time) in the bag of Shake & Bake. Repeat for each Chicken Thigh until all 4 are complete.
Spray your AirFryer with nonstick spray & gently lay each chicken thigh (opened) on the stand inside your AirFryer and try your best not to disturb the breadcrumbs (if you don’t have a stand with your AirFryer, then seriously no worries.)
AirFry the 4 Chicken Thighs on 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes. They will be crispy, delicious & ready to be drizzled with Maple Syrup!
Instructions, 2
SHIT.
Have you been waffling your waffles??
No worries, while the chicken thighs are AirFryer-ing away, you will have plenty of time to make a stack of fluffy Pumpkin Waffles!
Spray your waffle iron generously with nonstick spray & hopefully you know how to cook waffles….just watch for the little green light. Hopefully you have a little green light that comes on to let you know when shit is ready….otherwise, I guess you’re on your own.
Assembly is the easiest & best part – I personally prefer the 1 waffle to 1 chicken thigh ratio so that’s what I’m going with….and because that’s what my plating pictures look like too, not trying to lead y’all astray. *wink*
Slathered with butter, Chicken thigh placed *just so* with an extra smattering of fresh rosemary as the garnish….it is READY for the money shot – the drizzle of maple syrup. THE GOOD STUFF. So delicious. Sorry Aunt Jemima, you truly have my heart.
I hope you enjoy this easy & quick riff on Chicken & Waffles! The fall twist is my favorite & the subtle aroma of Rosemary will really get people’s mouths watering.
I guess you could try bone-in Chicken Thighs but all I have to say is : you’re on your own.
Be sure to make my Chicken & Waffles one crisp, fall weekend morning & enjoy with an Apple Cider Mimosa or a cup of PSL. Either way – enjoy them!
bow chicka-wow-wow
I know at the intro I was like “nah don’t care” – well, turns out I did care a little. So I did a simple Google search on this beloved recipe. I found many different eras, facts & “claim-to-fame” stories but these 2 are my favorite because they are SO different…..Apparently the FIRST-EVER Chicken & Waffles sighting was in the 1600s in Pennsylvania Dutch Country…but this version sounds so gross to me. It makes no sense because I thoroughly enjoy Country Fried Steak but whatever….”The Dutch version consists of a plain waffle with pulled, stewed chicken on top, covered in gravy”….that sounds like a lot of plain, unseasoned shit. PASS. The 2nd version I read about & loved most was the Harlem version during the Jazz Music era. “The story always goes that the dish was designed to be served between dinner and breakfast in the early hours when musicians were likely finished with their sets” – UMM YES. Chicken for the savory (dinner) and a maple-syrup covered waffle played the sweet (breakfast) role. GENIUS. I guess I kind of loved reading where these recipes originated – maybe I’ll start doing that more to report back to y’all! But don’t get your hopes up, sometimes I feel like I’m writing enough shit on here. ANYWAY. Enjoy my spectacularly easy take on Chicken & Waffles – definitely a version I didn’t find on Google! *wink*
Thanks for stopping by!
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If you hated it, then same.
Have a great day & look for my next entry!
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