Easy Southern Chicken and Waffles Recipe

This Southern chicken and waffles recipe is just what you need when the family craves hearty comfort food!

Here’s an easier way to whip up the all-time favorite soul food popular for its perfect blend of rich flavors and textures. To round out a perfect breakfast, pair it with a delicious and healthy kiwi fruit salad and a smoothie like our cranberry apple smoothie.

Ready to expand your list of amazing savory chicken recipes? Keep reading for the recipe and the tips on how to make the best Southern chicken and waffles.

Jump to:

• Do I Need to Double Coat the Chicken Before Frying?
• SAVE THIS RECIPE!
• ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔀 Substitutions
• 🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins
• 🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools
• 🔪 How to Make Southern Chicken and Waffles
• 👩‍🍳 Pro Tips
• ❓ Recipe FAQs
• 🙏 Pairing
• SAVE THIS RECIPE!
• 📋 Recipe

Do I Need to Double Coat the Chicken Before Frying?

The combination of chicken and waffles has a history that goes back to the 1600s, although the earliest version of the dish didn’t include a fried chicken recipe. 

It wasn’t until the 1930s, with the addition of fried chicken, that this dish became the classic soul food item we know and love today. So, if you want to make a classic soul food dish of chicken waffles, having crispy fried chicken is essential.

You’ll find many suggestions and cooking techniques to make fried chicken extra crispy and juicy. Double breading or double dipping in eggs and breadcrumbs is one of the easiest ways to make that happen.

The second layer of egg and breadcrumbs can help the breading stick better on the chicken meat so it won’t fall off when you fry it. Having another layer of breadcrumbs will also improve the crispiness of the fried chicken.

An ample layer of breading around the meat can also act as a barrier so the chicken won’t end up dry due to moisture loss and feel tough after frying. That means you will enjoy a crispy chicken exterior while the meat stays juicy.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

There’s a very good chance that you’re already on board with trying this fried chicken and waffles recipe. But here are more reasons why this particular recipe will work for you.

• Super easy recipe: This take on Southern fried chicken and waffles is focused on making the entire process easier without sacrificing the flavor. 
• Sweet and savory delight: Combining fried chicken and waffles is one of the best ways to pair contrasting sweet and savory flavors and deliver a satisfying dish.
• Perfect texture combinations: Crispy fried chicken with fluffy waffles is an incredible match that makes this a fantastic Southern recipe to try.
• Tasty Southern comfort food that everyone will love: If you need a dish that kids and adults will certainly enjoy, then Southern chicken and waffles are the answer.
• A delicious meal for brunch or dinner: Waffles are a staple breakfast item, while fried chicken is often served for lunch or dinner. Chicken and waffles together make a fantastic dish for brunch and a great excuse to eat waffles for dinner.

Looking for other dishes with amazing flavor and texture combinations? Give this air fryer chicken breast and potatoes a try.

🥘 Ingredients

Most of the ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Southern fried chicken and waffles are likely in your kitchen already, making this recipe a must-try.

• Chicken breast: This recipe doesn’t require a long cooking time, thanks to this ingredient. To make things easy, buy skinless and boneless chicken breasts.
• Waffle mix: Your favorite store-bought mix of Belgian waffles or buttermilk waffles will do great for this recipe.
• All-purpose flour: It’s the foundation of fried chicken breading. It provides a surface to which the egg, and eventually the breadcrumbs, can stick. 
• Eggs: Dipping the chicken in beaten eggs allows the breadcrumbs to cling to the chicken for a crispy texture. 
• Breadcrumbs: If you want an amazingly crispy exterior for fried chicken, you’ll always need breadcrumbs.
• Maple syrup: Aside from being the classic topping for waffles, its sweetness also balances the rich and savory flavor of chicken.

See recipe card for complete list of ingredients and quantities.

🔀 Substitutions

Feel free to make these ingredient swaps if needed.

• Chicken: You can opt for boneless chicken thighs for juicier fried chicken. If you prefer bone-in chicken pieces, it’s best to buy a whole chicken and cut it into 8 pieces to make something close to the classic Southern fried chicken recipe.
• Breadcrumbs: Crushed cornflakes are a great substitute if you’ve run out of breadcrumbs. If you’re looking for a crispier coating, use Japanese panko breadcrumbs instead of regular breadcrumbs. 
• Eggs: You don’t have to let the chicken marinate for this recipe. However, you can replace eggs with plain yogurt or buttermilk to ensure the chicken has enough moisture to stay juicy.
• Flour: You can substitute flour with cornstarch if you want a chicken breading that absorbs sauces better, but absorbs less oil when frying. Meanwhile, chickpea flour is a gluten-free alternative that will also work as a base for chicken breading.

🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins

You can also tweak this recipe to fit your flavor preferences. Here are a few suggestions to give this recipe your own flair.

• Infuse flour with herbs and spices: Add herbs and spices to the breading flour aside from the staple salt and pepper seasoning. Some of the best options include onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, dried thyme, and dried rosemary.
• Spicy chicken: Adding some cayenne powder or chili pepper flakes to the flour will add a nice spicy flavor to the fried chicken. You can add some hot sauce to the eggs for a little heat.
• Crunchy toppings: The nutty flavor from crushed roasted peanuts, walnuts, or pecans will complement the taste of homemade chicken and waffles. It will also add another layer of crunchy texture to the dish.
• Spiced honey: If you want more ways to add heat to this dish, you can drizzle it with your favorite spiced honey instead of maple syrup.
• Kid-friendly chicken with waffles: Use chicken tenders for smaller, bite-size pieces.

Looking for another creative way to make waffles? Check out my recipe for lemon ricotta waffles with mascarpone and blueberries.

🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools

Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you’ll need when making this appetizing Southern chicken and waffles recipe.

• Skillet: Instead of a fancy deep fryer, you’ll need a heavy-bottom medium skillet to prepare crispy fried chicken.
• Waffle Maker: For the ultimate visual presentation of this dish, it’s best to have a waffle maker or waffle iron. It will make it much easier to make waffles, and it will also be a great kitchen investment. 
• Bowls or Breading Trays: Simple mixing bowls are enough to prepare your DIY breading station. But if you make fried chicken often, you may also consider getting a set of breading trays.
• Wire Rack: I highly recommend placing the chicken on a wire rack when letting excess oil drip off after cooking. It can easily lose its crispy texture, and the exterior can turn soggy when any fried chicken is left lying on a surface without airflow.
• Kitchen Tongs: A decent pair of kitchen tongs makes it so much easier to fry chicken or any food in a skillet. It’s also handy when dredging the chicken in flour and dipping it in eggs and breadcrumbs.

🔪 How to Make Southern Chicken and Waffles

Craving chicken and waffles? Don’t worry, with all the ingredients and equipment ready all that’s left to do is follow these steps for the best chicken and waffles recipe.

Step 1: Make the Waffles

Start preparing the waffles according to package directions. You can also follow your favorite recipes for homemade buttermilk waffles or fluffy Belgian waffles.

If you’re looking for something quick and easy to make, check out this Cake Mix Waffles recipe.

Step 3: Heat the oil

Place a medium skillet over medium heat. Then, put in the oil and wait until it’s hot.

Step 4: Prepare DIY Breading Station

As the oil heats up, set up a breading station by placing the flour, beaten eggs, and breadcrumbs in three separate bowls.

Step 5: Coat the Chicken

Dredge every piece of chicken in flour, next in eggs, and then in breadcrumbs. After the first round of coating, coat the chicken again in egg, then in breadcrumbs.

Step 6: Fry the Chicken

Once the chicken pieces are breaded and the oil is hot, it’s time to fry them. Carefully place the bite-size chicken cuts in the pan and let them cook for 3 to 5 minutes on each side.

Step 7: Transfer the Fried Chicken

Remove the chicken from the frying pan once it has a nice golden-brown color. Transfer it to a wire rack and allow the chicken to rest.

Step 8: Serve Fried Chicken and Waffles

On a serving plate, place the waffle and put the fried chicken on top. Make sure to keep the waffles and chicken warm. When it’s time to serve the chicken and waffles, drizzle them with maple syrup. Enjoy!

👩‍🍳 Pro Tips

Make this culinary creation one for the books. Follow these tips:

• Pat dry the chicken before dredging it with flour. Excess moisture will prevent the flour from sticking to the surface of the chicken. When that happens, you won’t have a stable layer of flour to hold the coating of eggs and breadcrumbs.
• Shake off excess flour when dredging the chicken. A thick layer of flour won’t help create a good layer of breading. Not removing excess flour is one of the common mistakes that causes breading to fall off the chicken after frying.
• Don’t forget to season the chicken and flour. Sprinkle salt and ground pepper on the chicken before dredging with flour so they won’t turn out bland. Mixing a few herbs and spices into the flour for flavorful fried chicken is also best.
• Let the waffle batter rest for a few minutes. Whether using store-bought waffle mix or making it from scratch, allow the batter to rest for a few minutes. This will allow the flour and wet ingredients to be well incorporated to produce light and fluffy waffles.
• Drizzle with maple syrup just before serving to ensure the chicken stays crispy. The moisture from the syrup can make the fried chicken’s exterior soggy when it’s drizzled ahead of serving the dish.

❓ Recipe FAQs

🙏 Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Southern chicken and waffles:

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📋 Recipe