Very few things in life are better than Southern-style chicken and waffles. Let me tell you why. First, it’s a texture thing. The waffles are soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, just like a good piece of fried chicken. Then, there are all the flavors. The waffles soak up all the sweetness from the maple syrup, which presents a stark contrast to the super savory flavors of the fried chicken. The recipe below perfectly represents all of that, and it’s not too difficult to make, either.
Buy store-bought chicken tenders if you want to keep things really easy. The recipe, however, calls for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. That allows you to make your own tenders at home so they are significantly less expensive and super juicy. The secret is soaking them in buttermilk for at least an hour before frying them.
Southern-style chicken and waffles
8 1 hour 30 minutes 30 minutes 2 hours
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into long strips
3 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons Tabasco hot sauce
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
Canola oil
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