Fried Chicken and Waffles
Ingredients
Food Safety
Before you start, wash all surfaces and your hands with soap and warm water, and remember to wash your hands, utensils and cutting boards after they touch raw meat or eggs. Avoid cross-contamination by using a different cutting board for your meat and other ingredients. Make sure you’re cooking to safe temperatures and chilling any leftovers within two hours. For more food safety tips, visit our Food Safety at Home Section.
Steps
Let the chicken come up to room temperature for 15–20 minutes. In one bowl combine the dry ingredients: flour, cornstarch, kosher salt, and cayenne pepper. In another bowl combine the buttermilk and 2 eggs.
In a large heavy bottomed cast iron skillet or pot heat the oil to 350°F (175°C). Meanwhile, pat the chicken pieces dry on paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
Assemble a baking sheet with a cooling rack on top of it. Working with one piece of chicken at a time dip it in the wet mixture and then dredge it through the flour. Make sure to use one hand for the wet ingredients and one hand for the dry ingredients; this helps reduce the mess and your hands looking like paper maché. Continue to dip and dredge the chicken pieces making sure to shake off any excess flour. Transfer each dredged piece to the rack.
Once the oil registers 350°F (175°C), carefully, add the first 4 pieces of chicken to the oil. Turn the chicken occasionally making sure that it is turning brown and not burning. Bone-in drumsticks and thighs will take about 13–15 minutes and boneless breast meat will take about 10–12 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200°F (95°C). Meanwhile, heat a waffle iron. In a mixing bowl, whisk together waffle mix, milk, 1 egg, and canola oil. Whisk until smooth, set aside for at least 15 minutes in the fridge. Spray preheated waffle iron with cooking spray. Add desired amount of batter into the waffle iron, being careful not to overfill. Cook waffles until steaming stops. Transfer waffles into the 200°F (95°C) oven on a wire rack until ready to serve.
Chicken is cooked when meat thermometer registers 165°F (74°C). Once the chicken is fully cooked, transfer onto paper towel and immediately sprinkle with sea salt. Continue frying the remaining chicken pieces. To keep chicken warm, transfer into the oven with the waffles.
Divide chicken and waffles between plates and serve with maple syrup.
Helpful Tip
Fried chicken can be made a day in advance and heated on a wire rack set on a baking sheet for 20 minutes at 200°F (120°C).
