Chicken and waffles chicken fingers are two of your favorite junk foods in one!

Chicken and Waffles?!

Yep! Its a soul food treat in a bite! These chicken tenders are coated in waffle batter then deep fried to perfection. I mean could it get any better? Oh wait it can! We’ll be serving them with a maple mustard dipping sauce.

Kudos!

You ever have a great idea but you just can’t figure out how to bring it to life? Well I was lookin through the food blawgs as I always do on a raucous Saturday night, and I came across this recipe for Waffle Batter Fried Chicken Tenders with Maple Mustard by Kudos Kitchen by Renee.

Chicken and waffles chicken fingers — via Kudos Kitchen By Renee

It’s freaking genius! Why didn’t I think of using waffle batter for the breading? I was originally going to use toasted Eggos that I then pulverized in the food processor. Yeah, that’s just too much work and honestly tastes kind of awful. Don’t worry I didn’t copy her recipe, but she did inspire me to do the following.

#MarinationNation

OK so here is where this recipe shines. Have you ever had buttermilk waffles? They’re fluffy AF and have a little sourness. Well let’s get into the science of that. Buttermilk has a low pH, meaning it has a high acidity. In doughs, when an acid (buttermilk) reacts with a base (baking soda) it creates bubbles that result in super fluffy pancakes or waffles. Alternatively, that acid; the same acid that gives your buttermilk a sightly sour flavor (also yogurt and sour creams), tenderizes meat by breaking down muscle fibers. This leads to soft, juicy, melt in your mouth chicken. So, funny enough, buttermilk waffle batter makes for the perfect marinade for chicken fingers!

WAFFLES!

via GIPHY

YES, Leslie! Waffles are delicious! So first step in this recipe is to make waffle batter. Mix together your dry ingredients; flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together melted butter and buttermilk then add 2 large eggs and whisk.Mix the wet ingredients with the dry until well combined. Then just toss the chicken tenders into the batter and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Next we’re going to deep fry these bad boys. That’s right. Because everything is better when it’s deep fried. Heat 2-3 inches of vegetable oil to 350°F. How do you know that it’s 350°? Well a deep fry or candy thermometer will tell you! Just clip one to the side of the pot making sure the tip is fully submerged in the oil.

In batches, fry the tenders until golden brown, and the chicken is cooked through, about 2-3 minutes on both sides. Drain excess oil on paper towels.

And Now For The Best Part

The sauce! Whisk together maple syrup, dijon mustard, and some molasses together. Dip your chicken and waffles chicken fingers in the sauce and enjoy!

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This recipe requires a little something special. Here’s a list of what you will need:

[list][list_item icon=”fa-cutlery”]Deep Fry Thermometer[/list_item][list_item icon=”fa-cutlery”]Candy Thermometer[/list_item][list_item icon=”fa-cutlery”]Dijon Mustard[/list_item][list_item icon=”fa-cutlery”]Maple Syrup[/list_item][/list]

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5 from 1 vote