Crispy Buttermilk Chicken & Waffles with Hot Honey

Photo: Evan Swigart, TheCulinaryGeek from Chicago, USA · CC BY 2.0 · source

Buttermilk-marinated fried chicken with a craggy, crunchy crust on golden waffles, all drizzled with honey spiked with hot sauce and chile.

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into 8 strips
• 3 cups buttermilk (1½ for the chicken, 1½ for the waffles)
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour, for the waffles
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 3 tbsp honey

From your pantry: 1 cup flour, for dredging, oil for frying, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp cayenne, 2 tbsp hot sauce, ½ tsp red pepper flakes, 1½ tsp salt.

Instructions

1. Soak the chicken in 1½ cups buttermilk with 1 tbsp hot sauce and ½ tsp salt for at least 20 minutes or up to overnight in the fridge.
2. Whisk the dredging flour with the paprika, garlic powder, cayenne and ½ tsp salt. Lift the chicken from the buttermilk, drizzle 2 tbsp of the marinade into the flour and rub it in to make little clumps, then press each strip into the flour to coat well.
3. Heat 1 inch of oil in a heavy pot to 350°F. Fry the chicken in batches until deep golden and 175°F inside, 5 to 6 minutes, turning once. Drain on a rack and sprinkle with salt.
4. For the waffles, whisk the 1½ cups flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and ½ tsp salt, then stir in 1½ cups buttermilk, the eggs and melted butter. Cook in a hot waffle iron until golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes each.
5. Warm the honey with the remaining hot sauce and the pepper flakes. Top each waffle with chicken and drizzle with the hot honey.

Tip: Rubbing a little buttermilk into the dredge creates shaggy bits that fry up into an extra-crunchy crust.

Nutrition per serving

Good for

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