Mini Chicken and Waffles

By
Milena Perrine
Chris and Milena Perrine
Milena Perrine
Chris is an executive chef with over 20 years of culinary experience and is an avid home brewer. He and Milena own the a popular lifestyle blog called Craft Beering.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 06/1/22
Mini chicken and waffles recipe

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yield: 24 waffles

Mini chicken and waffles are excellent as a passed hors d'oeuvre, party appetizer, or a fun brunch buffet item.

As a twist on the well-loved American dish of fried chicken served on top of a stack of waffles and flavored with hot sauce and maple syrup, this recipe is designed to satisfy comfort food cravings in a bit more elegant way.

Buttermilk and panko-crusted chicken tenders are secured on top of small pieces of fluffy buttermilk waffles with toothpicks. Parmesan shavings add a touch of nutty depth and saltiness, and a generous drizzle of hot honey rounds off the flavors and introduces a spicy kick. If you cannot find prepared hot honey making your own is as easy as folding hot red pepper flakes into your favorite honey.

With only a few simple ingredients, easy to follow steps, and the help of a waffle iron, even a kitchen novice can successfully tackle these delicious bites. The recipe for the waffles yields about a dozen regular-sized waffles. Cut into mini pieces only as many of them as you need and freeze the rest. Once frozen they are perfect for the toaster when you need a quick breakfast.

It is absolutely acceptable to prepare the stacks of mini chicken and waffles in advance and to heat them up in the oven for a couple of minutes just before garnishing with Parmesan shavings and hot honey and serving them.

Ingredients

For the Waffles:

  • 2 cups flour, cake flour or pastry flour recommended

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 3 tablespoons sugar

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1/4 cup melted butter

  • 2 cups buttermilk

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • Cooking oil or oil spray, for greasing waffle iron

For the Chicken:

  • 2 quarts cooking oil, for frying

  • 1 pound chicken breast

  • 1 cup flour

  • 1 cup buttermilk

  • 2 cups panko

For the Garnish:

  • 4-ounce solid piece of Parmesan cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano recommended

  • 1/3 cup hot honey, or 1/3 cup honey plus red pepper flakes, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for mini chicken and waffles
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  2. Preheat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions and preheat the oven to 200 F.

    Preheat waffle iron
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  3. In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients for the waffles.

    Mix together dry ingredients
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  4. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and stir in the melted butter, the buttermilk, and the vanilla extract.

    Beat eggs
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Do not use a mechanical mixer or overmix.

    Add wet ingredients
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  6. Grease the waffle iron with your cooking spray or oil and, using a measuring cup, add the recommended amount of waffle mix to each slot (again, per the manufacturer's instructions, as each waffle maker may be able to handle a different amount of waffle batter). Cook until the waffles turn golden on both sides, then remove and cut them into small bite-sized pieces. Place them in the oven to keep warm until ready to serve. Repeat with the remaining batter.

    Make waffles
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  7. In a deep heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat bring the cooking oil to 375 F. Prepare a paper towel-lined baking sheet for the fried chicken.

    Take temperature
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  8. While the oil is heating, slice the chicken breast into bite-size pieces to roughly match the size of the mini waffles.

    Slice chicken breast
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  9. Prepare 3 bowls—one with flour, one with buttermilk, and one with panko breadcrumbs.

    Prepare three bowls
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  10. Coat each piece of chicken in flour (shake of excess), then buttermilk, and finally in panko.

    Coat each piece of chicken
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  11. Fry in small batches for 6 to 8 minutes. Place on the paper towel-lined baking sheet.

    Fry in small batches
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  12. Assemble the mini chicken and waffles onto a serving platter by securing the chicken pieces onto the waffles with toothpicks.

    Mini chicken and waffles
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  13. Using a potato peeler, shave off Parmesan bits and garnish. Drizzle with hot honey and serve.

    Waffles and chicken
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska 
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
516 Calories
23g Fat
52g Carbs
24g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 516
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 30%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 99mg 33%
Sodium 783mg 34%
Total Carbohydrate 52g 19%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 24g
Vitamin C 1mg 3%
Calcium 226mg 17%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 299mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)