Fried chicken and waffles – some people love it, some people hate it. But don’t knock it ’til you try it! The first time I had it was in Nashville at The Southern. If you ever find yourself in Country City, you’ll want to check this place out! I ordered it once at a restaurant in Connecticut hoping it’d be as delicious as my Nashville dish; let’s just say the South is definitely better at their fried chicken.
Still dreaming about the crunchy and tasty dish I had, I wanted to attempt to recreate it. I don’t normally eat fried foods, yet alone cook them in my house. If I had used a deep frier, I’m convinced the chicken would have looked like a Kentucky Fried Chicken commercial…..right? But I do not own a deep frier, so instead I used hot oil in a pan. Although I didn’t achieve the “look” I pictured in my mind, the chicken still came out pretty scrumptious.
The trick I learned to tell the tempature of the oil is dip a wooden spoon into the oil; once it starts bubbling around the spoon, the oil has reached the right tempature.
Fried Chicken and Waffles
Ingredients for the chicken
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken tenders
- 4 cups vegetable oil
- 1/3 cups flour
- 1/4 cup finely ground cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- For the waffles, I didn’t get fancy, just used a box mix and followed directions
Steps
- In a small bowl, mix together 1 teaspoon salt, lemon zest, and paprika. Sprinkle the chicken tenders evenly with the mixture on both sides. Place in bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Poke a few holes in the top so air can circulate. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Remove chicken from the fridge and allow to sit out for 20 minutes prior to cooking.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. You need enough oil to submerge the chicken. Place a wooden spoon into the oil to test if it is hot enough; you will see bubbles rise. If you have a deep fry thermometer, tempature needs to be 325 degrees
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Place each chicken tender piece into the mixture, making sure to coat well. Place chicken carefully into hot oil a few pieces at a time. Fry chicken until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Remove chicken from the oil and place on a paper towel lined plate.
For the waffles
- Follow box according to directions. Make sure to spray the waffle iron in between each use.
- Serve chicken and waffles warm with butter and syrup.