These Southern style chicken and waffles are the perfect pair! Buttermilk fried chicken tenders are extra crunchy and seasoned just right, and our buttermilk waffles are simple and delicious and feature perfectly crispy golden edges.
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When it comes to comfort food, nothing beats our Southern-style fried chicken and waffles!
Crispy, golden fried chicken tenders paired with fluffy, buttery waffles that soak up every last drop of syrup… It’s the perfect balance of savory and sweet!
For this recipe, we soaked chicken tenders in a buttermilk and hot sauce marinade so that they come out juicy and packed with flavor. Then, they’re dredged in a seasoned mixture of flour and cornstarch for an extra crispy, golden coating that stays crunchy even after drizzling with syrup.
And the waffles? It’s our tried-and-true buttermilk waffles recipe, perfected over dozens of Saturday morning breakfasts in our home.
So, get ready to dig into a plate of this Southern style goodness! The perfect recipe for brunch, dinner, or any time you’re craving a little soul food!
🛒 Ingredients you’ll need
Fried Chicken
- Chicken Tenderloins: Swap with wings, legs, thighs, or breasts.
- Buttermilk & Hot Sauce: The buttermilk tenderizes the chicken while the hot sauce adds a little heat. Use Louisiana or Crystal brand hot sauce for authentic flavor.
- Dredge Ingredients: All-purpose flour and cornstarch (for extra crispiness).
- Seasonings: Diamond Crystal kosher salt (adjust if substituting with regular kosher salt or table salt), granulated garlic and onion, chili powder, and Sazón.
- Cooking Oil: Canola is recommended, but peanut oil, vegetable oil, or shortening also work well.
Buttermilk Waffles
- Dry Ingredients: All-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Buttermilk, vanilla extract, eggs, and unsalted butter.
Spicy Maple Syrupn (a must try!)
- Maple Syrup: Warm it up before serving for the best flavor.
- Hot Sauce: Louisiana or Crystal add a perfect balance of heat to the sweetness.
Note: If you prefer using chicken wings, legs, thighs, or even chicken breasts—or if you’re looking for a fried chicken recipe without buttermilk—don’t miss our Southern Fried Chicken recipe.
Step-by-Step Instructions
🍗 How to Fry Chicken for Southern Chicken and Waffles
Step 1: Soak Chicken in Buttermilk and Hot Sauce
In a large bowl or ziplock bag, mix together buttermilk and hot sauce. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Seal the bag or cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight). This step tenderizes the chicken and helps the flour mixture stick when dredging. Skipping this could lead to dry, tough chicken.
Step 2: Prepare the Fryer
Set up your fryer, whether it’s a deep fryer, Dutch oven, or a deep cast-iron skillet. If using a Dutch oven, fill it with about 2 inches of canola oil. Heat the oil to 340°F—use a deep-frying thermometer to check the temperature.
Step 3: Dredge in Flour and Cornstarch
In a large brown paper bag (or a mixing bowl), combine flour, cornstarch, salt, garlic, onion, chili powder, and sazón. Shake or whisk to blend. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan.
Take each chicken piece from the buttermilk and let any excess drip off. Coat the chicken in the flour mixture, pressing it into the flour if using a bowl, or shaking it in the paper bag. Place the coated chicken on the wire rack. Let it rest for 3–5 minutes to let the coating set.
Step 4: Deep Fry the Chicken
Carefully lower 2 or 3 chicken tenders into the hot oil at a time, using tongs. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry for 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F. (For dark meat like thighs or legs, cook for 12–14 minutes.) Remove the chicken with tongs or a slotted spoon and place it on paper towels or a wire rack to drain.
Tip: Keep the fried chicken warm by setting it in a low-temperature oven while you make the waffles.
🧇 How to Make Buttermilk Waffles
- Make the Dry Mix: In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Make the Wet Mix: In a separate large bowl, mix buttermilk, vanilla extract, eggs, and melted butter.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Cook the Waffles: Preheat your waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Lightly oil the plates, then pour in the batter. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the waffles are golden and crisp.
🌶️ Spicy Maple Syrup
In a small ramekin, combine maple syrup and hot sauce. Stir until well mixed.
🗒️ Tips for the Best Chicken and Waffles
- Keep the oil temperature steady at 350°F for the crispiest results.
- If using chicken wings, thighs, legs, or breasts, the cooking times may vary slightly based on the size of the pieces.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.
- For extra fluffy waffles, let the batter rest for 5–10 minutes before cooking.
- If you’re making waffles ahead of time, keep them warm in a 200°F oven until ready to serve.
🍽️ What to Serve with Chicken and Waffles
Southern-style chicken and waffles is a rich pairs great with a variety of sides. Here are some great options for what to serve with chicken and waffles:
- Sausage gravy
- Collard greens
- Mac and cheese
- Grits
- Eggs
- Fresh fruit
- Hot sauce
Whether you’re making this for a special brunch, dinner, or just because you’re craving some comfort food, our chicken and waffles are guaranteed to hit the spot! Be sure to also check out our other Southern soul food recipes and soul food side dishes. Happy cooking!
Southern Style Chicken and Waffles
Equipment
- Waffle Maker: We recommend using a thin, non-Belgian waffle maker. Belgian waffles can be thick and heavy and in our opinion, do not pair well with southern fried chicken. A thin waffle maker like this Cuisinart will yield the perfect waffles.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 packet Sazón seasoning
- Canola oil for frying
Buttermilk Waffles
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoon white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, plus more for topping
Spicy Maple Syrup
- 1/2 cup maple syrup warmed
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce Crystal or Louisiana brand is preferred
Instructions
- Marinate Chicken: Combine buttermilk and hot sauce in a large bowl or ziplock bag. Place chicken in the bowl and stir until chicken is completely coated. If using a ziplock bag, seal bag, then set it in a large bowl to prevent possible spills. Cover bowl and let chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
- Make Fried Chicken Seasoned Flour: Put flour, cornstarch, salt, granulated garlic, granulated onion, chili powder, and sazón in a large brown paper bag and toss to combine. Alternatively, use a medium-sized bowl and whisk ingredients to combine. Set aside.
- Heat Oil for Frying: Fill a Dutch oven with about 2 inches of oil and heat over medium heat to 340°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Alternatively, you can use an electric deep fryer. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to the lowest temperature and set a wire rack on a sheet pan.
- Dredge Chicken: Remove chicken from the bowl of buttermilk brine and let excess buttermilk drip off. Dip chicken tenders one at a time into the flour mixture, making sure that the chicken is coated well. Shake off the excess and set tenders on the wire rack. Repeat with the rest of the chicken. Rest battered chicken on the rack until it starts to turn pasty, 3-5 minutes.
- Fry Chicken: Carefully add 2 or 3 tenders to the hot oil, 1 piece at a time, using tongs. Fry in batches to prevent overcrowding and temperature drop. Fry chicken, turning every few minutes, until it’s golden brown and an instant-read thermometer reaches at least 165°F in the thickest part, about 8-10 minutes. If using dark meat, cooking will take about 12-14 minutes. When the chicken is done, transfer to a paper towel-covered plate or a clean wire rack set over a sheet pan to drain. Keep warm in the oven until all the batches are cooked and you’re ready to serve.
- Make Buttermilk Waffles: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt in a bowl. In a separate large bowl, mix together buttermilk, vanilla extract, eggs, and butter. Stir flour mixture into buttermilk mixture to combine. Preheat a lightly oiled waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Pour waffle batter onto the waffle iron, and cook until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes.
- Prepare Spicy Maple Syrup: Combine maple syrup and hot sauce in a small ramekin and stirring to combine.
- Serve chicken and waffles with Spicy Maple Syrup, butter, hot sauce, and fresh fruit.
