Crispy Southern Fried Chicken and Waffles

Name: Crispy Southern Fried Chicken and Waffles
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 52 min
Total time: 1 h 32 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 3 lb (8 thighs, about 6 oz each) (1360 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and any loose skin flaps; 2 cups (480 ml) buttermilk; 2 tbsp (30 ml) Louisiana-style hot sauce; 2 tsp (12 g) fine sea salt; 1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder; 1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour; ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch; 2 tsp (5 g) smoked paprika; 2 tsp (6 g) garlic powder; 2 tsp (4 g) black pepper, freshly ground; ½ tsp (1 g) cayenne pepper (optional); 2 tsp (12 g) fine sea salt; 2 quarts (1900 ml) peanut or vegetable oil, enough for about 2 inches (5 cm) depth in the pot; 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; 2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar; 1 tbsp (14 g) baking powder; ¼ tsp (1½ g) baking soda; ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt; 1½ cups (360 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature; 2 large (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature; 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly; 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract; nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the waffle iron if needed (optional); 1 cup (240 ml) pure maple syrup, warmed gently; 4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, softened (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Buttermilk-brined bone-in chicken thighs fried until shatteringly crisp, stacked on tender, golden buttermilk waffles and finished with warm maple syrup. Salty, sweet, and worth the overnight-style brine.

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 52 min
Wait: 4 hr 20 min
Total: 5 hr 52 min
Makes: 8 fried chicken thighs and 4 large round Belgian-style waffles (serves 4)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the chicken
3 lb (8 thighs, about 6 oz each) (1360 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and any loose skin flaps
2 cups (480 ml) buttermilk
2 tbsp (30 ml) Louisiana-style hot sauce
2 tsp (12 g) fine sea salt
1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder
For the dredge
1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch
2 tsp (5 g) smoked paprika
2 tsp (6 g) garlic powder
2 tsp (4 g) black pepper, freshly ground
½ tsp (1 g) cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tsp (12 g) fine sea salt
For frying
2 quarts (1900 ml) peanut or vegetable oil, enough for about 2 inches (5 cm) depth in the pot
For the waffles
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (14 g) baking powder
¼ tsp (1.5 g) baking soda
½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt
1½ cups (360 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
2 large (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature
6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the waffle iron if needed (optional)
To serve
1 cup (240 ml) pure maple syrup, warmed gently
4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, softened (optional)

Equipment (9)

6-quart (5.5 L) or larger heavy Dutch oven, or 12-inch (30 cm) deep cast-iron skillet
Deep-fry or candy thermometer
Instant-read thermometer
Waffle iron (Belgian or standard)
Large zip-top bag or 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish for brining
Large shallow dish or pie plate for dredging
Rimmed baking sheet with wire rack
Tongs and spider or slotted spoon
Two large mixing bowls and a whisk

Steps

Before you start

Start the chicken at least 4 hours ahead (up to 24 hours) so the buttermilk brine can season and tenderize the meat.
Use a heavy pot at least 6 quarts (5.5 L) and keep a deep-fry or instant-read thermometer handy; holding the oil at 300–325°F (150–165°C) is the key to crisp, not greasy, chicken.
Pat the chicken thighs fairly dry on the surface after brining only if they're dripping heavily; the clinging buttermilk helps the crust, but pools of liquid make it gummy.
Read the timing: fry in 2 batches (about 16 minutes each), keep the chicken warm in the oven on a rack, then cook the waffles while it holds.

1
Brine the chicken
- In a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) dish or large zip-top bag, whisk 2 cups (480 ml) buttermilk with the hot sauce, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp garlic powder.
- Add the chicken thighs and turn to coat every surface.
- Cover or seal and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
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Ready when: Chicken is fully submerged or coated in buttermilk with no dry patches
Tip: Longer than 24 hours can make the meat mushy, so don't leave it more than a day.
2
Mix the dredge
- In a large shallow dish, whisk together the 1½ cups (190 g) flour, cornstarch, smoked paprika, 2 tsp garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne if using, and 2 tsp salt until the color is even.
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Ready when: No streaks of paprika or clumps of cornstarch remain
Tip: Cornstarch keeps the crust crisp instead of bready.
3
Coat and rest chicken
- Spoon about 3 tbsp (45 ml) of the brine into the dredge and rub it in with your fingertips to make small shaggy clumps.
- Lift one thigh out of the brine, let excess drip off for a few seconds, then press it firmly into the flour, turning and packing on the coating.
- Shake off loose flour and set on a wire rack over a baking sheet.
- Repeat with all 8 thighs.
- Let the coated chicken rest 20 minutes at room temperature.
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Ready when: Coating looks slightly damp and pasty with no dry flour patches
Tip: Use one hand for wet and one for dry to avoid thick, club-like fingers of batter.
4
Make waffle batter
- While the chicken rests, whisk the 2 cups (250 g) flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and ½ tsp salt in a large bowl.
- In another bowl whisk the 1½ cups (360 ml) buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry and fold with a spatula just until combined, with a few small lumps remaining.
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Ready when: Batter is thick but pourable, with a few small lumps
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and gives tough, chewy waffles; the butter should be cool enough not to scramble the eggs.
5
Heat oil and ovenOven 200°F / 95°C
- Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat it to 200°F (95°C) with a wire rack set on a clean baking sheet inside.
- Pour the oil into the Dutch oven (it should be about 2 inches/5 cm deep and no more than half full) and heat over medium-high until a thermometer reads 325°F (165°C), about 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Thermometer reads 325°F (165°C) and the oil shimmers
Tip: Start heating the oil during the last 10 minutes of the chicken's rest.
6
Fry first batch
- Carefully lower 4 thighs into the oil, skin side down, one at a time, away from you.
- The oil will drop to about 300°F (150°C); adjust the heat to keep it between 300–325°F (150–165°C).
- Fry 8 minutes, turn with tongs, and fry 7–8 minutes more.
- Transfer to the wire rack in the oven.
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Ready when: Crust is deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part (not touching bone) reads 175°F (80°C)
Tip: Don't crowd the pot; crowding drops the oil temperature and makes the crust greasy.
7
Fry second batch
- Return the oil to 325°F (165°C), skimming any loose crumbs with a slotted spoon.
- Fry the remaining 4 thighs the same way: 8 minutes, flip, then 7–8 minutes more.
- Move to the rack in the oven with the first batch.
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Ready when: Crust is deep golden brown and the thickest part reads 175°F (80°C)
Tip: Burnt crumbs in the oil turn bitter and darken later batches, so skim between batches.
8
Cook the waffles
- Heat the waffle iron to medium-high and grease lightly with cooking spray if the manufacturer recommends it.
- Pour in about ¾–1 cup (180–240 ml) batter for a large Belgian iron (follow your iron's guide) and close the lid.
- Cook about 5 minutes, until steam slows.
- Repeat to make 4 waffles, holding finished ones on the rack in the oven so they stay crisp.
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Ready when: Waffles are deep golden brown, crisp at the edges, and release easily from the iron
Tip: Don't open the iron early; waffles stick until the crust sets.
9
Warm the syrup and serve
- Warm the maple syrup in a small saucepan over low heat or in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Place a waffle on each plate, top with 2 fried thighs, add a pat of softened butter if you like, and pass the warm syrup at the table.
- Serve right away.
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Ready when: Syrup is warm and thin enough to pour, not boiling
Tip: Drizzle syrup just before eating so the chicken crust stays crunchy.

Good to know

Tips

Keep the oil between 300–325°F (150–165°C): hotter browns the crust before the meat is cooked, cooler makes it greasy.
Rest the fried chicken on a wire rack, not paper towels, so the underside stays crisp.
Lay the waffles on the oven rack rather than stacking them so steam doesn't soften them.
For a spicy-sweet finish, stir a teaspoon of hot sauce into the warm syrup.

Make ahead

"Brine the chicken up to 24 hours ahead. The waffle batter is best made fresh, but the dry and wet mixtures can be prepared separately and refrigerated overnight (combine just before cooking). Cooked waffles can be frozen and re-crisped in a toaster."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: store chicken and waffles separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze waffles up to 2 months and cooked chicken up to 2 months. Reheat chicken on a rack at 400°F (200°C) for 15–20 minutes until 165°F (74°C) inside and crisp; reheat waffles in a toaster or 375°F (190°C) oven for 5 minutes."

Substitutions

buttermilk → 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt thinned with 1 cup milk. Or add 2 tbsp lemon juice to 2 cups milk and rest 10 minutes; the brine will be slightly less tangy.
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs → boneless, skin-on thighs. Fry about 5–6 minutes per side until they reach 175°F (80°C); the crust will be thinner.
peanut or vegetable oil → canola or refined sunflower oil. Any neutral oil with a smoke point above 400°F (200°C) works.
all-purpose flour → 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. Let the batter rest 10 minutes before cooking; waffles will be slightly more delicate.