Chicken and waffles have been around for a long time, but it is still one of the fastest growing food trends. You can have so much fun with this food – making all sorts of different waffles as the base to chicken that is fried until crispy, grilled to perfection, or even smoked on the BBQ pit.
Because there are so many versions of chicken and waffles, the choice of toppings is limitless. Topping chicken and waffles with: syrup, hot honey, mustard gravy, BBQ sauce, curry, and even queso are all delicious options.
Chicken and waffles is a delicious combination, but it would be a little dry or lacking in the flavor department without some sort of topping to marry the two together. Topping your chicken and waffles with a sauce, gravy, syrup, or condiment, is a great idea to help make a balanced dish.
What Toppings Do You Put On Chicken and Waffles?
If you are trying to figure out what to put on your chicken and waffles, it is helpful to think about: the ingredients you are using, what meal you are eating, and the overall flavor profile you are going for. A salty and sweet duo is delicious, but so is a bright and fresh salsa.
Syrup
Probably the most common way to eat chicken and waffles is with a healthy pour of syrup. Using maple syrup, butter rich syrup, or even a fruit flavored syrup is delicious on top of chicken and waffles and is especially good at breakfast or brunch.
Serving syrup on top of classic buttermilk waffles and fried chicken tenders offers a sweet and savory combination that is hard to beat.
Honey
Honey drizzled over chicken and waffles is a great idea and brings a welcomed richness to the dish. If you are making a spicy chicken, the sweet balance of honey is ideal. Alternatively, you could use a hot honey for an unexpected heat.
Gravy
Gravy on chicken and waffles is kind of like a twist on sausage and gravy biscuits. Instead of a fluffy biscuit, you have a soft waffle, topped with fried chicken and then slathered in gravy. This combo would be great for any meal of the day.
Curry
Serving chicken and waffles covered in a curry sauce is amazing and worth a try. Using a yellow curry sauce with coconut milk and extra pepper added for heat would be delicious over a cornmeal waffle and tandoori style chicken. You could even serve it with a dollop of greek yogurt to offset the spice.
Queso
For a fun Tex-Mex dish, serve your chicken and waffles with a queso cheese sauce poured over it. You could use grilled or fried chicken and any savory waffle recipe would be delicious. The queso will marry the chicken and waffles together making a delicious meal.
BBQ Sauce
For a slightly different take on chicken and waffles, smoking or grilling your chicken instead of frying can be equally delicious, if not better. Using your favorite BBQ sauce to slather over the chicken and waffles is a must try.
You could try a tangy Carolina style BBQ sauce, a sweet Kansas City style sauce, or a peppery Texas style BBQ sauce over your chicken and waffles. Consider making a potato base waffle for this style of dish for even more fun.
Mustard Gravy
Making a gravy flavored with whole grain mustard would be another great topping for chicken and waffles. The addition of whole grain mustard adds a warm depth of flavor, with a little bite to it. Mustard gravy would be good whether your chicken is fried or grilled.
Chimichurri is a bright herbaceous condiment that is common in South American cuisines. Packed with flavor from: parsley, oregano, chili flakes, and garlic, with an added zing from red wine vinegar, chimichurri sauce would be simply delicious drizzled over chicken and waffles.
Cooking the chicken on a grill would bring out the intense flavors of the chimichurri sauce. Sprinkling everything with some salty cotija cheese would really make the flavors pop.
Salsa
Salsas can be made spicy or mild, and with varying ingredients. You could use a corn and black bean salsa, a hot and sweet mango habanero salsa, a green salsa verde, or a red salsa on top of your chicken and waffles.
For a fun take on taco night, season the chicken with taco seasoning, make a cornmeal waffle, and top it all with: salsa, cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, and sour cream. This combo brings a whole new meaning to Taco Tuesday.
Buffalo Sauce and Ranch
Chicken wings are a favorite in many households, and for good reason. The chicken wings get tossed in spicy buffalo sauce and dunking them in ranch dressing helps to cool off the heat.
Turning this party time classic into chicken and waffles just seems natural. Coat your fried chicken in buffalo sauce and place on the waffle then drizzle all of it with your favorite ranch dressing.
How Do You Eat Chicken and Waffles with Added Toppings?
Preparing and eating chicken and waffles doesn’t have to be messy or complicated. Using frozen waffles and frozen chicken tenders is about the easiest start to this delicious meal. Of course, you can make your own waffles and chicken to completely make this dish unique to what you want!
Once you have all your components ready to go, building your plate is fairly simple. Start with your waffle on the plate, then add the chicken directly on top. Finally, pour whatever sauce or syrup you are using over everything.
Eating this meal with a fork and knife is definitely recommended. If you happen to be enjoying bone in chicken, you will probably need to dig in with your hands, just be sure and have some napkins handy.
Related Questions
Chicken and waffles are a fun way to eat two delicious foods together. Playing with the flavors and ingredients really make it an exciting dish to try. Let’s find out more about this trendy dish.
Are chicken and waffles fattening?
Chicken and waffles can be a fattening dish. The waffles are made from thick cake-like batter and the chicken is usually fried. As with anything though, there are healthier preparations of this tasty dish.
Making a whole grain waffle, grilling the chicken, and drizzling on a little honey and mustard would be delicious and much less fattening.
Are chicken and waffles an American thing?
Chicken and waffles is considered to be an American soul food. Combining the European heritage of waffles with a soulful fried chicken is a perfect representation of American cuisine and culture.
What do chicken and waffles taste like?
If made the traditional way, chicken and waffles is a perfect blend of savory, salty, and sweet. Light and fluffy waffles, topped with a crispy chicken and drizzled on a sweet syrup is a harmonious burst of flavor and textures.
One of America’s favorite food trends is chicken and waffles. Even though this classic soul food has been around for awhile, it is still growing in popularity due to the variety it offers.
You can change the waffle base, grill your chicken or even smoke it, and the toppings to serve with it are endless. Whether you are pouring on the maple syrup, drizzling on some hot honey, serving it as a curry inspired dish, or going Tex-Mex with queso, you are sure to find a chicken and waffles dish you like.
