Southern · main

Crispy Chicken and Waffles with Hot Honey

Crispy Chicken and Waffles with Hot Honey reads sweetness 6.0, richness 5.1 and floral 4.3 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Southern main, about 54 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.6 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 6.2 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 3.8 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.6 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.4 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.1 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Sweetness 6.0 · Richness 5.1 · Floral 4.3 · Salinity 4.1 · Heat 4.1 · Sourness 3.5 · Allium 3.1 · Umami 2.7 · Warm Spice 2.5 · Smoke 2.4 · Funk & Ferment 2.1 · Herbaceous 1.2 · Earthy 1.0 · Citrus 1.0 · Fruity 0.8 · Nutty 0.7 · Bitterness 0.5

What's in it (16)

• boneless chicken — 680 g
• buttermilk — 237 g
• hot sauce — 44 g
• salt — 10 g
• all-purpose flour — 181 g
• smoked paprika — 5 g
• garlic — 5 g
• cayenne pepper — 4 g
• vegetable oil — 871 g
• all-purpose flour — 211 g
• baking powder — 15 g
• granulated sugar — 25 g
• eggs — 200 g
• regular milk — 355 g
• unsalted butter — 82 g
• honey — 118 g

Time & effort: about 54 min (22 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 246 kcal, 18.2 g protein, 9.9 g fat, 28.2 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Whisk the buttermilk, 1 tablespoon of the hot sauce, and 1 teaspoon of the salt together in a large bowl. Add the chicken thighs, turn to coat completely, cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight for deeper flavor.
2. Whisk the dredging flour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the cayenne, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt together in a shallow dish; set aside near the stove.
3. For the waffle batter, whisk the waffle flour, baking powder, and sugar together in a bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and 4 tablespoons of the melted butter, then pour the wet mixture into the dry and whisk until just combined (a few lumps are fine); let the batter rest while the oil heats, and preheat a waffle iron.
4. Pour the vegetable oil into a deep, heavy pot and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F.
5. Lift each piece of chicken from the buttermilk, letting the excess drip off, then press it into the seasoned flour to coat. Dip it back into the buttermilk marinade and press into the flour a second time for a thick, craggy crust.
6. Working in two batches so the oil temperature holds, fry the chicken in the hot oil until deeply golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thickest piece reads 165 degrees F, 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack (not paper towels, so the crust stays crisp).
7. Brush the hot waffle iron with a little of the remaining melted butter, then cook the batter in batches until the waffles are deeply golden and crisp at the edges, 4-5 minutes per waffle.
8. Warm the honey, the remaining 2 tablespoons hot sauce, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne together in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until glossy and just simmering, about 2 minutes; remove from the heat.
9. Set a waffle on each plate, top with two pieces of crispy chicken, and drizzle generously with the hot honey. Serve right away, while the chicken is still crackling.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Fried Chicken and Waffles with Hot Honey — Southern
• Firecracker Cauliflower Bites — Chinese-American
• Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken Breasts — American
• Grilled Sausage and Pepper Skewers — American
• Grilled Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings — American

Keep reading: what sweetness, richness, floral mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.