Crispy chicken and waffles

1. Pre heat oven to 180°C or use an airfryer.
2. Pat chicken tenders dry and set aside.
3. To make the chicken batter, whisk 2 eggs in a bowl. Add 1 cup of flour to a separate bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pour crushed cornflakes into a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
4. Coat the chicken tenders in the plain flour and dust off excess. Dip the chicken into the beaten egg and drain the excess. Coat the chicken in crushed cornflakes and shake off excess.
5. Place a wire rack on a baking tray and place the chicken on the rack. Bake the tenders in the oven for 15-20 minutes, turning half way. If using an air fryer, cook the chicken in batches making sure not to overcrowd the basket. Fry for 12-15 minutes or until the centre of the chicken is cooked. 
6. While the chicken is cooking, preheat waffle iron or griddle to make waffles.
7. To make the waffles, whisk the flour, baking soda, sugar and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.
8. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk and melted butter. 
9. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until combined.
10. Grease the waffle iron with cooking oil and pour ¼-⅓ cup of batter in the waffle iron and cook until golden brown. Note that the quantity and time will depend on your waffle iron but generally around 3-7 minutes.
11. Put cooked waffles in a warmed oven and repeat with the remaining batter. 
12. Serve hot with fried chicken and your choice of toppings.

FAQs

• Why mixing chicken and waffles together? What is so special? Fried chicken and waffles became popular in the US, and combines two comfort foods—savoury and sweet. Crispy and tender chicken, with waffles and syrup is the kind of combination that makes you want to keep eating more of.
  
  
• What other cut of chicken can I use in this recipe?  Chicken tenderloins, or chicken tenders, are the underside of chicken breast cuts and often cut off the chicken breast and sold separately. You can use chicken breast or thighs and slice thinly into tenderloin shapes. 
  
  
• How can I store/reheat leftovers? Keep the waffles separate from the chicken. They won’t taste as crispy or fresh as when they were freshly made, but you can reheat the waffles in an oven or air fryer. Chicken can be reheated in the oven or airfryer until the internal temperature is at 75⁰C or higher for more than two minutes. 

Recipe tips

• What is the secret to making good waffles? Preheat the waffle iron and don’t over mix the batter. Over mixing will build up the gluten in your batter, causing the waffle to be dense and tough. 
  
  
• Buy pre-made waffles to save on time—warm in oven or airfryer at 175⁰C for 3-4 minutes or until crispy. 
  
  
• How do I keep my waffles crispy? They are best eaten immediately, but you can reheat them in an oven for a few minutes to crisp up again.