Rosie Mayes’ Waffle Fried Chicken Recipe

Rosie Mayes
Rosie Mayes
Rosie Mayes is a Soul Food blogger living in the Pacific Northwest, bringing Southern cooking to gorgeous Seattle, Washington. She was born and raised in the PNW, but her family roots go all the way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where her grandparents were born and raised. She lives every day to bring the traditional values, recipes, and love of food to life for her family — whether they’re online or in real life.
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published Feb 16, 2023
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Waffle fried chicken
Credit: Michael Kartes

Serves6 to 8

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Waffle fried chicken
Credit: Michael Kartes

My family has been eating chicken and waffles way before it became popular. My grandma was the genius behind this. Grandma was the head cook at a nursing home back in the day. One evening, they were supposed to make fried chicken. However, they were short on flour.

My grandma, wonderful cook that she was, quickly thought up a new recipe: “waffle fried chicken.” She replaced the missing flour with waffle mix, and everyone loved it. This dish became a family favorite. Today, everyone in my family has their own twist, but of course I make it the best! Let me show you how it’s done!

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Waffle Fried Chicken Recipe

Serves 6 to 8

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

For the brine:

  • 8 cups

    cold water

  • 1/2 cup

    sugar

  • 2 tablespoons

    kosher salt

For the chicken:

  • 2 pounds

    chicken wings, cleaned and separated into flats and drumettes

  • 1/2 cup

    hot sauce

  • 2 teaspoons

    seasoning salt

  • 1 teaspoon

    ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    cayenne pepper

  • 1 1/2 cups

    waffle mix

  • 1/2 cup

    self-rising flour

  • 2 1/2 cups

    vegetable oil, for deep-frying

  • Maple syrup and hot sauce, for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the brine ingredients, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve. Place the chicken in a separate large bowl, then pour the brine all over it. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours or overnight, then drain. Once you drain the brine, don’t rinse the wings.

  2. Pour the hot sauce all over the chicken and toss to coat. Next, sprinkle the chicken with the seasoning salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Toss to coat.

  3. In a large paper or plastic bag, combine the waffle mix and flour and shake the bag until they are well incorporated.

  4. Add a few wings at a time to the flour mixture. Shake the bag until the wings are well coated, then remove them from the bag and set aside on a plate. Repeat with the remaining wings. Let the chicken sit for 10 minutes before frying.

  5. Pour the oil into a deep fryer or a large deep frying pan, and heat over medium heat to 350 to 360 degrees F. Start adding a few wings at a time. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan! Fry one side of each piece, then flip over and fry the other side until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown all over, about 7 minutes total.

  6. Remove the chicken with tongs and place it on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet or plate to cool slightly. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

  7. Serve the wings with maple syrup and hot sauce.

Recipe Notes

(c)2022 by Rosie Mayes. All rights reserved. Excerpted from Super Soul Food by permission of Sasquatch Books.

Filed in:
Chicken
dinner
Ingredient
southern
poultry
pantry