Sage Fried Chicken and Waffles (With Hot Maple Syrup)

5 from 1 vote

Sage Fried Chicken and Waffles (With Hot Maple Syrup)

This recipe for Sage Fried Chicken and Waffles will put your search for the perfect brunch dish to rest! Absolutely do not forget the Hot Maple Syrup!

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Waffle Cooking Time1

Total Time2 15

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Servings: Servings

Calories: 692kcal

Author: Spencer Klickman

Equipment

Baking Sheet
Wire Rack
2 9-Inch Cake Pans Or other shallow containers/dishes for breading the chicken
Instant Read Digital Thermometer Optional, but recommended
Large Pot or Dutch Oven For Frying

Ingredients

Hot Maple Syrup (Make At Least One Day Ahead)

1 Cup Maple Syrup
2 Cloves Garlic Thinly Sliced
3 Serrano Peppers Thinly Sliced (Do not remove the seeds)
3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme

Brown Butter Waffles (Make Ahead)

1 Batch Brown Butter Waffles

Sage Rubbed Fried Chicken

2 lbs. Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs About 6-8 Thighs
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Paprika
1 Teaspoon Rubbed Sage
2 Granulated Garlic
½ Teaspoon White Pepper
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Cayenne
24 oz Peanut Oil For Frying

Fried Chicken Breading

2 Cups Buttermilk
½ Cup Hot Sauce Texas Pete is Preferred
Juice from 1 Lemon
2 Eggs Beaten
2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt Divided
2 Cups All–Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch

Instructions

Hot Maple Syrup

The day before making this dish, combine maple syrup, thinly sliced garlic, thinly sliced serrano peppers, and thyme. Cover and rest overnight in the refrigerator.
Before serving, strain out the solids, reserving them later for a garnish. Warm the syrup in a small saucepan over low heat on the stove until ready to serve.

Brown Butter Waffles

Make one batch of Brown Butter Waffles according to the recipe linked in the blog post above. (I prefer to make these a day ahead of time and heat them from frozen.) If using frozen waffles (homemade or store-bought), heat them through with your preferred method and keep warm in a 200°F oven while the chicken is frying.

Sage Fried Chicken

Thoroughly rinse and dry the chicken thighs. Season the chicken on all sides with all of the rub ingredients.
To prepare your breading station, mix 2 cups buttermilk, ½ cup hot sauce, lemon juice, 2 beaten eggs, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a large bowl. Transfer to a 9-inch cake pan or other shallow dish. In a separate 9-inch cake pan or other shallow dish, combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Working 1 tablespoon at a time, drizzle in ⅓ cup of the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix thoroughly.
Working one chicken thigh at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, pressing down firmly on both sides to ensure that the chicken is completely coated. Shake off any excess flour. Transfer the chicken to the wet ingredients and turn it over several times to evenly coat. Transfer the chicken back to the dry ingredients and scoop some flour over the top. Firmly press down on the chicken to evenly coat the chicken. Shake the excess flour off and place the chicken on a wire-rack-lined baking sheet. Repeat the breading process with the remaining chicken pieces, and allow them to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
While the chicken is resting, add the peanut oil (or frying oil of your choice) to a large pot or Dutch oven and heat to 350 to 375°F. Working in batches, fry the chicken for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping occasionally, until golden brown and crispy and the chicken registers at least 165°F internally on an instant read thermometer.
Transfer the chicken to a wire rack-lined baking sheet and immediately season with kosher salt and a small pinch of rubbed sage. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. (Optionally, place in the first batch of chicken in the low oven that you are keeping the waffles in while you make the second batch.) Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

Assembly

Plate a waffle, then top it with a piece of fried chicken. Drizzle with a generous helping of the warm Hot Maple Syrup, and garnish with minced fresh sage leaves and several of the serrano pepper slices reserved from the Hot Maple Syrup and enjoy!

Notes

Storing and Reheating Tips

The best way to store the leftovers of this dish is to keep the ingredients separate. Plating this up and putting it in the fridge will just result in a soggy mess. The waffles do great in the freezer, so I recommend storing them there for up to 3 months. While the other ingredients will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or so.

Reheating is as easy as warming up the waffles and heating the chicken through in an oven set to 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes, then plating as usual.

Pro Tip: You can also air fry the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes, set to 425°F, for a great way to really bring the breading back to life.

Nutrition