Chicken and waffles for breakfast: with fried chicken, waffles, butter, maple syrup

The unlikely combo that actually works

Sweet and salty. Crunch and soft. Greasy and golden.
Chicken and waffles shouldn’t work on paper — but in your mouth, it just makes sense. It’s bold, hot, and feels like you’re eating brunch at a truck stop that actually knows how to cook.

I’ve served this dish to chefs, night-shift zombies, and hungover friends. They all shut up after the first bite.

What you need (bare minimum)

Look — this dish can get as complex as you want. But to keep it real, here’s the straight version:

• 1 waffle (homemade or toaster — no shame)
• 1 piece of fried chicken (thigh, drum, tenders — whatever’s crisp)
• Butter (a slab, not a whisper)
• Maple syrup (real if you have it, fake if you must)

You can add eggs, hot honey, bacon, but you don’t have to. The power’s already there.

Shortcut options if you’re not in a diner

• No time to fry chicken? Use leftover fried chicken, or air-fry some pre-breaded stuff. Even supermarket rotisserie chicken tossed in hot oil gets close.
• Waffles from a box? Fine. But toast them until the outside is crispy. This ain’t a pancake.

Building it right

Waffles go down first — hot and buttered.

Place the chicken straight on top. Drizzle with syrup while everything’s still steaming.
If you want to go big: add a fried egg and a few dashes of hot sauce.

Eat with fork and knife if you’re feeling civilized. Otherwise? Wrap it in paper and take it to go.

Make-ahead tips from a kitchen rat

• Batch-fry your chicken the night before. Reheat in the oven or air fryer — it’ll stay crispy.
• Freeze waffles in stacks of two. Toaster on max = good as new.
• Bring the butter to room temp. Always. Cold butter ruins mornings.

When you want to level it up

You can go full chef mode:

• Buttermilk-brined chicken
• Belgian waffles with cornmeal
• Spicy maple syrup with chili oil
• Fresh thyme and flaky salt on top

Or don’t. It’s already 800 calories of beauty.

Nutrition (approx.)

Bottom line from the back of house

Chicken and waffles isn’t delicate. It’s not subtle. It’s comfort with crunch.
It’s the kind of breakfast you make when you’re tired of being reasonable.

You don’t eat this because you’re watching your macros.
You eat this because you’ve got work to do — and it’s gonna be loud.