Eggnog Chicken and Waffles
If you love eggnog and you can always go for some chicken and waffles, you can get them all in one bite with my Eggnog Chicken and Waffles! The eggnog flavor doesn’t overpower the dish, but the added sweetness strikes the perfect balance.
Love waffles and pancakes? You should also check out my Lemon Blueberry Waffles, Pumpkin Waffles, Sweet Potato Pancakes, and Light & Fluffy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes.
My grandmother would make a batch of eggnog from scratch every holiday, and the aroma would brighten up the house. And since the combination of chicken and waffles is a staple in many regions, I wanted to combine the two worlds to create something special for the season.
The crispiness you get from the fried chicken is all in the dredging process, but you can blame the “sweet surprise” on the eggnog. The same goes for the waffles too. They are light and fluffy with crispy edges, and you can taste the eggnog in every bite.
Ingredients you’ll need for chicken and waffles:
For the waffles, you’ll need eggnog (of course), all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, sugar, organic eggs, lemon zest, sea salt, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and oil.
For the chicken, you’ll need eggnog (yep, it’s in the chicken batter, too!), whole chicken wings, all-purpose flour, organic eggs, Creole seasoning, allspice seasoning, paprika, sea salt, black pepper, ground thyme, garlic powder, ground cinnamon, and red cayenne pepper.
What type of waffle iron should I use?
I’ve tried several types of waffle makers and have found the most success with those that “flip” or “rotate”. These types of waffle makers tend to work best. The flipping or rotating allows the batter to spread out, so the waffles cook evenly on both sides. Also, the waffle iron (paid link) needs to get really hot—those crappy waffle irons won’t do the trick. In the end, you want your waffle to be crispy on the outside and soft, airy on the inside.
For this recipe, I used our Presto Ceramic FlipSide Belgian Waffle Maker.
How to make eggnog chicken and waffles:
For the fried chicken:
- Let’s start with the chicken first since this takes longer to make. Start by seasoning your wings with salt and black pepper. Set the chicken to the side.
- In a separate bowl, whisk (paid link) your eggs and eggnog. Add the chicken pieces to this mixture and marinate for 15 to 30 minutes while preparing the flour and seasoning bag.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet (or pan) over medium heat and add enough olive oil to completely cover the bottom of the pan. We are about to fry some chicken!
- Grab a large Ziploc bag and add your flour and remaining seasonings (allspice, paprika, ground thyme, garlic powder, and ground cinnamon) for the chicken. Shake the bag a bit to blend all the ingredients. Dredge your chicken wings in the seasoned flour. Make sure you shake and move the chicken around to ensure each piece is fully coated.
- Fry your chicken wings for 8 minutes on each side, then set them aside to cool while you work on your waffles.
For the eggnog waffles:
- Preheat your waffle iron (paid link).
- Add your flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and lemon zest to a large bowl and whisk (paid link). Set this to the side.
- In a separate bowl, separate 2 egg yolks from the egg whites and set the egg whites aside. Add the yokes into the bowl with your sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract. Blend the ingredients using a hand blender (paid link). Set this to the side.
- Using your blender (paid link), whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. This will take up to 8 minutes. Set this to the side.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients (except for the whipped egg whites) and stir until smooth.
- Lightly fold in your whipped egg whites. Do not over blend.
- Add around a cup of waffle mixture to your heated waffle iron (paid link). Cook per the type of waffle maker (paid link) you have.
Tips when making your waffles
- Add stiff egg whites. When you whip egg whites until stiff peaks form, you are adding in a lot of air. This makes your waffles light versus dense — and we like our waffles light, no?
- Add cornstarch. Cornstarch gives waffles their crispy edges and keeps them from getting all soggy in the waffle maker (paid link). That steam you see coming from the iron when it’s cooking can be bad for the batter, and adding cornstarch helps.
- Use a good, hot waffle iron (paid link) that flips or rotates. I mentioned this earlier. I’m a firm believer in having the right tool for the right job.
You will definitely have the house smelling awesome, and the entire family will come running to the kitchen to see what they will get to enjoy for breakfast or brunch. When you want to upgrade your typical chicken and waffle recipe, give this Eggnog Chicken and Waffles a spot on the table. Enjoy!
Eggnog Chicken and Waffles
If you love eggnog and you can always go for some chicken and waffles, you can get them all in one bite with this my Eggnog Chicken and Waffles!
- Total Time28 minutes
- Yield6 1x
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 2 lb whole chicken wings
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup eggnog
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp Creole seasoning
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground thyme
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp red cayenne pepper
For the waffles:
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups eggnog
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 large organic eggs, separated
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
For the chicken:
- Season your wings with the salt and black pepper. In a large bowl, add the eggs and eggnog. Stir until smooth. Add the chicken to the bowl and allow it to marinate for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium heat and add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Add the flour, Creole seasoning, allspice, paprika, thyme, garlic powder, and red cayenne pepper to a large Ziploc bag. Dredge the chicken wings in the seasoned flour.
- Fry the chicken pieces for 8 minutes on each side. Remove from oil, drain, and allow to cool.
For the waffles:
- Preheat your waffle iron (paid link).
- Add the milk, eggnog, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a separate bowl. Mix until smooth.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and lemon zest to a bowl. Mix.
- Add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients and stir until blended.
- Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Lightly fold whipped egg whites into the batter. Do not over-mix.
- Cook your waffles according to the instructions for your waffle maker (paid link).
Nutrition
- Calories: 484
- Sugar: 33.2g
- Sodium: 981mg
- Fat: 20.5g
- Carbohydrates: 72.1g
- Fiber: 2.2g
- Protein: 57.6g
- Cholesterol: 438mg
