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 Blueberry Lemonade Belgian Waffles, Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Waffle, Easy Eggnog Pancakes, 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, Himalayan salt, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and melted butter.

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, Himalayan 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 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 with a soft, airy center.

For this recipe, I used our Presto Ceramic FlipSide Belgian Waffle Maker.

How to make eggnog chicken and waffles:

For the fried chicken:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Heat a cast-iron skillet (or pan) to medium heat and add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan completely. We are about to fry some chicken!
4. Grab a large zip lock 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.
5. Fry your chicken wings for 8 minutes on each side and set to the side to cool while you work on your waffles.

For the eggnog waffles:

1. Preheat your waffle iron.
2. Add your flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and lemon zest to a large bowl and whisk (paid link). Set this to the side.
3. In a separate bowl, separate 2 egg yokes from the egg whites and set the egg whites to the side. 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.
4. 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.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients (except for the whipped egg whites) and stir until smooth.
6. Lightly fold in your whipped egg whites. Do not over blend.
7. Add around a cup of waffle mixture to your heated waffle iron. Cook per the type of waffle maker you have.

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!

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