Why It Works
- Boneless chicken thighs cook up juicy and are easy to cut through, saving you the trouble of wrestling with bones.
- A mixture of masa harina, cornmeal, and all-purpose flour makes waffles that are light inside, crisp outside, and packed with layered flavors of corn.
- A double-coated cornmeal crust fries up extra crispy and crunchy.
The first time I ever dug into a plate of Southern chicken and waffles, I was in a dingy little diner in North Carolina at 3 a.m., having arrived in the state four hours later than planned thanks to absolutely brutal traffic (damn you, I-95!).
"New Yorkers?" the waitress asked as we examined the menu. Maybe it was the Mets cap my boyfriend, James, was wearing, or maybe our accents gave us away. "Jersey," we told her.
"Close enough," she said. "Well, then, you gotta get chicken and waffles."
When she brought them to our table, they were nothing like I'd imagined. The waffles were thin and sweet, the chicken was crunchy and sweet, and—just for insurance—it was all served under a blizzard of powdered sugar with syrup on the side.
"I thought these would be more savory, and fluffier," I told James, who, unlike me, seemed happy to have his sweet tooth taken care of.
"Make 'em that way, then," he told me between bites. "With guacamole."
Guacamole is his go-to suggestion for every recipe I plan to make. If I asked what to add to pasta, he'd say guacamole. Sandwich? Guacamole. A co*cktail? Tequila, lime juice—and don't forget the guacamole. I still haven't figured out whether he's serious, or if this is his way of telling me to stop asking him. But I held on to that guacamole idea, and, three years and countless tastes of chicken and waffles later, I finally got around to making them.
I want you to do something for me, okay? I want you to take your idea of what fried chicken and waffles should be—all of your reluctance to tweak the soulful, sweet version you know and love—and I want you to toss it. Right now. Just let it go, because it's only gonna hold you back. If you can do that, here's what awaits: fried chicken and green chile–corn waffles, slathered with guacamole and salsa, and layered with crispy ancho-honey bacon.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2015__07__20150702-mexican-chicken-waffles-corn-waffles-morgan-eisenberg-67d31114c72a4328904b3a34908d6afc.jpg "Fully Loaded Mexican Fried Chicken With Green Chile–Corn Waffles Recipe (1)")
When I decided to do a Mexican-inspired spin on chicken and waffles, the first thing I thought about was what to do with the waffles themselves. Pretty quickly, my mind wound its way to green chile–chicken tamales made withmasa harina, the nixtamalized corn flour. I got to work tinkering with a waffle version that incorporated both masa harina and roasted poblano peppers, eventually settling on a batter that combines those two ingredients with all-purpose flour and cornmeal. The resulting waffles are tender within and crispy on the outside, with an excellent corn-and-chile-pepper flavor.
For the fried chicken, I soaked the chicken in a mixture of buttermilk, lime juice, and hot sauce; then, mirroring the waffle batter, I rolled it in a coating of AP flour, cornmeal, and masa harina. A double coating ensures an extra-crisp crust—the only trick is to let the chicken stand for a while before frying to let the batter set and prevent it from sloughing off in the oil.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2015__07__20150702-mexican-chicken-waffles-fried-morgan-eisenberg-af7d04a6332b4d2db5b09977c03be95e.jpg "Fully Loaded Mexican Fried Chicken With Green Chile–Corn Waffles Recipe (2)")
Some people insist that bone-in chicken is a must for frying, but I love using deboned thighs here. Not only does the dark meat do a good job of staying moist and juicy, but the absence of bones means you can cut through both chickenandwaffles without running into any obstructions.
While the chicken and waffles alone would have been awesome, I wanted these babies fully loaded. Guacamole inspired this whole idea, so naturally that went on top (I usedKenji's amazing recipe, and you should, too). But to take it one step further, I added some bacon that I'd glazed with honey and a sprinkling of ancho chile powder before cooking.
Once the whole stack was assembled, I drizzled it all with salsa roja and Mexican crema, and garnished it with fresh cilantro.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2015__07__20150702-mexican-chicken-waffles-overhead-morgan-eisenberg-d59956ae1b0645fe9dbd2c6c22699bef.jpg "Fully Loaded Mexican Fried Chicken With Green Chile–Corn Waffles Recipe (3)")
Would I call this concoction of mine areplacementfor the classic chicken and waffles? Heck no. There's no substitute for the sweet and syrupy original when that's what you want. But when you want to experience the savory excess of fully loaded nachos, plus the flavor of tamales, fried chicken, waffles, and bacon...well, then, you know where to look.
July 2015
Recipe Details
Fully Loaded Mexican Fried Chicken With Green Chile–Corn Waffles Recipe
Prep10 mins
Cook65 mins
Active3 hrs
Marinating Time75 mins
Total2 hrs 30 mins
Serves6 servings
Ingredients
For the Fried Chicken:
6 skin-on,debonedchicken thighs
4 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon hot sauce
Fresh juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup masa harina(see note)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Oil, for frying
For the Waffles:
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup masa harina(see note)
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup diced roasted green poblano peppers (about 4 poblano peppers), or 7 ounces drained and diced canned green chiles
Nonstick cooking spray
For the Honey-Ancho Bacon:
1 pound thick cut bacon
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
To Serve:
1 recipethe best basic guacamole
3/4 cuphomemadeor store-bought salsa roja
1/2 cupMexican crema or sour cream
Fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, to garnish
Directions
For the Fried Chicken: Place chicken thighs in a large bowl and add buttermilk, hot sauce, lime juice, and 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Toss to coat, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
In a wide, shallow bowl, combine cornmeal, masa harina, flour, baking powder, ancho chile powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, granulated onion, black pepper, sugar, and 2 teaspoons salt and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Drain chicken, reserving buttermilk marinade in bowl. Working with one piece at a time, roll chicken in the dry mixture to coat. Return chicken to buttermilk marinade, then coat once more in dry mixture. Transfer chicken to a wire rack set above a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken, then let stand 15 minutes.
In a large wok or cast iron skillet, heat 2 inches of oil to 375°F (190°C). Working in batches and turning occasionally, fry the chicken until exterior is deep golden-brown and the internal temperature registers 150°F (66°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes. Oil temperature will drop when you add chicken, so adjust heat to maintain 350°F (175°C) frying temperature during cooking. Transfer fried chicken to a paper towel–lined plate to absorb excess oil. After draining, transfer chicken to a clean wire rack set over a clean baking sheet. Let cool to room temperature; set frying oil aside.
For the Waffles: In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. In a separate large bowl, whisk together flour, masa harina, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in peppers and let stand for 10 minutes.
Preheat the waffle iron to moderate setting and spray both sides with nonstick cooking spray. Pour batter to nearly fill the bottom half of the waffle iron and cook until golden-brown. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat until all of the waffles have been cooked, then tent with foil to keep warm.
For the Honey-Ancho Bacon: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and arrange bacon in a single layer. In a small bowl, combine honey and ancho chile powder. Set aside. Bake bacon until beginning to crisp, about 10 minutes, then brush liberally with the honey-ancho mixture and continue to bake until crisp and caramelized, 5-10 minutes longer. Transfer bacon to a wire rack to cool. Reduce oven to 200°F (95°C) and transfer waffles to oven to keep warm until ready to serve.
To Serve: Reheat frying oil to 375°F (190°C) and quickly fry chicken to reheat, about 2 minutes; transfer chicken to clean paper towels to drain.
Transfer waffles to plates. Spread guacamole on top, then arrange bacon over guacamole. Crown with fried chicken pieces. Spoon salsa roja on top and drizzle with crema. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2015__07__20150702-mexican-chicken-waffles-coating-morgan-eisenberg-1a35108be7884ab493c8e3d5d2a6b8ee.jpg "Fully Loaded Mexican Fried Chicken With Green Chile–Corn Waffles Recipe (4)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2015__07__20150702-mexican-chicken-waffles-bacon-morgan-eisenberg-2044d3beb1934eca87cec1e0f465c8d0.jpg "Fully Loaded Mexican Fried Chicken With Green Chile–Corn Waffles Recipe (5)")
Special Equipment
Waffle iron, wok or cast iron skillet, instant-read thermometer, 3 rimmed baking sheets, 2 wire racks
Notes
Masa harina is a flour made from nixtamalized corn and used to make tortillas and tamales. It can be found in most well-stocked supermarkets and Latin groceries.
Read More
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- Bacon, Cheese, and Scallion Waffles
- Herb Waffles with Sausage, Peppers, and a Fried Egg
- Extra-Crispy Fried Chicken With Caramelized Honey and Spice
- The Best Buttermilk-Brined Southern Fried Chicken
