Chicken Stuffed Waffles Pops, the best twist on chicken and waffles all in one bite. Easy crunchy homemade baked chicken nuggets dipped in a quick Bisquick waffle batter and cooked on a waffle iron. Served with a homemade Maple Dijon Dip for an easy Chicken and Waffles appetizer recipe and food on a stick!
I’ve got this fabulous Chicken Stuffed Waffles Pops recipe for you today which is a fun twist on the chicken and waffles and a great snack or appetizer. Whether you call it Chicken Waffles, Chicken & Waffles, Chicken N Waffles, or anything else, it’s deliciousness for sure! I made these on the Rachael Ray show and sharing the recipe with you!
Oh, how I love waffles! Light and fluffy waffles plain and simple with maple syrup are great, but can get boring sometimes so I’m always trying to put a few twists on them. Be sure to check out my other waffle recipes like my Liege Waffles and Caribbean Shrimp Stuffed Waffle Pops.
Where Did Chicken and Waffles Originate?
Where did Chicken and Waffles come from anyways? The chicken and waffle origin is a little tricky. Well, sounds like the quick answer is no one is really sure. Some different theories and stories about the chicken and waffles origin. I did a little research on chicken and waffles history and seems to be a lot of conflicting information.
The history of chicken and waffles may have started in the south. Some say African Americans in the south (United States) started the recipe. Other say some restaurants in NYC. And I’ve also read it started by the Pennsylvania Dutch.
Some believe Southern African Americans ate chicken with pancakes and the pancakes eventually evolved into waffles.
Others suggest, modern versions of chicken and waffles originated in the African American community of Harlem, New York. In the 1930’s it was served at various locations like Tillie’s Chicken Shack, Dickie Well’s jazz club, and Wells Supper Club.
The Pennsylvania Dutch version is a little different than what many think of the version today. It generally contains a plain waffle with a pulled chicken on top with gravy. Not fried chicken pieces like other places around the country.
So who invented chicken and waffles is a bit of a mystery. What do you think? I personally think it may have been a combination of all of the above as it evolved over the years like many recipes do.
Are you wondering now “Where to find chicken and waffles near me?”. Now there are many popular places serving up the popular dish. Some of the most well known are Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles (Los Angeles, California and other California locations), Lo-Los Chicken & Waffles (currently in Arizona, Nebraska, Nevada, and Texas), Dame’s Chicken and Waffles (North Carolina), and Gladys Knight’s Chicken and Waffles (Atlanta, Georgia). Do you have a favorite place? Let me know in the comments below!
Anyways, I’m all for fried chicken, but kind of hard to get the chicken and waffle in one bite isn’t it??? Next thing I knew, I was reminiscing about living in Iowa and going to the Iowa State Fair where you can find just about anything served on a “stick”. Suddenly my Chicken Stuffed Waffles Pops recipe was born! Chicken and waffles all in one bite!
Or should I say Chicken in Waffles? I love that the chicken is IN the waffles so you get it all in one bite.
I’ll admit that I was a little skeptical that stuffing a waffle with chicken was going to work and how it was going to work on a stick to form a “pop”. I debated on a few ideas on how to do this, but chicken in waffles definitely works.
I learned a few things as I went along, but it actually worked out well. I’ll share my tips with you so that your Crunchy Chicken Stuffed Waffles Pops turn out even better!
I thought about frying the chicken like the “original” dish but thought frying might make the chicken too greasy. Frying also always seems to make a mess and take a lonnnnng time so I decided to bake the chicken instead. Instead of doing the usual breading of dipping the chicken in flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs, I thought I’d speed things up a little.
I wouldn’t say these waffle pops are healthy, BUT definitely seem lighter and more healthy than the alternative with fried chicken.
How to Make Chicken Stuffed Waffle Pops (Chicken and Waffles Appetizer):
To start, mix a little milk and eggs together in a large bowl.
Then cut your boneless skinless chicken breasts into small strips. Make sure you cut the chicken into THIN strips. Thinner chicken will cook better in the waffle maker. Ummm, learned that the hard way.
Stir the chicken into the milk and eggs until well coated.
For the crunchy coating I used corn flakes (cereal). You can place the corn flakes in a strong resealable bag and roll a rolling pin over it to crush. Or I like to put the corn flakes in a food processor and process until finely chopped. You don’t want the corn flakes to be too finely crushed to a powder though.
The corn flakes really help make the chicken crunchy which pairs great with the fluffy waffles. It’s not quite like fried chicken, but a little more healthy right?
Dip the chicken into the corn flakes to coat all sides. Then place the chicken on some large baking sheets. I like to line my pans with parchment paper. It prevents the chicken from sticking to the pan, helps keep the bottom of the chicken crispy, and makes cleanup a snap!
Bake the chicken until it’s cooked through and browned on the bottom on the bottom and around the edges. If you’re making a lot you may want to rotate the pans halfway through cooking.
When the chicken is cooked through, remove from the oven and let it cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle place a skewer in each piece. I used 4 inch thin skewers. Although these worked fine, if you’re serving these at a party you might want a skewer that is a little thicker and more durable but not necessary.
You could make these without skewers too if you just want chicken and waffles “nuggets”. If that’s what you want to do just use a fork or one skewer to dip the chicken in the waffle batter then pull the skewer/fork out when you put the battered chicken on the waffle iron.
While the chicken is baking you can make the Bisquick waffle batter. You could make waffles from scratch but I like Bisquick waffles and it’s quick and easy.
I made the Bisquick waffle batter a little on the thicker side compared to traditional waffle batters so that the batter wouldn’t run off the chicken too much and spread too much in the waffle iron.
Dip the cooked chicken into the waffle batter then place the dipped chicken on your preheated and greased (if not nonstick) waffle iron. Make sure you give each chicken a little room for the waffle batter to spread.
After you put the dipped chicken on the waffle iron, press the top of the waffle iron down and cook for a few minutes or until the waffles are golden brown.
You can put more than one piece of chicken on your iron at one time. I could easily do 4 at a time on my iron but depends on the size of your waffle iron. Since you’re doing these chicken and waffle appetizers in batches, you can keep the oven on warm and put the cooked waffle pops in the oven while you’re preparing the rest.
If one side of the waffle looks more done than the other you can continue to cook them, or I just flipped the waffle pops over, put the waffle iron top back down and cooked a little longer.
How to Make Maple Dijon Dip:
You can serve these waffle pops with anything you’d like. Most people like chicken and waffles with butter and/or maple syrup. I decided to make a Maple Dijon Dip that would be a fun dip for these chicken and waffles appetizers.
While the chicken is baking in the oven or while you’re cooking the chicken and waffles in the waffle iron you can prepare the dipping sauce.
All you need to do is mix together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and maple syrup together in a small bowl. You can even make this dip ahead, cover, and refrigerate for a few days or even a week or more.
So these were supposed to be for dinner but the kids and I snacked on quite a few!!! I didn’t get too many pictures of the finished dish because everyone was grabbing for them!!! Mmmmm crispy chicken hidden inside a waffle! Crunchy Chicken Stuffed Waffles Pops, I think I’m in love with you….
Although we didn’t have any leftovers, you could probably freeze these and reheat. I would put the finished waffle pops in a single layer on a baking sheet, stick them in the freezer for an hour or two until frozen then place in freezer bags.
If you stick them right in a bag after they’re cooked, then in the freezer they’ll clump together, so be sure to freeze them in a single layer first. Then you could bake them in the oven to reheat.
Check out this video to see how quick this appetizer comes together:
Crunchy Chicken Stuffed Waffles Pops & Maple Dijon Dip
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 3 pounds boneless chicken breasts
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons milk
- Salt & Pepper
- 4 cups crushed corn flakes
- Wooden skewers
Waffle Batter:
- 4 cups Bisquick baking mix
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons vegetable (or canola) oil
- 2 large eggs
Dip:
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise, then cut into thin slices.
- Whisk together 3 eggs, 3 tablespoons milk, and salt and pepper to taste in large mixing bowl until well combined. Stir in chicken.
- Place crushed corn flakes in large shallow bowl. Dredge chicken in corn flakes to coat then place in single layer on lined baking sheets.
- Cook chicken at 425 degrees F for about 14-18 minutes or until cooked through. Place a wooden skewer into each piece of chicken.
- Meanwhile, preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions. Brush iron lightly with oil or spray with nonstick spray if desired.
- Prepare waffle batter by whisking together Bisquick baking mix, 2 1/2 cups milk, oil, and 2 eggs until combined in a large mixing bowl.
- Dip chicken into waffle batter then place on waffle iron (skewer sticking out of iron). Cook in batches. Place in warm oven to keep warm if desired.
- Prepare dipping sauce by whisking together mayonnaise, maple syrup, and mustard. Serve with chicken.
Notes
Nutrition:
(Nutrition data is provided when available for informational purposes only and calculated using an online nutritional calculator. For the most accurate information please calculate based on specific ingredients and brands you use as well as any changes you made to the recipe. I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietician and any nutritional information provided should only be used as a general guideline and estimate.)
Linda Ialacci says
Hi, Lisa!
Can’t wait to try this. Looks sooo good!
Lisa Huff says
Hope you like it! :)
Courtney says
Just found this! Wanting to know your serving size is when you say 8-12. Like 3 a piece or maybe 4 since you can make 4 at a time. Also are they still yummy reheated in the microwave? Wanting to make it for a work breakfast.
Lisa Huff says
It really depends on how big you cut the chicken. You can cut it into any size if you want bigger or smaller pieces. 3 pounds of chicken would be 1/4 pound each for 12 people. As far as reheating. I’d definitely do them in an oven so they are crispy, rather than the microwave.
Shinee says
Wow, such a fabulous idea!! Perfect for picnics too!
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
This is super creative! Waffles are one of my favorites!
Lisa Huff says
Thanks! One of my favorites too :)
Kaitie says
These are too cute! The perfect appetizer to include during a game night, or even just a light dinner! My kids would LOVE these!
Elaine @ Dishes Delish says
A few years ago, my niece told me there was a thing called chicken and waffles. I finally tried it and I’m hooked. But this awesome recipe is inspired and different than the ones I’ve seen! What a great idea!! Now I have to get a waffle iron to try it out! Great and original recipe
Haley D Williams says
This is such a great idea! I love it for a weekend brunch and for Easter!
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ says
Such a fun and creative recipe. I”m sure the kiddo’s would love this and perfect for an easy dinner or snack.
Catherine says
This is such a fun idea for serving up chicken! Love this chicken and waffle variation.