Kettle Fried Chicken and Waffles
On January 21, 2021 (Updated April 04, 2025)
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These Kettle Fried Chicken and Waffles are everything you love in chicken and waffles. These are breaded and cooked over a charcoal grill, but crisps like a fried chicken. Take my advice and get on this recipe ASAP.
Fried Chicken and Waffles
Hopefully you’re not new to the goodness that is chicken and waffles, but if you are, you need not be afraid to try this treat. Chicken and waffles are an American main dish that bring together that wonderful combo of sweet and savory in the best way possible.
This particular chicken is cooked over charcoal in the kettle grill, hence the name “kettle fried chicken.” This will help you get an amazing, crispy coating with awesome smoky flavor. Prepare your grill for two-zone cooking with both a direct heat side of the grill and an indirect heat side of the grill. If you need a refresher on this, check out my post for How to Cook with Two-Zone Grilling.
How to Make Chicken and Waffles
Making chicken and waffles is pretty straightforward. You’ll simply spend a bit of extra time making the two items and assembling.
- Chicken. The magic to this chicken is that even though it’s cooked over a charcoal grill, it still comes out pretty crispy with a good bite. Make sure to get an even coating of dredging on the waffles (but not too thick!). Watch your chicken and remove when the chicken reaches 170 degrees F and it’s nice and crispy.
- Waffles. These waffles are a delicious buttermilk waffle that are moist and fluffy, providing a perfect base for your chicken and waffle.
- Sauce. While most chicken and waffle recipes use maple syrup to top their waffles (which you are definitely able to do here), I went full BBQ with this recipe and topped with a little hot sauce and my Maple Bourbon Grilling Glaze. It’s not super traditional, but hooo boy, these were beyond tasty.
If you aren’t watching your calories at the moment, do not wait to make these! One bite and you’ll be craving these for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day of the week.
More Chicken Recipes
Looking for some classic chicken recipes? Check out some of these popular recipes from Hey Grill Hey below!
- Perfect Grilled Chicken Breast
- Cowboy Style Grilled Chicken Sandwich
- Rotisserie Chicken with a Buttermilk Brine
Chicken and Waffles Recipe
Kettle Fried Chicken and Waffles
Video
Ingredients
Fried Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Chicken Rub
- 1/3 cup corn starch
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Cholula Original Hot Sauce
Buttermilk Waffles
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup corn starch
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups buttermilk
- ½ cup melted butter
- 2 eggs yolks and white separated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toppings
Instructions
- Preheat the grill. Preheat your charcoal grill to 450 degrees F with your charcoal arranged on one side of the grill basin and no charcoal on the other (two-zone cooking).
- Make the dredging mixture. Prepare your chicken for grilling by setting up a dredging station. In one shallow pan, whisk to combine the flour, cornstarch, and chicken seasoning. In another shallow plan, whisk to combine the buttermilk, eggs, and hot sauce.
- Coat the chicken. Use tongs to move one chicken thigh at a time into the flour mixture, then into the buttermilk/egg mixture, and then back into the flour, thoroughly coating the chicken thigh in each pan.
- Cook the chicken. Place the coated chicken thighs directly on the grill grates, on the indirect heat side of the grill, away from the charcoal. Close the lid of the grill and allow to cook for 20 minutes before flipping. After gently flipping the chicken thighs, spray them lightly with cooking oil. Be cautious here to only spray the oil on the thighs and not near the burning charcoal. Close the grill lid again and cook for approximately 20 more minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through to 170 degrees F. If your chicken hasn't browned as much as you'd like, you can gently move them to the direct heat side of the grill to crisp the exterior for 2-3 minutes.
- Combine dry ingredients for the waffles. While the chicken is cooking, prepare your waffles. Preheat a waffle iron. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients, including the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, melted butter, egg yolks, and vanilla. In another small bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Finish making the waffle batter. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry and mixing to gently combine. Some small lumps are fine, don't overmix. Next, pour in the whipped egg whites and fold them into the batter with a rubber spatula until just incorporated.
- Cook the waffles. Spray your waffle iron with cooking spray and then spoon your waffle mixture into the enter of your hot waffle iron. Close the iron and cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the waffles are golden brown and cooked through. Remove the waffles to your serving platter.
- Assemble the kettle fried chicken and waffles and enjoy. Top the waffles with the kettle fried chicken, sprinkle your hot sauce on top (if desired) and then drizzle liberally with the Maple Bourbon Grilling Glaze (or with plain maple syrup). Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
OMG, you have so many grills!! 5 stars for your backyard! I don’t have a kettle cooker, can i make the chicken on a gas grill over indirect heat? Thanks!
Absolutely!!
Hi Susie,
Another great recipe. I made these and they were amazing. I did have difficulty with the crispy crust staying on the chicken, when flipping and loving the chicken it was falling off. Any suggestions or did I miss something. Thanks.
It can be difficult to do these perfectly. You just have to be REALLY gentle with them.