Friday Foodspiration: Oven “Fried” Chicken and Waffles

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Ready for some fall comfort food?

It might not feel like it yet, but cooler weather will be here before we know it and I have some fun recipes to get us ready.

Fried chicken and waffles – a combo I had never heard of before I moved to Tennessee – is starting to grow on me, but like many of these new found southern delicacies they don’t fit into my “health habits” meal plan. . . . until now!

The crunching coating for this chicken is made with almond flour and is baked instead of fried. The waffles are made with my zucchini “no corn” bread recipe in a cute mini waffle maker.

Other options . . . serve this chicken on two waffles as a “fried” chicken sandwich or as a protein on top of a salad. Leftovers from this dinner were perfect to recreate what used to be my favorite at a local restaurant – Fried Chicken Salad.

This entire recipe is gluten free, grain free, dairy free, sugar free, soy free, and A+ approved by my kids!

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs Chicken Cutlets (or slice thin and pound regular chicken breasts)

  • 2 large Eggs,

  • 2 tbs Almond Milk

  • 1 cup Almond Flour

  • 1/4 cup Coconut Flour

  • 1 tsp Paprika

  • 1 tsp Mustard Powder

  • 1/2 tsp Dried Parsley

  • 1/2 tsp Pepper

  • 1 tsp Sea Salt

  • Additional Salt and Pepper

  • Garlic Infused Olive Oil (alternately use regular olive oil and add 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder to dry ingredients)

  • 1 recipe Zucchini No Cornbread batter (do not prepare cast iron skillet)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and drizzle with oil.

  2. Prepare chicken cutlets by patting dry and sprinkling with salt and pepper.

  3. Whisk eggs and almond milk in a shallow bowl and set aside. In a separate shallow bowl mix remaining flours and spices.

  4. Dip each chicken breast first into the egg mixture on both sides. Then press both sides into the flour mixture until well coated. Transfer to baking sheet.

  5. Bake for 8-10 minutes on each side (depending on thickness of your cutlets) until chicken is cooked through.

  6. Meanwhile prepare waffle mix, pour 1/4 cup into mini waffle maker (more for a larger waffle maker) and cook according to directions for your appliance.

  7. Turn on broiler and and crisp chicken under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.

  8. Remove from oven and move to a cooling rack so that the bottoms don’t become soggy. *You can pop waffles in the oven or toaster for a few minutes while chicken cools a bit if you want them crunchier on the outside.

  9. Serve chicken cutlets on top of waffles with your favorite sauce or syrup drizzled on top.

I know this looks like a lot of ingredients and a lot of steps – especially when you add mixing the waffle batter – but it is absolutely worth it and for my family of four this made several meals. So more work one day, but no work the next!

This entire recipe is great reheated but I would suggest using the broiler or toaster oven so leftovers are crispy instead of soggy. . . that makes ALL the difference!

For more family friend “healthy habit” recipes, download my Free Recipe Book “Healthy Body Breakthrough Cookbook” at the link below