Gluten Free Chicken and Waffles

Even though our new SoCal lifestyle has improved our lives significantly, I am still missing some of my favorite NYC restaurants. One place that satisfied my gluttonous side was Friedman's Lunch and their gluten free chicken and waffles. It was amazing to have gluten free fried chicken and who doesn't love waffles?!?!

This last Thanksgiving vacation my family decided to do a tapas night. I decided to tackle this recipe and make it my own. The original recipe has cheddar cheese in the waffles they make a tabasco honey sauce. I decided to add turkey bacon to the waffles and make the chicken spicy in the flour dressing. I'm also not a big fan of home frying (mostly because of pure laziness) so I baked the chicken instead. Makes it quicker and healthier!

This would be a perfect recipe for a cocktail party. Just cut the chicken tenders into nuggets before coating and cut the waffle pieces into smaller pieces. I liked making it more of a chicken waffle sandwich so it was easy to handle with your hands. You can make a honey tabasco dipping sauce or just used maple syrup. It all depends on how spicy you want to make it. If your my family (me definitely excluded), there would be heat in the waffles, chicken and sauce!

While there are certain things I'm missing about my East Coast lifestyle, at least now I don't have to miss my gluten free chicken and waffles!

Gluten Free Chicken and Waffles

Cooking Time: 35 min

Serving: 12 waffle sandwiches

1 batch waffle mix (I used King Arthur waffle mix)

6 strips turkey bacon

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1 lb chicken tenders

1 1/2 cup gluten free flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon Turkish red pepper (can use cayenne but decrease to 1 teaspoon)

1/4 cup olive oil 

maple syrup for dipping (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking dish with parchment paper.

2. Cook the turkey bacon until crisp and cut into small pieces. 

3. Make the waffles according to your mix instructions. Add the cooled turkey bacon and cheddar cheese. Allow it to sit and let the flavors infuse while you make the chicken. 

4. Mix together the GF flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika and Turkish red pepper. Dip the chicken tenders into the flour mix until completely coated. Place on the baking sheets and lightly pour the olive oil over the top of the tenders. Bake for 20 min or until chicken is cooked through, turning them over half way through, and the outside is a nice golden brown. 

5. While the chicken is baking, heat up your waffle maker according to its instructions. Spoon the amount of waffle mix needed for your waffle maker and cook until golden brown. 

6. Place one chicken tender on a 1/4 of a waffle and top with the other 1/4, piercing with a toothpick to keep it in place. Serve with a side of maple syrup and enjoy!