Fried Chicken and Waffle Sliders with Spicy Mayo

By hcardall

This takes a little time to prep and cook, but the end result is fantastic for a sweet, salty and spicy taste explosion!

Ingredients

• Brine:
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon red chile flakes
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• Leaves from 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on, sliced into wide pieces and pounded to 1/2-inch-thick
• 2 cups ice
• Waffle Batter:
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 8 ounces buttermilk
• 1 ounce unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 whole eggs, beaten
• Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Mayo:
• 1 cup honey
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons Sriracha
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Cabbage Slaw:
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and julienned (skin-on)
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Fried Chicken Batter:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• 1/4 cup canola oil

Preparation

Step 1

Special equipment: 7-inch round waffle iron, 8 bamboo skewers, cast iron skillet

For the brine: To a saucepan, add 2 cups water, the salt, sugar, red chile flakes, peppercorns, garlic thyme leaves and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer to dissolve the sugar and salt. Once boiling, remove from the heat and add the ice. Once the liquid is cool, place into a freezer bag, and add the chicken to the brine, making sure it is completely submerged. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

For the waffle batter: Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In a separate bowl, beat together the buttermilk, butter and eggs. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients to the dry while stirring with a whisk. Mix until well combined and there are no lumps. Cover with plastic wrap.

Pour the waffle batter into the waffle iron and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. Repeat for the remaining waffle batter.

For the mayo: Whisk together the honey, mayonnaise, Sriracha, garlic powder, onion powder and salt, and set in the refrigerator to allow flavors to come together.

For the slaw: Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard and vinegar together in a large bowl. Then add green cabbage, carrot, red cabbage, red onion and apple. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well so everything is coated evenly. Keep the slaw refrigerated until ready to use.

For fried chicken: Combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, Italian seasoning, paprika and black pepper. In a separate shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and hot sauce. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, then into the egg, shake off excess, and then back into the flour mixture.

Heat the canola oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in the hot oil until golden and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place the cooked chicken onto a rack on a sheet tray and keep warm while you finish cooking the rest of the chicken. Place the chicken into a warm oven to keep warm and crisp while you prepare the sliders.

Spread the prepared mayonnaise on the bottom waffle and top with a couple of pieces of fried chicken to create a slider. Top with a pile of slaw. Finish with the second waffle piece and hold together with a bamboo skewer. Repeat for the remaining waffles and chicken. Cut into quarters and serve.