Last Updated on April 7, 2022 by Anne-Marie
This easy baked Nashville hot chicken and waffles recipe is gluten free and dairy free.
Why this recipe works
This chicken and waffle recipe is for anyone who loves this Southern classic but has to pass because they’re gluten-free.
Or for those who wanted to go out with friends to try Nashville hot chicken and waffles but couldn’t because, well, gluten!
That’s because this spicy chicken recipe is made with Van's Gluten Free Frozen Original Waffles, including the “breading” on the chicken!
It’s just the gluten-free chicken and waffles dish you’ve been waiting for!
Hot chicken and waffles is easy to make at home
Yes, not only is this chicken and waffles recipe gluten-free, but it’s also easy to make. First, you don’t have drag your deep fryer out of the back of the pantry.
That’s because this is a baked chicken and waffles dish. Not only is this a more wholesome way to enjoy chicken and waffles, cleanup’s way easier, too!
No greasy counter top because all the mess is kept to a couple of lined baking sheets.
Using Van's Gluten-Free Frozen Original Waffles for both the “breading” and the waffle base makes it super convenient, too. There’s no need to whip up a batch of waffles from scratch!
Finally, I was able to get all the ingredients at my local grocery store. No running around to several stores or having to find unusual ingredients online.
How to break and bake the hot chicken
1. Marinate the chicken in the coconut milk mixture at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. Toast 10 waffles until they are crunchy. Then process the waffles in a food processor or high-speed blender until waffles are reduced to crumbs.
3. Place the waffle crumbs in a shallow dish. Coat each piece of marinated chicken with crumbs by pressing them into the crumbs to help make them stick. (Throw out the leftover marinade.)
4. Place the chicken on a the wire rack on lined baking sheets. Spray the chicken with cooking spray.
5. Bake the chicken for 10 minutes until its golden brown.
6. Flip the chicken and spray with more cooking spray. Cook for another 5 minutes until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through.
7. Remove chicken from the oven. Place it on a large platter and sprinkle any cooked waffle crumbs that have fallen on the baking sheets on top of the chicken breasts.
8. Cover and keep warm until serving time.
FAQs
Make a dairy free chicken and waffles recipe
Traditionally, most chicken and waffles recipes are made with buttermilk. Since Van’s Gluten-Free Frozen Original Waffles are dairy free, I wanted to keep this recipe dairy free, too.
So I substituted lemon juice and coconut milk for the buttermilk. However, if you’re not dairy free, you can certainly use buttermilk instead.
Spices for hot chicken
Paprika: If you don’t have smoked paprika, regular paprika will do.
Cayenne: Since I’m not a fan of sweaty brows and runny noses at the dinner table, I suggest only using 1 to 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper to this Nashville chicken recipe. However, if you love hot chicken, add more cayenne!
Love jerk spices? Try my Baked Chicken and Waffles Recipe.
Brown sugar
Only have light brown sugar in your pantry? Feel free to substitute it for the dark brown sugar. If you only have regular granulated sugar, use 1 tablespoon sugar and add a 1/4 teaspoon of molasses or maple syrup to it.
If you want to lessen the sugar, you can use Swerve Sweetener, Brown. It’s an all natural, no calorie sweetener that cooks up just like regular brown sugar.
Got leftover chicken?
When trimming the chicken into waffle sized pieces, you’ll probably have extra chicken left over.
Cut into bite sized pieces and use the chicken in a stir fry, Easy Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, or make Homemade Chicken Nuggets.
How to serve baked chicken and waffles
To serve, place a piece of Nashville hot chicken on top of a toasted waffle.
Then drizzle with some real maple syrup and garnish with a couple of hamburger dill chip pickles.
Or try one of these delicious 14 Best Substitutes for Maple Syrup instead. Perfection!
Hot sauce
Not enough hot sauce? (Or it’s not hot enough for everyone?)
Then serve your chicken and waffles with a bottle of your favorite vinegar-based hot sauce at dinner time.
Side dishes
Serve this easy Chicken and Waffle Recipe with some coleslaw. I recommend:
- Easy Coleslaw if you prefer a classic style coleslaw
- Celeryroot Coleslaw, a gourmet take on the classic
- Wasabi Coleslaw, if you prefer something more zesty
- Watermelon Rind Pickles are sweet and refreshing
Other slaw type salads, like a Brussels Sprouts Salad with Cranberries is also terrific.
Drinks
Finally, you’ll want to cool down this spicy meal with something refreshing to drink.
You could try iced teas or lemonades like:
Southern desserts
Try these Southern style desserts:
- This Easy Buttermilk Pie is gluten free, but not dairy free. However, if you’re using buttermilk in the hot chicken and waffles recipe, you can use the leftovers.
- Gluten Free Raspberry Pecan Pie, not just for Thanksgiving
- Gluten Free Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe is made even better with chocolate!
Nashville Hot Chicken and Waffles Recipe
Nashville hot chicken and waffles is an easy baked chicken and waffles recipe that is gluten free and dairy free.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, strained to removed pulp and seeds
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 pounds chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, trimmed
- Cooking spray
- 20 Van's Gluten-Free Frozen Original Waffles
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- Maple syrup for serving
- Hamburger dill chip pickles for garnishing
Instructions
- Put the lemon juice and coconut milk in a nonreactive bowl. Stir and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
- Combine the smoked paprika, brown sugar, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt in a small bowl.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the spice and sugar mixture to coconut milk. Stir to combine. Reserve the remaining spice mixture for later.
- Cut the chicken breasts into 10 waffle-sized patties. If the chicken meat is very thick, cut the patties in half length-wise.
- Add the chicken to the coconut milk mixture and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with foil or parchment paper. Coat wire racks with cooking spray and set them on the prepared baking sheets.
- Toast 10 waffles until they are crunchy and toast like. Break the waffles into pieces and chop in a food processor or high-speed blender until waffles are reduced to crumbs.
- Place the waffle crumbs in a shallow dish or pie plate. Coat each piece of marinated chicken with crumbs by pressing them into the crumbs to help make them stick. (Toss any leftover marinade.)
- Place the chicken on the prepared racks. Coat the top and sides of the chicken pieces with cooking spray. Bake the chicken until golden brown – about 10 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Gently flip the chicken pieces. Add any leftover waffle crumbs to chicken pieces then lightly coat with more cooking spray. (Toss any unused waffle crumbs.)
- Place in oven and cook for another 5 minutes until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken from oven and place on a large plate or platter. Sprinkle any cooked waffle crumbs that remain on baking sheets on top of the chicken breasts. Cover and keep warm until serving time.
- In a small saucepan, combine the reserved spice mixture with vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat to low and cover saucepan with a lid.
- Toast waffles according to box directions. Keep waffles warm until serving time.
- Just before serving, drizzle half of the hot sauce on the chicken on the platter.
- To serve, place a piece of chicken on top of a waffle. Drizzle with some maple syrup. Then garnish with a couple of hamburger dill chip pickles.
- Keep extra hot sauce and maple syrup on the table so everyone can add more to their plates if they wish.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate Affiliate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1 chicken & waffleAmount Per Serving: Calories: 536Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 172mgSodium: 515mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 61g
Nutritional information is automatically calculated per the ingredients list. Serving size may not be accurate. Please double-check with your preferred nutritional app for the most accurate information.