Airfryer Chicken & Waffles

My go-to brunch menu item! I simply can’t get enough of chicken & waffles. While this is definitely not a ‘low cal’ meal, it has considerably less saturated fat as I air-fry the chicken rather than deep fry it. I did use chicken thighs here as they are juicier, but to make this leaner, just swap it for chicken breasts. Just be sure to flatten the thicker part slightly so that you have a uniform thickness and it cooks at the same time.

Ingredients

Serves 2 | 698 calories per serving* (add 130 for maple butter)

For 4 waffles (serves 2)

• 150g self raising flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 large egg

• 250ml low fat milk

For Brine (serves 2)

• 1 cup milk soured with the juice of a lemon (or buttermilk instead)

• 2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tbsp siracha

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 4 chicken thighs

• frylight spray

For Flour Crust

• 1 cup flour

• 2 heaped tsp cornflour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 2 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp chilli powder

• 1 tsp salt

• lots of black pepper & Aromat seasoning

For spicy maple butter

(serves 4 128 calories per serving)

• 1/4 cup maple syrup (about 80ml)

• 1 tsp chilli powder

• 25g butter

Method

1. First we have to prep our chicken. It needs to be left for at least an hour or ideally up to 24hrs in advance. Whisk together all your wet ingredients and add your chicken thighs (or 2 flattened chicken breasts).

2. Preheat your airfryer to 200 Celcius. In a bowl combine your flour mixture with all the spices and coat your brined chicken in the dry mix.

3. Spray with a little Frylight and add the chicken to the airfryer for about 20-30minutes (turning a few times after the first 15mins). Spray with a little Frylight when you turn them over.

4. While your chicken is cooking, prepare your waffle batter. I use a waffle setting on my toasty machine, I just swap out the plates. Add a ladle of the waffle mix to fill the grill. (Be careful not to overfill or it will spill out the sides!). Cook for about 10-12 minutes or until nice and golden.

5. In the microwave melt your butter and add your maple syrup & chilli powder. Using a basting brush, brush the glaze over your chicken, ensuring to coat on all sides.

6. Stack your waffles and place your sticky chicken on top. Drizzle over a little extra maple glaze. I love to garnish with a little extra siracha & some picked red onions.

**Calories listed are based on the brands I used and should be used as a rough guide for caloric intake