Keto Chicken And Waffles, Chaffles

Did someone say keto chicken and waffles? I’m happy to report that this low-carb chaffle recipe rivals any high-carb version. Well, this was what my family declared after they licked their fingers. 

If you love Southern-style fried chicken and waffles, then this low-carb chicken and waffles recipe is for you. It’s made by using chicken tenders that are battered with a ketogenic coating that fries beautifully.

The fried chicken is then paired with my failproof keto waffle recipe for one delicious, wholesome dish. 

This meal became a major hit with my loved ones and is now categorized as a top keto comfort food favorite.

It may be a much healthier option than the traditional favorite, but trust me, it’s equally packed with flavor.

The chicken is super tender and juicy, with a crispy batter that will have you thinking you just cheated on keto. The waffles are light, airy, crispy on the outside, and flat-out delicious.

Even the genius who came up with the idea of combining these two would welcome a keto-friendly chicken and waffle recipe; that’s how confident I am in this dish.

For another brunch-worthy recipe, be sure to check out the recipes at the end of this page. Here’s my Keto Carrot Pancakes to give you a peek at what’s to come. 

Low-Carb Chicken And Waffles

I served my chicken and chaffles to my family for the first time as a Friday night dinner, but it’s one dish that can be served any time of day.

I promise it will be a welcomed soul food dish, whether served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner.

No matter the time you choose to serve these chaffles, they are sure to elicit excitement.  It seems some version of chicken and waffles has been served for many years.

There is some debate as to when exactly this appeared in food establishments.

However, many believe this dish became popular in America during the 1930s. It was first served in jazz clubs that served leftover breakfast waffles with fried chicken as a dinner option.

Can I confess that this girl had not tried this combo until I made a keto version of it? It’s true.

My daughter Michelle feels that we may have missed the memo on this dish because when it became a trendy dish a few years back, we had already gone keto.

All I can say about that is thank God I wasn’t introduced to it prior, or I may have been in serious trouble.  I will also add that, at first, the idea of chicken and waffles seemed a little strange and even offputting to me.

But our children’s constant raving about how good this dish was made me determined to create a keto version.

This mama is always trying to keep her children compliant with the keto diet. And I didn’t want to hear another story about how they had to cheat because they were craving this dish. 

Ingredients Needed

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The following are the ingredients needed to make low-carb chicken and waffles. Note that the full printable recipe card is at the bottom of the page.

Fried Chicken Ingredients

• Chicken tenderloins, lightly flattened
• Avocado or refined coconut oil for frying.

Chicken Marinade:

• Heavy whipping cream
• Tabasco hot sauce
• Apple cider vinegar
• Ground black pepper
• Sea salt

Chicken Coating

• Finely milled almond flour, measured and sifted
• Coconut flour
• Grated Parmesan cheese, the kind that comes in a container
• Paprika
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Ground black pepper
• Sea salt
• Cayenne pepper, to taste
• Eggs lightly beaten for egg wash

Waffle Ingredients: Makes 4 Belgium Waffles

• Full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
• Eggs, room temperature
• Water
• Finely milled almond flour, measured and sifted
• Coconut flour
• Psyllium husk powder
• Granulated sugar substitute
• Baking powder
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Cayenne Maple Syrup

• Sugar-free syrup
• Tabasco hot sauce
• Unsalted butter, cold

How To Make Keto Chicken And Waffles

I decided to use tenderloins for the chicken to make the frying process easier. Frying chicken can be a bit time-consuming, which is why I opted for tenders that I lightly pounded and marinated before giving them a generous coating.

The chicken must be marinated for at least 90 minutes to ensure it’s flavorful and tender. If making this dish for breakfast, I recommend marinating the chicken overnight to save time.

I created what I consider to be keto-friendly buttermilk by adding some apple cider vinegar to heavy whipping cream.

All I can say is that it worked like a charm. Unfortunately, regular buttermilk won’t work because it’s too high in carbs.

These chicken tenders were juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside, making for a very yummy option.

The best part is that it’s a guilt-free dish, as it has a fraction of the carbs of its counterpart.

Keto Fried Chicken Homemade Coating

For the coating, I used a combination of parmesan cheese, almond and coconut flour, and spices.

Trust me when I tell you that parmesan cheese is essential to this coating. Not only does the cheese make the coating extra crispy, but it also adds a ton of flavor.

I know some people make their coating using pork rinds, but I find that it does not hold up as well in the frying process and certainly does not crisp up as well.

I invented this trusty coating very early in our keto journey when I wanted to make healthier chicken nuggets for my son.

It’s what I use any time I need a dependable option. You can bake the chicken, but you will need to drizzle the tops of the tenders with some butter to help them crisp up properly in the oven.

I tested this for you, and it works like a charm. Of course, baking will save you some time.

Keto-Friendly Waffles

For a while now, I’ve received numerous requests to share a recipe that would be similar to regular waffles. But I hesitated until I knew I had a winning recipe. 

You see, this girl can’t stand limp waffles. I wanted a keto waffle that was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Was that too much to ask? Well, I am thrilled to report that I accomplished what I think to be an ideal keto-friendly waffle recipe. How? 

Make a batter using cream cheese and eggs, almond flour, coconut flour, and a little psyllium husk powder for stability.

Yup, that combination of ingredients produced the perfect texture I was after. I can’t wait for you to try them!

Cayenne Maple Syrup

Of course, after working so hard on this waffle recipe, they deserved a great syrup to finish them up.

As I was frying the chicken, I kept thinking about how delicious it would be to make a syrup that would be spiked with a little cayenne, you know, just for fun.

I went with my intuition and heated some sugar-free maple syrup, my favorite sugar-free syrup option, and added one teaspoon of Tabasco original flavor pepper sauce.

All I can say is that it was the perfect accompaniment to this Southern keto dish.

The level of spiciness is totally up to you, so feel free to start with 1/4 teaspoon and keep tasting until you achieve the level of spice you prefer.

After I lightly heated the syrup, I then added 1/4 cup of unsalted cold butter and gave it a quick stir.

The syrup will emulsify instantly due to the addition of cold butter. It gives you a nice syrup with the consistency of caramel sauce. 

Even if you opt to leave the hot sauce out of the syrup, you can still heat your syrup and add the butter.

I promise you’ll never return to straight syrup once you do.

My family was initially hesitant to try my cayenne maple syrup sauce, but once they did, they were sold.

All I kept hearing throughout the meal was, “Can you pass me the sauce, please?” LOL, I just knew it would be a hit with them!

What Is The Best Way To Eat Chicken And Waffles?

Which is the best way to enjoy your keto chicken and waffles? It’s really up to you. You can add some fried or poached eggs to the mix.

Or even a few bacon pieces, such as chicken and waffle toppings, would be nice. But frankly, the only thing it needs is some sugar-free syrup.

It’s the best way to enjoy this classic dish’s salty and sweet combination.

Other Keto Brunch Recipes to Try

I have quite a number of recipes that are brunch-worthy. The following are just a few I’ve highlighted for you:

• Keto Blueberry Lemon Bread
• Keto Quiche Lorraine
• Keto Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Tag Us

I sure hope you will give this keto chicken and waffles “chaffles” recipe a try. Once you do, make sure you remember to tag us on Instagram and Facebook.

It’s what encourages this girl to keep sharing and perfecting her recipes.

Also, check out our Amazon Store for our recommendations. You might be surprised by how many great keto options are at your disposal.

Since this recipe is made with almond flour and it’s what you prefer to use, I recommend you visit our keto almond flour recipes for more delicious options.

Grab Our Books!

In case you don’t know, I have authored two books for you, Essential Keto Bread and Essential Keto Desserts, both inspired by your requests over the years.

It’s my prayer that these keto cookbooks will help make keto a delicious breeze for you.

Join Our Jesus And Keto Movement 

Looking for an online support system to help you stay on keto? As a family, we came to the keto diet, looking at it from a Christian perspective. As believers, we live our lives supported by God’s grace.

So when the Holy Spirit led us to combine our Christian faith and the keto diet, we did so in hopes of finding lasting transformation. When we followed the Holy Spirit’s prompting, we got on the path to real transformation.

Knowing firsthand the benefits of this decision, we have created a closed Christian group that is using the keto diet to transform their lives. 

We invite you to join our Private Facebook Group and see if it’s not the key you have been missing.

Be sure to request our FREE Jesus and Keto E-Book (First 7 Days). We hope it blesses you.

Fittoservegroup Keto App

Looking for a fast way to access our keto recipes? We’ve got you covered. There’s an app for that. Yup, there’s a Fit To Serve Group App and it’s going to make your keto diet a delicious breeze!

Access hundreds of recipes that are all sugar-free, gluten-free, and keto-friendly.

Enjoy early access to recipes on the website before they go live. Plus, there are bonus recipes exclusive to the app. You can also create personal cookbooks to organize your favorite recipes.

Search recipes by title, ingredients, keywords, and categories, and of course, every recipe shows complete nutritional facts.

Get the Fit to Serve Group App for easy-to-follow keto recipes made with easy-to-source ingredients. 

The app is loaded with hundreds of yummy recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and even desserts!

Learn more by visiting our Fit To Serve Group App Page.