Vegan Fried Chicken and Waffles with Cajun Maple Butter

This dish has very quickly become a favorite of mine! It’s sweet but salty, crispy and crunchy, saucy and a little bit spicy. This vegan fried chicken and waffles are incredibly realistic. And when paired with the Cajun maple butter, you will be in comfort food heaven!

Some vegans might find this chicken to be TOO realistic.

It tastes unbelievably real, and I genuinely think it is one of the most realistic fried vegan chicken out there. I would even go as dramatic as betting money on that, and I do not mess around when it comes to money!

If combining chicken and waffles sounds disgusting to you . . .

First of all, I don’t really understand… but I’m not here to judge! With that being said, here are a couple of other ideas. I LOVE putting the fried chicken inside of a buttermilk biscuit. I usually then take it up another level by adding on a Just Egg patty, a slice of cheddar cheese, and a simple BBQ-mayo sauce. This makes for an easy, delicious breakfast sandwich. 

I’ve also eaten this chicken straight from the fridge, cold, the next morning, and it was extremely delicious! I know that might possibly sound a little weird or gross, but just trust me that it actually tastes so good. So, throw your leftover chicken into a cooler and bring it to a picnic!

Now the waffles… they pair nicely with caramelized bananas, toasted pecans, and coconut whipped cream. The waffles have a strong vanilla flavor. So, when paired with banana and whipped cream, it reminds me of vanilla wafer banana pudding! Dessert for breakfast, anyone??

I personally think there’s nothing better than a plate filled with savory, crunchy, crispy chicken and lightly sweetened waffles for a comfort food brunch. And when paired with spicy maple butter, this vegan fried chicken and waffles always just downright hits the spot in the perfect way!

Want another savory, sweet, salty, and spicy breakfast recipe!? Check out my Breakfast Vegan Eggrolls with Tobasco Maple syrup. This recipe is also a great one for brunch!

I’ve made a YouTube video demonstrating exactly how to make this vegan fried chicken and waffles, so if you ever feel confused along the way while reading this recipe, or perhaps you want a virtual friend cooking with you, give it a watch!

If you make my vegan chicken and waffles, don’t forget to post a picture to Instagram, tag me @chefsummerstorm, and #gardengrub so I can see your recreation!

Vegan Fried Chicken & Waffles with Cajun Maple Butter

Author Chef Summer Storm - garden grub

Vegan "chicken" and waffles served with a Cajun maple butter dipping sauce. The chick'n is super flavorful, juicy, crunchy, and extremely realistic. The waffles taste like vanilla wafer cookies, and when both are paired with the Cajun maple butter sauce, it is vegan food euphoria.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 3 people

Ingredients

 

Chick'n

• One 10 ounce package Gardein lightly seasoned chick'n scallopini, thawed
• Sprinkle of vegan poultry seasoning
• 1 quart vegetable oil, for deep frying

Chick'n Dry Batter

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp favorite cajun seasoning, plus more for sprinkling on top of fried chicken
• 1/4 tsp celery salt
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Chick'n Wet Batter

• 1/4 cup almond milk, plain, unsweetened
• 2 tbsp Frank's RedHot sauce
• 1 tbsp maple syrup, 100% pure
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard

Waffle Wet Mix

• 3/4 cup almond milk, plain, unsweetened and at room temperature
• 1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract, 100% pure
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Waffle Dry Mix

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Cajun Maple Butter Sauce

• 3 tbsp vegan butter, melted
• 3 tbsp maple syrup, 100% pure
• 1/4 tsp favorite cajun seasoning

Instructions

 

Fried Chick'n

• Thaw the chick'n scallopini in the refrigerator. Once the chick'n is almost thawed, cut each piece in half and then mold them to make them look a bit more realistic.
• Lightly sprinkle both sides of the chick'n with poultry seasoning. Set aside.
• Preheat a deep fryer or a pot with at least 6 inches of vegetable oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. *Use a thermometer!!!
• In a wide, shallow bowl combine all of the dry batter ingredients.
• In another wide, shallow bowl, combine all of the wet batter ingredients.
• Dip a piece of chick'n into the wet, then into the dry, then back into the wet, and then back into the dry. ***DO NOT bread more than a couple of pieces of chick'n at a time unless you can deep fry them all simultaneously because otherwise, they will get soggy if they sit out for too long.
• Deep fry a couple of pieces at a time for 5 minutes, flipping them over halfway through.
• Place on a wire rack above a sheet pan to drip off excess oil.
• Immediately season with a dash of cajun seasoning.

Waffles

• In a small bowl, whisk together the almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside and let rest for 10 minutes to create buttermilk.
• In another bowl combine all of the dry ingredients, whisk well.
• Then, add the vanilla extract and melted coconut oil into the buttermilk and whisk well. *Make sure the milk is at room temperature, or the coconut oil may solidify.
• Add the wet mixture straight into the dry mixture and stir just until combined, and there is no visible flour. Do NOT over mix; lumps are good!
• Let the batter rest for 10 minutes to activate the baking powder.
• ***All waffle makers vary in size and how they cook!! Below is how I cook my waffles, but you may need to make adjustments accordingly.
• Preheat waffle maker to medium-high/high.
• Spray the top and bottom of the waffle maker with coconut oil.
• I pour about 1 cup of the waffle batter into the waffle maker. I then quickly, but gently, spread it around evenly. The batter should almost meet the edges of the waffle maker.
• Cook for 4-6 minutes. The waffle will crisp up shortly after pulling it out of the waffle maker.

Cajun Maple Butter Sauce

• Whisk all ingredients together until well combined.
• *Add more Cajun seasoning if you'd like! I always add in a 1/2 teaspoon total because I like mine super spicy!

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!