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Keto Chicken and Chaffles (Waffles)

Published on September 2, 2021 by Sarah Troester
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If you love Southern-style fried chicken and waffles like we do, then this low-carb chicken and waffles recipe is for you. We first stumbled upon this savory chicken and waffles recipe while visiting Elaine’s in Cape May, New Jersey. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and knew I had to recreate this into a keto-friendly recipe giving me full access to this yumminess whenever I want!

This chicken and waffles recipe is made with chicken tenders that are battered with a ketogenic coating that fries magnificently. The fried chicken is then paired with my favorite and fail proof keto waffle recipe (chaffles!) and savory yet sweet Asian rustic coleslaw with maple sriracha sauce for one delicious, nourishing dish.

This meal turned out to be a major hit with my tribe and is now our number one keto comfort food favorite. This may be a much healthier option than the traditional favorite of chicken and waffles but believe me; it’s equally packed with flavor. I think I may go as far as to say that I prefer this healthier version of chicken and waffles. My husband and kids couldn’t believe that the chaffles weren’t actually waffles!

What are chaffles?

Chaffles are cheese + waffles = chaffles!

We’re essentially making a waffle out of keto-freindly ingredients, like cheese and eggs.

Can you substitute ingredients in chaffles?

Yes! The basic ingredients in chaffles are eggs and cheese, and other than that, they are super flexible. Feel free to play around or swap out anything you don’t like.

If you have allergies or intolerances to the main ingredients, here are some options for those:

  • Substituting Eggs – If you can’t have eggs, you can substitute a flax egg in any chaffle recipe. Stir together 1 tbsp flax seeds with 3 tbsp water and let sit for 15 minutes to thicken.
  • Substituting Cheese – Vegan cheese substitutes will work in place of shredded cheese or cream cheese in keto chaffles. This recipe uses shredded cheese and vegan cheese substitutes work wonderfully. Just check labels to make sure that the carb count is still low.

Ingredients for keto chicken and chaffles

Here’s everything you will need to make this. I highly recommend a mini waffle maker for your chaffles. It gets the job done and one of my most reliable kitchen appliances.

How to make keto chicken and chaffles

I decided to use tenderloins for the chicken to make the frying process easier. I get my chicken from Butcher Box. It’s my favorite chicken by far. You can tell it is amazing quality. Also, I love that it comes delivered right to my doorstep. One less trip to the grocery store always helps! It comes frozen and individually packaged into 1 lb packs making it super easy to thaw and prepare when it comes to meal prep. 

Frying chicken can be a bit time-consuming, which is why I opted for tenders that I lightly pounded before giving them a generous coating consisting of parmesan cheese, almond flour and spices, especially Nashville Hot Chicken Seasoning which is a staple in our pantry!

How to make Asian rustic coleslaw with maple sriracha sauce

For this recipe I used a store bought Asian Chopped Salad Kit, but you can use a regular 8 ounce bag of coleslaw. After working so hard on this waffle recipe, I wanted to give it the most incredible syrup to top it off. Therefore, I did not use the dressing in the salad kit. Rather, allow me to introduce you to Lakanto Maple Syrup, my favorite sugar-free syrup option, and Sky Valley Gluten Free Sriracha Sauce. I started with 1 teaspoon of the sriracha sauce. You can add more or less depending on your heat preference. These two are the dynamic duo to this southern keto dish.

Can I meal prep keto chicken and chaffles?

This keto chicken and chaffles makes one amazing meal prep! When I meal prepped this healthier version of chicken and waffles, I put the chicken and chaffles on one side of the meal prep container and the coleslaw other. Nobody wants soggy waffles! Also, I included the maple sriracha sauce on the side. I looked forward to lunch every single day when this was my meal prep!

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 @thetastefultribe and share. Your love and support is what keeps us going! ENJOY!

Keto Chicken and Chaffles (Waffles)

  • GFGluten-Free
  • KKeto
  • LCLow Carb
  • SFSugar Free
If you love Southern-style fried chicken and waffles like we do, then this low-carb chicken and waffles recipe is for you. We first stumbled upon this savory chicken and waffles recipe while visiting Elaine's in Cape May, New Jersey. I couldn't stop thinking about it and knew I had to recreate this into a keto-friendly recipe giving me full access to this yumminess whenever I want!
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients 

For the fried chicken

  • 1 pound chicken tenderloins, lightly flattened
  • coconut oil , for frying
  • ½ cup coconut flour
  • ½ cup arrowroot
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons Nashville Hot Chicken Seasoning
  • 2 large eggs , lightly beaten, for egg wash
  • salt and pepper, to taste

For the chaffles

  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese , shredded
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup almond flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

For the coleslaw and maple sriracha sauce

  • 1 bag coleslaw, 8 ounces
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 4 sweet peppers, any color, chopped
  • ½ cup maple syrup sweetener
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha Sauce, more, depending on heat preference
  • ¼ cup cold butter

Instructions 

For the fried chicken

  • Using a meat mallet place the chicken tenders between two pieces of cling wrap and gently flatten. 
  • Set two bowls for the coating. In one bowl mix, add all the dry ingredients and combine well, including spices. 
  • In the second bowl whisk the two eggs for the egg wash.
  • Dip your chicken tenderloins one at a time in the flour mixture, then egg wash, followed again by the flour mixure.
  • Preheat a good amount of oil in a skillet to medium-high heat and cook both sides of the chicken until lightly brown, 3-4 minutes per side. You will want to fry your chicken in two or three batches. The oil may need to be changed if it begins to burn from the coating.

For the chaffles

  • Preheat your mini waffle maker for about 5 minutes, until hot.
  • Combine and stir all ingredients in a bowl.
  • Pour enough of the chaffle batter into the waffle maker to cover the surface well. (About 1/2 cup batter for a regular waffle maker and 1/4 cup for a mini waffle maker). 
  • Cook until browned and crispy, about 4 minutes  
  • Carefully remove the chaffle from the waffle maker and set aside to crisp up more. (Cooling is important for texture!) Repeat with remaining batter. 

For the coleslaw and maple sriracha sauce

  • Combine coconut oil, soy sauce, coleslaw, and peppers in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté 5-6 minutes.
  • In a small saucepan heat the sugar-free maple syrup until it just begins to simmer and add the sriracha sauce to taste. I added 1 teaspoon. Turn off the stove.
  • Stir in the cold butter and stir. The syrup will quickly thicken due to the butter emulsifying the sauce.
  • Mix 2-3 tablespoons of the sauce into the skillet with the coleslaw.
  • Place the remaining sauce in a serving container to use as a topping for the chicken and chaffles and serve over the coleslaw.  

Equipment

  • 1 mini waffle maker

Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to tag thetastefultribe on instagram @thetastefultribe if you try this keto chicken and chaffles recipe. We love seeing your version of the recipe! You can also post your pictures to our facebook page!