How to Make Low Carb Chicken & Waffles + Video

Learn how to make this simple low carb chicken and waffles recipe + video loaded with tons of flavor but without the added guilt. Low Carb chicken and waffles makes the perfect healthier alternative to this popular brunch favorite! If you like this classic dish you may also like these other easy breakfast ideas kodiak waffles, air fryer french toast sticks, or lemon blueberry pancakes.

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CHICKEN & WAFFLES – THE BEGINNING

Chicken and waffles is now a traditional brunch item however its origins dates back to 1930’s. It became a popular offering in East Harlem at Well’s Supper club. It was a favorite of some well known artists of the time like Sammy Davis Jr. and Nat King Cole. However the soul food chain restaurant, Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles, brought this dish to the Hollywood scene in the 1970’s. From there, as they say, the rest is history.

Now this fried chicken dish is a mainstay on almost every menu served in a variety of ways. From sweet to savory waffles you can get this in almost any flavor combination you choose. The best part is that you can enjoy these any time of day.

WHY DO THEY PAIR SO WELL TOGETHER

So why does chicken and waffles go so well together? It’s the perfect combination of sweet and savory that makes the flavor combinations work so well. The crunchy breaded chicken tenders offer just the right amount of savory spice that offsets the sweet (but not too sweet) waffles. When topped with a drizzle of your favorite honey, syrup or sugar-free syrup, it becomes like a flavor explosion in your mouth. 

WHAT MAKES THIS CHICKEN & WAFFLES DIFFERENT FROM THE TRADITIONAL VERSIONS?

That it’s low carb and guilt free! Generally when you go to any favorite brunch spot and order this dish, it can come in at a whopping 1100 calories! The macro breakdown looks something like: 97g carbs, 65g fat, 36g protein. Talk about not being too friendly to your waistline.

I don’t know about you, but I still enjoy eating all the yummy foods, I just don’t want it to the be the ONLY meal I have in a day. Knowing that this dish clocks in at 25g carbs, 16g fat, 36g protein and approx. 320 calories you see why I’ll opt for this low carb version any day.

WHAT CUT OF CHICKEN TO USE

For this recipe I opted to use chicken tenderloins as they are fairly easy to work with and they are air fryer friendly. However chicken breasts work well for this recipe too however I would recommend slicing them into smaller chicken pieces to make them easier to bread. 

HOW TO MAKE LOW CARB CHICKEN AND WAFFLES

In 2 separate shallow bowl add your egg + egg whites to one. Season the eggs with half of the paprika, pepper, salt, and hot sauce or tabasco sauce and whisk eggs to combine. In the second bowl add the breadcrumbs.

Next season your chicken tenderloins with the other half of the spices. Now you are ready to bread your chicken. Dip one tenderloin in the egg mixture first, then in the breadcrumbs and set aside on parchment paper. Once all of your tenderloins are breaded, cook them in the air fryer on 400 for about 10–12 minutes.

While your chicken is cooking, open your low carb Kodiak cake mix and portion out 1/2 cup into a mixing bowl. Add 1 tbsp olive oil (or oil of choice), little bit of vanilla and 1/2 cup almond milk. Heat your waffle iron to medium high heat. Add the low carb waffle mix to the waffle iron and cook until golden brown. This usually takes about 3-4 minutes depending on how large your waffle iron is. If using a mini waffle maker, you will need to cook the waffle batter in stages. 

Once the waffle is cooked through, remove from the iron and set aside. Once your chicken is cooked through, remove from the air fryer and set aside. 

To serve, top waffle with the chicken and drizzle with honey or maple syrup.

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

While I opted for a plain version, there are several options you can try to add some additional flair to your version

• Berries
• Peaches
• Powdered Sugar (or your favorite sugar)
• Whipped Cream 
• Greek Yogurt

Alternatively you can make these more savory and spicy by adding:

• Parmesan cheese
• Buffalo Sauce 

Also if you’re serving this at your next brunch soiree, check out my blog post on what to serve with chicken and waffles.

WHAT’S THE BEST WAFFLE MIX TO USE?

I personally love Kodiak Cakes Carb Conscious Buttermilk Flapjacks and that is what I used for this recipe.

However there are a few other low carb waffle recipes you can try as well:

• Birch Benders Low Carb Keto Waffles
• King Arthur Low Carb Keto Wheat
• Simple Mills almond flour pancake mix

If you try this update on this traditional recipe, be sure to leave me a comment down below, I’d love to hear from you! Also, let’s stay in touch! Feel free to follow me on my social media as I share more healthy recipes, fitness workouts and motherhood. Give a follow at: Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest!