Chicken and Waffles

Recipe

Sep 3

I first recall hearing of this strange phenomenon called “chicken and waffles” when I was on a date in college. My incredibly boring, bland culinary upbringing hadn’t prepared me for the flavor explosion I enjoyed at this meal! Of course, the consequence of stuffing myself with all those carbohydrates and seed oils was bloating, gastrointestinal distress, acne, and inflammation - but I wasn’t aware of that at the time.

Fortunately, I’ve been living the carnivore lifestyle since 2018 and reaping the mental and physical benefits of cleaning up my diet and getting regular exercise. Yes, I have given up many things - but chicken and waffles isn’t one of them! I came up with this quick and easy recipe to make dairy-free chicken and waffles that are zero carb (except for the scant carbs in eggs).

There are always methods to my madness, and this recipe is no exception. Cooking the chicken at a lower temperature to begin with ensures the thighs remain juicy on the inside before increasing the temperature to obtain that crunchy outer crust. The gelatin in the waffles is necessary to maintain their shape, and actually provides benefits for your skin, joints, and gut. So don’t skip on ingredients or methods! If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me or shoot me a message on Instagram!

Ingredients

5 - 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cups pork panko crumbs - I use Pork King Good Cajun flavor
15 quail eggs or 5 chicken eggs
1 packet (0.25 ounces = 1/2 tablespoon) unflavored gelatin
(optional) 1/4 teaspoon Bakewell’s Cream
(optional) 10 drops monkfruit sweetener - I use Lakanto
Cooking fat spray of choice - I use duck fat or tallow

Chicken Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place an oven-safe cooling rack on top. Spray the rack with the cooking fat of your choice.
Whisk 6 quail eggs (or 2 chicken eggs) in small mixing bowl. Place pork rind breadcrumbs in separate bowl. If using unflavored pork rind crumbs, add salt and the seasoning of your choice.
Dip each chicken thigh in the beaten eggs, then the pork rind crumbs. Shake to remove excess crumbs and place on baking rack. Repeat until each thigh has been covered.
Bake the thighs in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. After the 40 minutes, increase the oven temperature to 425°F and bake an additional 12-15 minutes. The chicken skins should be a dark golden brown.
Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to cool for five minutes. This allows the coating to become dry and crispy.