Korean BBQ Chicken and Waffles
These Korean BBQ Chicken and Waffles feature a delicious fusion
between classic Southern and traditional Korean flavors!
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In recent years, I’ve noticed chicken and waffles popping up at trendy restaurants…and rightfully so. It’s a fun dish that provides chefs the opportunity of putting a creative twist on a classic Southern dish. We stumbled upon one of these creative twists several months back when we stayed at Smuggler’s Notch in Vermont for several days. (Remember these Maple Glazed Cinnamon Rolls? They were another Smugg’s classic!)
My wife and I were incredibly impressed with our experience at the Hearth & Candle, which is one of several restaurants on site at Smuggler’s Notch. One of the featured entrees on the night we visited was Korean BBQ Chicken and Waffles. Woah. My mind was blown. I’ve come across some delicious fried chicken and waffles, but adding a Korean spin? Genius!
And this wasn’t just a plain waffle, either. The chef had created a Green Onion + Ginger Waffle to serve as the base. Savory waffle topped with delicious Korean BBQ and house kimchi. I didn’t even need to ask my wife what she was ordering. I guessed she was eyeing up the Korean BBQ Chicken and Waffles…and I was right!
Korean BBQ Chicken and Waffles
The folks at Hearth & Candle were nice enough to share their recipe for the Green Onion and Ginger Waffles. It didn’t take long after we got back for me to whip up a batch of these waffles…they’re insanely delicious! In fact, these waffles would be a fun side dish to serve along with all sorts of different meals. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to channel my inner Smugg’s spirit and come up with a Korean BBQ-inspired chicken recipe to go with these waffles.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no expert when it comes to Korean BBQ. I’ve eaten it a couple of times, and it’s tasty…but I’ve never made it at home. Since I love grilling, I decided to marinate chicken in a Korean BBQ-inspired marinade. (You could certainly go with the more traditional route and stir-fry the chicken instead.)
I sliced up that grilled chicken and served it on a stack of tasty Green Onion and Ginger Waffles. I’ve got to say that this combination made for a really fun meal! It doesn’t replace the delicious dishes served at Hearth & Candle, but it will certainly hold me over until I can get back up to Smuggler’s Notch again!
Did you make these Korean BBQ Chicken and Waffles at home? Come back and leave a comment! Or better yet, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). Cheers, friends!
Korean BBQ Chicken and Waffles
Ingredients
For the Waffles
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- ½ Tbsp salt
- 2 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 egg yolks lightly whipped
- 1¾ cup milk
- 3 egg whites
- 2 Tbsp fresh chives chopped
- 2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
- ¼ tsp pepper
For the Chicken
- ¾ cup soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1½ Tbsp light brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp Korean chili paste or crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp ginger grated
- 1 Tbsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Optional Garnishes
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 2 Tbsp green onions thinly sliced
- bell pepper thinly sliced
Instructions
For the Waffles
- Using a large bowl, add all of the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt and baking powder). Stir until well mixed. Add the butter, egg yolks and milk; stir until well combined.
- Using a handheld mixer, whip egg whites until stiff. Fold the egg whites, chives, ginger and pepper into the batter until well combined.
- Spray a waffle iron with non-stick spray and preheat iron.
- Spoon batter into waffle maker, taking care not to overfill.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until done.
- Serve immediately or place waffles in a 300°F oven for up to 15 minutes while other waffles bake.
For the Chicken
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, honey, sesame oil, chili paste, ginger, garlic and pepper.
- Place chicken breasts in a shallow baking dish and pour marinade over the top. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
- Heat grill to medium high and brush grates with a small amount of vegetable oil.
- Remove chicken from marinade and grill for 10-12 minutes, or until fully cooked.
- Meanwhile, place the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes.
- Once cooked, slice the chicken into strips and place on top of waffle. Garnish with sesame seeds, fresh scallions and thinly sliced bell pepper.
This post is not sponsored. The folks at Smuggler’s Notch and Hearth & Candle were just nice enough to share their recipe with me!
David, I’ve never in my entire life had a combo of fried chicken and waffles (and by “entire life” I mean a lot!). Probably because I wasn’t a southern boy or because this combo sounds quite…peculiar to me. But what you’ve got here, doesn’t sound and look weird. Indeed, it looks fantastic! Pass ne this to sample please.
Oh, you are totally right here, Ben. Chicken and waffles is indeed a strange combination. But it’s also an oddly delicious combo…especially with the Korean BBQ influence! Thanks!
Yum! What a neat twist on a classic combination. Mmmmm Korean BBQ is delicious! I’ve never made it at home either, I just tend to go out to get it. Sounds like I need to remedy that!
This was indeed a fun recipe to make at home, Lauren! Plus…I’m always game when chicken and waffles are involved!
David I always see chicken and waffles on the menu but I always always turn off when I see them serving it with maple syrup! Now this version is my cup of tea and I am so going to make this!! Pinned!
Hmmm…I see what you mean about the maple syrup. I’ve had it with chicken and waffles, and it’s a bit odd but then again I do love maple syrup. Either way, this Korean BBQ version was a fun twist!
OHHHHHH man, this recipe is totally in my wheelhouse! LOVe chicken and waffles, and I’m totally obsessed with Korean flavors! So cool that they gave you the waffle recipe. I totally gotta give this recipe a try! I can see turning it into a little waffle sandwich with some kimchi and avocado!
Hahaha…I totally knew you’d be all about this one, Chris! Oh man, a waffle sandwich with these flavors would be amazing. They chef at Smuggler’s Notch served this with homemade kimchi, but I wasn’t brave enough to make kimchi myself at home. And now I want a Korean BBQ waffle sandwich for lunch today…thanks a lot! 🙂
Oh David, Love this idea of pairing Korean bbq with waffles, I can just imagine all this flavors all together! this is just creaming my name all over! well done!
Hey Gaila! There are indeed a lot of awesome flavors going on here. I loved the Korean BBQ chicken, but the waffles were my absolute favorite! Thanks! 🙂
I’m almost embarrassed to admit that even though I’ve been in the South for the past 20 years or so, I’ve never tried chicken and waffles together! I even went with some friends to Gladys Knight Chicken and waffles here in Atlanta and ended up getting a veggie omelet! But – if they had had a Green Onion + Ginger Waffle I might actually have given the waffle/chicken combo a try! That waffle sounds so incredibly fine – thanks for sharing the recipe from Hearth and Candle, David! Lil Shashi loves savory waffles so I’m gonna have to whip up a GF version of it this weekend!
I get it, Shashi. It’s a strange combination for sure…but man, it’s also pretty darned tasty! I guess they’d need to come up with a beetified waffle to put it up your alley, right? 🙂 The green onion + ginger combo in a waffle is amazing! You definitely need to make a batch for lil Shashi this weekend!
Hi David! Yes for any time of day! 3.2.1 and counting! 🙂
Haha…thanks, Dorothy!! 🙂
I have to confess to you, I don’t get the chicken and waffle thing – not the flavor, the texture. Seems like it needs a sauce to tie it all together. But I like how you’ve tied the flavors together with those fantastic spices. Bravo!
I’m with you, Jeff. Chicken + waffles is indeed a strange combination. But there’s something kinda addicting about it, too…even more so when you add in the Korean flavors. Thanks!
David, I have to admit that chicken and waffle is my favorite! Yes, it’s a strange combo but works perfectly. I was so happy to find an authentic place to have chicken waffle when I went to Atlanta few weeks ago. This korean twist sounds delicious and I can’t wait to try this recipe. Or visit the restaurant one of these days 🙂
Yes! I am so glad you got to a chicken and waffles place in Atlanta! I miss Atlanta quite a bit, but it’s fun to make Southern-inspired meals. Or in this case Southern + Korean inspired meals. And yes, if you ever get to Vermont, you absolutely need to go to Smuggler’s Notch. Heck, it’s a reason to plan a trip to Vermont!
I´ve never tried chicken and waffles before and your photos make me want to grab it through the screen and EAT it!!
Haha! Well chicken + waffles is a classic Southern dish, but it is indeed an odd combo. But it’s also really delicious! And this Korean inspired version was a fun twist for sure. Thanks, Johlene!
I do love a fusion recipe!
Can you believe that I have never had Korean food before?! Apparently we have some really good Korean places in Manchester. I think you might have actually inspired me to go out for Korean tonight!
Do it! Go find a Korean restaurant for dinner tonight, Dannii! I bet they won’t have chicken + waffles on the menu, but they will probably still have some delicious eats! 🙂
Chicken and waffles is a bizarre thing to me….never quite understood how it all came about! What I do understand is how delicious this chicken looks! I love the flavors of Korean BBQ! This looks wonderful!
I couldn’t agree more, Kathy…chicken and waffles is indeed a strange combination. But it’s kinda fun, too…especially when you put unique twists on it like this Korean BBQ inspired version. Yum!
David, I LOVE this spin on chicken and waffles!!!! I’m Korean so love seeing Korean food ingredients! did you use gochujang or gochugaru?
I initially set out to use gochugaru, but then I discovered a Korean chili paste at our grocery store…so I went with that instead. I’m not sure if it officially qualified as gochujang or not, but it was indeed delicious! 🙂
I didn’t know chicken and waffles were a Southern classic until recently when they started popping up in trendy restaurants. I do LOVE having my fried chicken with waffles and there is a joint in Syracuse that serves a great one. Now, this twist on the classic is unbelievable!! Korean BBQ with savory waffles sound so much fun!
I know! Chicken and waffles have become so darned trendy lately. I’m not sure how long they’ve been a “southern thing” but I know they’ve been trendy down South for years. I love that so many chefs are whipping up their own versions of chicken and waffles now…and this Korean version was awesome! Thanks, Zainab!
Great wist on the chicken waffle friend! I’m digging that Green Onion and Ginger Waffle idea. Savory waffles are awesome. Plus, I’d probably slather that chicken with more sauce to replicate the maple syrup I’d pour all over. Nice!
Oh my gosh, those waffles, Kevin! I could have just eaten them plain. Oh wait, I did. We had leftover waffles and those got nom-nom’ed all by themselves (toasted, of course). Yum!
Dude! Can we put Baby Spice on hold and can we take a quick trip to this joint? IT sounds amazing and the fact that they serve beauties like this?
Umm, yes, let’s go. Life is officially on pause while we go visit Vermont for a weekend!