Ingredients
- 2 cups buttermilk or soured whole milk
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce or chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Vegetable oil for deep-frying
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Belgian waffles prepared according to recipe
Instructions
- Create a buttermilk brine by whisking together buttermilk, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder, 1/2 tablespoon onion powder, hot sauce, and smoked paprika in a large bowl.
- Submerge the chicken thighs in the brine, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour to overnight to marinate.
- Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven to 350°F.
- Mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, additional garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Dredge the marinated chicken in the seasoned flour and let rest before frying.
- Fry the chicken in batches, until golden brown and fully cooked, approximately 8-9 minutes per batch.
- Transfer the fried chicken to a wire rack to drain and cool slightly.
- For the sauce, melt butter with honey, chili powder, and kosher salt in a saucepan, whisking until smooth. Keep warm for serving.
- Prepare Belgian waffles and place the fried chicken on top. Drizzle with spicy honey-butter sauce or maple syrup.