Crusty Chicken Thighs with Hot Maple Sauce is the recipe you are going to fall in love with the first bite!
Maple syrup is far from being just a simple sweetener. At Viking Farms we are fond of cooking and always happy to discover and try out some new recipes, especially, if there is maple syrup included! So, when it comes to the chicken we know exactly how we want it.
Our crusty chicken dipped in the appetizing maple sauce is an endless source of happiness! Cook and enjoy tender meat pieces with a crunchy edge while chatting around the table with your friends or watching your favorite TV show.
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN
- boneless, skinless chicken thighs – 1 pound
- buttermilk – 1 cup
- hot sauce – ¼ cup
- frozen waffles (around 5 to 6)
- flour – 1 cup
- salt and pepper
- 2 eggs
- oil for frying
FOR THE SPICY MAPLE SAUCE
- hot sauce – ½ cup
- melted butter – ¼ cup
- maple syrup – ¼ cup
Now we are ready to start cooking!
Let’s make it step by step.
1. Preparing chicken.
- Wash chicken thighs thoroughly, remove extra water with paper towels and cut the prepared meat in evenly-sized strips. We need similar pieces just to make sure they will be cooked at the same time.
- Take big enough airtight container and put chicken strips into it. Mix hot sauce, buttermilk, and a pinch of salt and pour the mixture over the meat (ensure the sauce is all over the chicken). Now we need to cover the container and put it to the fridge. To make the taste special leave meat in the fridge at least for 4 hours or better overnight.
2. Preparing crust.
- Turn on an oven and preheat it to 325°F. Take frozen waffles and bake them at for about 20 minutes or until they are completely dry out, flipping halfway through. Cool the cooked waffles and break them into pieces. If you have – use a food processor and pulse until you have a fine mixture of small and large shreds.
3. The final stage.
- To cook the chicken you can use either a deep fryer or a heavy, deep vessel and pan-fry in an inch of oil. Still, better to use a deep fryer, you would enjoy the process more and it is more safe!
- So take a deep fryer and heat it to 350°F.
- Put four bowls (plates) on the table side by side. Fill the first one with seasoned to taste half of the flour. The second one with an egg. The third one with half the waffle crumbs. We need the fourth bowl to pile there our processed pieces.
- The next step is to dredge each buttermilk-marinated chicken strip in flour, then egg, and finally crumbs. Top up the first three bowls with dry ingredients if there is little left.
- When you have enough to fill a fryer basket, cook the chicken for 3 minutes, then pull out to make sure they are not over-browning, dip again and keep frying for additional 3-4 minutes.
- When you have the crusty chicken done, let the hot pieces cool and drain on a plate, lined with a paper towel.
4. Sauce time.
- Whisk together all ingredients: hot sauce, butter, and syrup. We think the better way is to adjust the ratio for your personal taste.
As much as this chicken is tasty as much it is nourishing. That is why we like to serve Crusty Chicken not only with Hot Maple Sauce but also with some greens to add a fresh touch to the meal.
