Easy Mini Chicken and Waffles Bites with Maple Syrup

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Mini chicken and waffles bites with chicken bites tossed in maple syrup only require 3 ingredients and about 15 minutes to make in total. This simple recipe is kid friendly and also a unique way to impress your guests with an appetizer they may not often see at parties or on game day.

mini chicken and waffles bites recipe close up

These mini chicken and waffle bites are an excellent appetizer to enjoy for football Sunday game day or as an appetizer for the big game in February. This recipe can also be a fun appetizer for any party or special occasion, especially when you need an appetizer that can serve a lot of guests with minimal work from you. These kid friendly bites can also be a great addition to your list of simple recipes for an after school snack.

This was inspired by my crispy chicken sliders recipe on this site, and pairs well with this crab cheese ball recipe.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
How to Store Chicken and Waffles Bites
Top Tip
FAQ
Related
Pairing
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

Ingredients

To make this recipe you need to find mini frozen waffles. These can typically be found in your local grocery store in the freezer section. Popcorn chicken and maple syrup is also needed to make this recipe.

mini frozen waffles
frozen popcorn chicken
maple syrup

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Step 1: Air fryer popcorn chicken at 370 degrees for 9 minutes until crisp and golden brown, flipping halfway through.

Step 2: Remove chicken from air fryer and place in a small bowl.

Step 3: Add maple syrup on top of the popcorn chicken and toss.

Step 4: Toast mini waffles until preferred doneness. Place popcorn chicken pieces on top of each waffle. Add a drizzle of maple syrup and serve immediately or save for later.

Hint: for extra crispy popcorn chicken, add 2-3 minutes to the cooking time. Also making your own fried popcorn chicken from scratch can add crispy, crunchy chicken texture and extra flavor to the dish.

Substitutions

Popcorn Chicken - use gluten free popcorn chicken bites for a gluten free opion
Waffles - use gluten free waffles for a gluten free option. You can also make your own waffle mini bites using a mini waffle iron
Vegetarian - use plant based chicken bites for a vegetarian option

Variations

Hot Honey - toss the popcorn chicken in hot honey or a hot honey sauce for a sweet and spicy version
Deluxe - use regular-sized waffles or Belgian waffles and fried homemade chicken thighs or chicken breast for a full size version
Maple Honey Butter - melt butter with honey and maple syrup prior to tossing chicken for extra flavor

Equipment

To make this recipe, you will need an air fryer or oven to cook the bite-sized pieces of popcorn chicken. A toaster is also needed to toast the frozen mini waffles.

How to Store Chicken and Waffles Bites

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. Toss chicken in extra maple syrup prior to serving since most will be soaked up by the chicken after saving and reheating. Reheat leftovers in the air fryer or oven until warm for best results.

These ingredients do stand up well to freezing prior to maple syrup being added for up to 2 months.

Top Tip

To cook a large amount of mini waffles at one time, bake then in the oven until crispy and golden brown.

FAQ

Is this recipe gluten free?

This recipe is not gluten free, but by using gluten free popcorn chicken and gluten free mini waffles you can make this recipe gluten free friendly.

Is this recipe dairy free?

Yes, this recipe is dairy free friendly.

Can this recipe be made with chicken tenders?

Yes, I do suggest using full size waffles if you are using chicken tenders, otherwise the chicken will overwhelm the waffle.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with mini chicken and waffle bites:

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