Belgian Liege Waffles and Buttermilk Cornflake Chicken

Last Updated on December 12, 2023 by Carne Diem

Protein:

Origin: Belgian, European, North American

Method: Oven or Smoker

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Our Belgian Liege Waffles with Buttermilk Cornflake Chicken is one of our family's favorite breakfast dishes. It combines two of our favorite things: Crispy, caramelized liege waffles and fried chicken. It is the perfect balance of savory and sweet.

What are Liege Waffles?

Liege waffles are named after a small town in Belgium and consist of a thick, yeasted, brioche type dough. The dough is then loaded with sweet pearl sugar which caramelizes during cooking. These popular waffles have become very popular at various "waffle shacks," at ski slopes around the globe. They make for a perfect quick snack when hitting the slopes.

For our recipe we top our Belgian Liege Waffles with Cornflake Chicken and a rich bourbon maple syrup. Bring a fork (and maybe some insulin) because these things are rich and delicious.

Making the Belgian Liege Waffles and Buttermilk Cornflake Chicken

To make the Buttermilk Cornflake Chicken you will need buttermilk, Hungarian paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, pepper, and Cornflakes. We typically use Kellogg's Cornflake Crumbs for this recipe because the cornflakes are already at the correct consistency. You can also just use regular cornflakes and crush them up to a smaller consistency.

For the chicken you use about 2 pounds of chicken breasts that you then cut into tenders. You can also just buy pre-sliced chicken breast tenders if you are so inclined.

Buttermilk brine the chicken overnight

After cutting the chicken into strips or tenders, it is time to brine the chicken in buttermilk. The buttermilk serves 2 purposes. First the acids in the buttermilk help to tenderize the chicken. Second, buttermilk does a great job of adhering to the chicken and thus helps the cornflake coating stick to the meat when we dredge it later. Add the chicken tenders to the buttermilk in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Prepare the seasoning for the Buttermilk Cornflake Chicken

To make the cornflake seasoning combine the paprika, cornflakes, garlic powder, onion powder, powdered sugar, thyme, rosemary, sage, salt and pepper in a large bowl or shallow plate. Mix well until evenly combined.

Dredge the Buttermilk Cornflake Chicken

Remove the chicken strips from the buttermilk and allow the excess buttermilk to drain off of the chicken. Dredge the chicken through the seasoned cornflakes.

Place on a wire rack and let sit for about 10 minutes while you prepare your oven or fryer.

Cooking the Buttermilk Cornflake Chicken

At this point you have a couple options for cooking your chicken. You can fry it, or for a slightly healthier option you can bake it. We have done it both ways and it comes out great either way so just pick your favorite.

Frying the Chicken

If frying the chicken, heat your oil to about 350-360 degrees. We typically use canola oil but peanut oil also works great. You want to fry in batches to help the oil maintain temperature and the chicken to cook more evenly. Fry the chicken strips for about 4-6 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. If frying in a pan, flip the chicken over about half way through.

Remove to a paper towel for a couple minutes prior to serving.

Baking the Chicken

If you choose to bake the chicken, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake the Buttermilk Cornflake Chicken for 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Let the chicken set for a few minutes prior to serving.

Making the Belgian Liege Waffles

To make the Belgian Liege Waffles you will need all-purpose flour, eggs, yeast, salt, warm water, butter, and Belgian pearl sugar.

Proof the yeast

Mix the sugar, warm water, and yeast in a bowl and mix until combined and bubbly. Make sure your water is lukewarm and not hot. If it is too hot, you will kill the yeast. The yeast mixture should be nice and bubbly after stirring. Let the proofed yeast mixture sit for 10 minutes.

Prepare the dough for the Belgian Liege Waffles

In a stand mixer, add the flour and salt. If you do not have a stand mixer you can also mix by hand but this dough is pretty thick so you will get a pretty good arm workout. Add in the yeast mixture and mix on low far a couple minutes.

After a couple minutes, scrape the edges of the bowl and again, mix on low. Add the eggs a little at a time until incorporated into the dough.

Next, add the vanilla to the melted butter and then add to the mixer a couple tablespoons at a time until incorporated. You may need to scrape the edges of the bowl to get all of the butter incorporated.

Cover the bowl of the mixer and set in a warm area. Allow the waffle dough to rise until doubled. This may take 2-6 hours depending on your room temperature.

Cooking the Belgian Waffles

Heat your waffle iron to about 300 degrees. You do not want to cook the waffles at too high of a temp or the sugar will burn instead of caramelize. Mix the Belgian pearl sugar into the batter. This batter will be much thicker and stickier than traditional batter.

Quick note on Belgian Pearl Sugar

Belgian Liege Waffles typically use Belgian Pearl Sugar which is large chunks of rock sugar which provide the perfect caramelized crunch in the center of the waffles. This sugar can be found at gourmet grocery stores, or if you happen to live near an Ikea, they will often have it as well as the smaller Swedish pearl sugar. In a pinch you can use the Swedish pearl sugar but, while the taste will be similar, it will give a different texture to your waffles. You can also purchase Belgian pearl sugar off of Amazon. Our favorite brand thus far has been Lars.

Typically Belgian Liege Waffles are made in a square type waffle maker. We have been big fans of the waffle makers made by Cuisinart but you can use whatever waffle maker that you have available. Butter the waffle iron a little bit before cooking the waffles..

Use about 2-3 tablespoons of batter per waffle and cook to desired doneness. The outside of the waffle should be dark and caramelized but not burned.

Serving your Belgian Liege Waffle and Buttermilk Cornflake Chicken

Serve the chicken and waffles with some bourbon maple syrup. This is the same great syrup used to make our Maple Bourbon Hot Smoked Salmon.

If you really have a sweet tooth, considering topping the chicken and waffles with some Bourbon Cinnamon Sugar Pecans. For something a little more savory to go with the sweet, swap out the Buttermilk Cornflake Chicken with some of our Smoked Fried Chicken.

If you are looking for more great Belgian recipes, then be sure to check out our Belgian Steak and Fries, or for more great chicken recipes give our Salvadorian Pollo en Crema, Chicken Kiev, Jamaican Jerk Chicken Rasta Pasta or Blackened Chicken a la Mer a try.

If you are in the mood for some breakfast recipes, try some of our favorites:

• Homemade Sage Breakfast Sausage with Fresh Herbs
• Smothered Breakfast Burritos with Green Chile Sauce
• Bloody Mary Seasoned Bacon
• South African Beef Bobotie
• Breakfast Pastrami Hash
• Authentic Mexican Migas: Mexican Breakfast Skillet

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