Mini Hot Chicken And Waffle Sliders Food

MINI HOT CHICKEN AND WAFFLE SLIDERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Place 20 chicken nuggets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Reserve any remaining nuggets for another use.
• Bake nuggets in the preheated oven for 6 minutes. Flip and bake until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, prepare sauce: Heat butter, maple syrup, canola oil, brown sugar, paprika, cayenne, kosher salt, garlic powder, and black pepper in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. If sauce thickens too much, reduce heat to low and whisk in 1 to 2 tablespoons water. Keep warm.
• As the sauce is cooking, toast waffles, then separate each one into 4 mini waffles.
• Assemble sliders: Place a chicken nugget on top of a waffle and top with 1 heaping teaspoon slaw. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon sauce, top with a pickle slice, and place a second waffle on top. Secure slider with a toothpick or skewer, if desired. Repeat to make remaining sliders. Serve with extra sauce.

WAFFLE CHICKEN SLIDERS WITH MAPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat evenly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Meanwhile, make the maple butter. Combine the syrup and salted butter in a small mixing bowl. Stir until smooth and creamy. Cover with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature until ready to use.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Preheat a 6 1/2-inch round waffle iron to medium-high heat and spray with nonstick spray. Make the waffle batter according to the package directions, and then cook the waffles to desired doneness. Transfer to the oven to keep warm while frying the chicken.
• Fill a large Dutch oven halfway with canola oil and heat to 375 degrees F. While the oil is heating up, combine the flour, 1 pinch salt and 1 pinch pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag and shake to combine.
• Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and transfer to the bag of seasoned flour, letting any excess marinade stay behind in the bowl. Seal the bag and shake until all of the chicken is evenly coated. Transfer the chicken back into the bowl of marinade, tossing gently to coat. Return the chicken to the seasoned flour, seal the bag and shake again to evenly coat. Transfer the chicken to a rack set over a baking sheet in a single layer and let sit for 15 minutes.
• Fry the chicken in batches until golden brown and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Make sure that the oil comes back to temperature after each batch. Transfer the chicken to a large paper-towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon or tongs to absorb any excess oil. Season liberally with salt.
• To assemble, cut each waffle into quarters. Sandwich 1 piece of fried chicken between 2 waffle pieces slathered with the maple butter. Continue to assemble sandwiches with the remaining chicken, waffles and maple butter. Serve immediately with your favorite hot sauce on the side.

FRIED CHICKEN AND WAFFLE SLIDERS WITH SPICY MAYO

Steps:

• For the brine: To a saucepan, add 2 cups water, the salt, sugar, red chile flakes, peppercorns, garlic thyme leaves and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer to dissolve the sugar and salt. Once boiling, remove from the heat and add the ice. Once the liquid is cool, place into a freezer bag, and add the chicken to the brine, making sure it is completely submerged. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• For the waffle batter: Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In a separate bowl, beat together the buttermilk, butter and eggs. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients to the dry while stirring with a whisk. Mix until well combined and there are no lumps. Cover with plastic wrap.
• Pour the waffle batter into the waffle iron and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. Repeat for the remaining waffle batter.
• For the mayo: Whisk together the honey, mayonnaise, Sriracha, garlic powder, onion powder and salt, and set in the refrigerator to allow flavors to come together.
• For the slaw: Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard and vinegar together in a large bowl. Then add green cabbage, carrot, red cabbage, red onion and apple. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well so everything is coated evenly. Keep the slaw refrigerated until ready to use.
• For fried chicken: Combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, Italian seasoning, paprika and black pepper. In a separate shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and hot sauce. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, then into the egg, shake off excess, and then back into the flour mixture.
• Heat the canola oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in the hot oil until golden and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place the cooked chicken onto a rack on a sheet tray and keep warm while you finish cooking the rest of the chicken. Place the chicken into a warm oven to keep warm and crisp while you prepare the sliders.
• Spread the prepared mayonnaise on the bottom waffle and top with a couple of pieces of fried chicken to create a slider. Top with a pile of slaw. Finish with the second waffle piece and hold together with a bamboo skewer. Repeat for the remaining waffles and chicken. Cut into quarters and serve.