This fun and kid-friendly recipe for chicken and Tater Tot waffles swaps out regular waffles for an easy potato version. A breakfast or supper to remember!
This plate of chicken and Tater tot deliciousness is dedicated to my son-in-law, and I saved it especially for this weekend because guess what was happening one year ago at this time?
Yep. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? It has been one whole year since my bunny walked down the aisle and said “I do” to the love of her life.
And one of the millions of details of that precious day was their delightful and delicious wedding reception, and one of the very first appetizers they picked out were these adorable little mini chicken and waffle bites.
And as I recall, the one who picked them out was that handsome groom up there, and so when I got the notion to use up some Tater Tots that were lounging around in my freezer by making chicken and Tater Tot waffles, it seemed only right that this should be the Happy One Year Anniversary post.
Here’s how you make chicken and Tater Tot waffles!
The very first thing you do is marinate chicken tenders in a buttermilk bath for a while, because there are two stars of the show in this recipe and you want them both to be perfecto, and there is nothing like a buttermilk bath for making chicken tenders, well, tender!
Now go find that waffle iron I know you have somewhere, brush it with a little canola oil, and place a single layer of thawed Tater Tots on the surface.
Close up the waffle iron and toast the Tots until they are nice and crispy. Once you have your Tot waffles all done, put them on a cookie sheet and pop them in a warm oven to keep them toasty while you make the chicken.
You’re going to dunk the chicken in flour and eggs and fry them up in canola oil until they are nice and golden brown.
More tips for making Chicken and Tater Tot Waffles!
They are waiting for you right next to the french fries in the freezer section of your supermarket. I find that spreading them out on a cookie sheet for a few hours works the best for defrosting.
You can do either one! If you decide to cut them up, make sure you are going with boneless chicken (and yes, you can use either breast or thigh meat) and cut them into roughly 1 inch by 3-4 inch pieces.
You can make the waffles ahead (warm them up in a 200 degree oven) but the tenders are best made right before the eating starts!
Now pop a tender or two on each waffle, drizzle with honey or maple syrup and serve them up to your true love.
And speaking of true loves, I made this recipe with my aged waffle iron. The plates on that waffle iron are not removable, so my true love spent his after dinner time cleaning the Tater Tot bits out of the waffle iron grids…
…and he looked so dear doing that cleanup work that I promptly ordered a new-fangled waffle iron that has plates that pop out and go in the dishwasher so he would never have to do that again.
Ain’t love grand?
Want to round out your meal? This recipe pairs well with...
Chicken and Tater Tot Waffles
Prep Time: 60 minutes- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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This fun and kid-friendly recipe for chicken and Tater Tot waffles swaps out regular waffles for an easy potato version. A breakfast or supper to remember!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds chicken tenders
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 cup canola oil
- 2 cups flour
- 2 eggs, beaten to blend
- 2 pounds Tater Tots, thawed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Maple syrup or honey for drizzling
Instructions
- Put the chicken tenders and the buttermilk in a zippered plastic bag and marinate for at least one hour, or as long as overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 200 (this is to keep the waffles warm as you make them) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Get out your trusty waffle iron and brush it with some of the canola oil. Put a single layer of the thawed Tater Tots on the waffle iron (make sure they are touching, close the iron, turn it up to High and cook until they are crispy and holding together, about 8 minutes. Carefully remove the waffle with tongs and/or a spatula, place on the cookie sheet and pop in the oven to keep warm while you make the rest of the waffles.
- Once the waffles are done, make the chicken: put the flour into a shallow bowl or pie pan and mix with salt and pepper. Put the eggs in a separate shallow bowl. Dip each chicken tender into flour, then egg, then flour again.
- Put the remaining canola oil in a medium deep pot or skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken tenders and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes (you may have to do this in batches).
- Top each waffle with a few chicken tenders, drizzle with maple syrup or honey and serve!
Thanks for the heads-up about the tots sticking to the waffle iron. I intended to make this in my mini waffle iron (with non-removable plates), but since I have no Southern gentleman to clean it for me, I’ll make this in my wedding-gift waffle iron from 1974, with removable plates. Or I might just cook them in my air fryer, as usual. Happy Anniversary, Bunny!
Ah, the air fryer – I am so tempted to get one! :)
I wouldn’t have bought one & don’t recommend them. I got it free from KOHLS in exchange for a review.
★★★★★
Hehe, I love these beautiful throwback photos so much! What a lovely pair–and what great taste they have in small bites. Looking forward to some comfort food during this rocky time! Hope you guys are taking care.
Ala! Thank you so much, and hope you are hanging in there too…what a time! xoxo