Gluten-Free Chicken & Waffle Sticks with Spicy Maple Dipping Sauce

Chicken and waffles, but built for dipping: crispy gluten-free fried chicken strips wrapped in waffle batter on a stick, with a maple sauce that bites back. It is unapologetic party food, and nobody at the table will guess it is wheat-free.

Yield: 8 sticks · Time: 50 min

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) chicken tenders
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup (140 g) gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, for dredging, seasoned with 1 tsp paprika and 1/2 tsp salt
• Oil for shallow frying
• 2 cups gluten-free waffle batter (from a labeled GF mix or your own)
• 8 wooden skewers
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 tsp hot sauce
• 1 tbsp butter

Directions

1. Soak the tenders in buttermilk 20 minutes, dredge in the seasoned flour, and shallow-fry until golden and cooked through, 3–4 minutes per side. Drain and skewer.
2. Warm the maple syrup with hot sauce and butter; keep warm.
3. Dip each skewered tender in waffle batter, letting excess drip off.
4. Cook in a hot, greased waffle maker until golden, about 3 minutes per stick.
5. Serve hot with the spicy maple sauce for dipping.

Pro tip: Double-check that your hot sauce and waffle mix are labeled gluten-free — those two are the sneaky ones here.

Gluten-Free Notes

A quick label-reading reminder: scan ingredient lists for wheat, barley, rye, and malt, and look for a gluten-free claim on anything processed. When a label is unclear, the manufacturer’s website usually settles it.

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Browse more in Breakfast & Brunch, or explore our gluten-free breakfast recipe database and hot cereal guide.