If you're looking for a breakfast that is truly unique, zesty, and scrumptious, this award-winning Healthy Chicken Waffle Sandwich is the answer! I originally developed this recipe for a national cooking contest (the 2015 Maple Lodge Farms Family Recipe Challenge) and walked away with one of the top prizes. It proves that you can have all the soul-warming comfort of southern chicken and waffles without the deep-fried calories.
This isn't your typical chicken and waffles recipe. I've swapped the greasy fried chicken for lean, savory chicken breakfast strips and paired them with fluffy, orange-infused waffles and a sweet and spicy strawberry sauce. It's a spectacular combination of flavors that works just as well for a festive Easter brunch as it does for a fun "breakfast for dinner" on a busy weeknight. It's fresh, colorful, and perfectly balanced for a healthy lifestyle!
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- Recipe Overview: Healthy Chicken and Waffle Sandwich
- Summarize and Save this Content on:
- 🥘Ingredient Notes
- 📖 Variations & Substitutions
- 🔪Step-by-Step Instructions: How to Make this Healthy Chicken Waffle Sandwich Recipe
- Expert Recipe Tips:
- 🎥🍓Video: How to hull strawberries
- 👪 Serving Size
- 🥗 What to Serve with this Healthy Chicken and Waffles recipe
- 🌡️Storage
- 🍽 Equipment
- ❔ Recipe FAQs
- Didn't find the answer you're looking for?
- 🍳More Healthy Breakfast Recipes
- 🧇 Healthy Chicken Waffle Sandwich Recipe
Looking for more healthy waffles? Be sure to try my Belgian Chocolate Waffles recipe too!
Recipe Overview: Healthy Chicken and Waffle Sandwich
- Ready In: 40 Minutes
- Serves: 3 sandwiches
- Calories: 594 kcal (per whole sandwich)
- Main Ingredients: Whole wheat flour, orange juice/zest, chicken breakfast strips, fresh strawberries, strawberry jam, red chili spread.
- Dietary Info: High Protein.
- Difficulty: Easy.
- Why You'll Love It: This is a delicious sandwich that features fluffy orange-infused waffles and a unique sweet-and-spicy strawberry sauce. It's an award-winning recipe that looks gourmet but uses simple "Lazy Way" shortcuts!
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🥘Ingredient Notes
For this spicy chicken waffle sandwich, you'll need:
- Breakfast Chicken Strips: I originally used Zabiha Halal brand chicken strips for the contest, but any lean chicken or turkey bacon works beautifully. It provides that salty "crunch" without the points of fried chicken.
- Orange Juice & Zest: This is the secret "Lazy Way" hack to making store-bought-style waffles taste as if they came from a high-end bakery.
- Reduced-Sugar Strawberry Jam: This provides the base for the "Spicy Strawberry Sauce." It pairs spectacularly with the chicken.
- Red Chili Spread/Dip: This is where the "zip" comes from! You can use any sweet chili sauce or a spicy pepper jelly.
- Whole Wheat & All-Purpose Flour: Using a 50/50 blend ensures the waffles are high in fiber but still light and airy.
- Whipped Cream: I use a light Whipped Cream (spray bottle)
This chicken and waffle sandwich is a very family-friendly recipe because you can freeze the leftover waffles (I often just double the recipe), then on a busy weekday morning, pop them in the toaster to warm them. The same goes for the Breakfast chicken strips. And even eat it on the go (just use a little less of the whipped cream mixture)! Or if you are really pressed for time, use store-bought frozen waffles as a substitute!
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Waffles: If you don't have time to make these homemade waffles, then use store-bought waffles
- Chicken Bacon: You can use turkey bacon instead of chicken bacon. You could also replace the chicken bacon with cooked chicken breast strips/fillets
- Jam: You can substitute raspberry or mixed berry
- Spice: If you don't like the spicy element and want to mellow it, then skip the chili dip/spread or use less. Of course, if you like it, then add as much as you like! Or you could use a different hot sauce.
- Low-carb: You can make low-carb by using Chaffles instead of waffles
🔪Step-by-Step Instructions: How to Make this Healthy Chicken Waffle Sandwich Recipe
PREP: Cook bacon (Zabiha Halal Breakfast Chicken strips) on the stove top until cooked through, as per package directions (about 5 minutes) and lightly browned. Set aside.
- Step 1: In a large bowl, stir flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt together.
- Step 2: Separate egg whites from egg yolks. In a medium bowl, combine milk and vegetable oil with beaten egg yolk; stir in maple syrup, orange juice, and zest.
- Step 3: Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir only until blended.
- Step 4: Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry.
- Step 5: Fold egg whites into batter.
- Step 6: Pour waffle batter onto a hot waffle iron.
- Step 7: Cook waffles until lightly browned. You will have 6 waffles. Lightly toast in the toaster (this helps prevent a soggy sandwich).
- Step 8: Sauce for chicken waffles: Mix strawberry jam, whipped cream, and chili dip/spread together.
- Step 9: Assembly: Spread strawberry jam mixture on the inside of one waffle, top breakfast chicken strips, then with sliced strawberries. Spread the jam mixture on the inside of another waffle.
- Step 10: Then place on top of the sandwich (sauce side down). Repeat for the remaining 3 sandwiches.
Expert Recipe Tips:
- The "Fluffy" Secret: For the lightest, most spectacular waffles, don't skip the step of beating your egg whites separately! Folding them into the batter at the very end is the professional secret to waffles that are crispy on the outside and airy on the inside.
- Prevent a Soggy Sandwich: My favorite tip is to lightly toast your waffles twice. Once in the waffle iron, then a quick 30-second pop in the toaster right before you assemble the sandwich. This creates a firm "crust" that prevents the jam and strawberries from making the bread soft.
- The Sauce Balance: The strawberry-chili sauce is the star of this dish. Taste it before you spread it! If you prefer a milder flavor, add a teaspoon more jam. If you want more of a kick, add an extra dash of the red chili spread.
- Keep it Warm: If you are cooking for a crowd, keep the finished waffles and chicken strips on a wire rack in a 200°F (95°C) oven. The rack allows air to circulate so the waffles stay crispy while you finish the rest.
🎥🍓Video: How to hull strawberries
If you're not sure how to hull a strawberry, then check out this video: How to hull a strawberry.
👪 Serving Size
This recipe makes 6 waffles and 3 chicken waffle sandwiches. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🥗 What to Serve with this Healthy Chicken and Waffles recipe
This is a very filling meal on its own, but it pairs perfectly with my Homemade Chai Tea (shown). It also goes well with my Old Fashioned Fruit Salad and Spicy Sweet Potato Fries .
🌡️Storage
You can make both the waffles and the chicken bacon in advance. You can refrigerate for a day or two, but if it's going to be longer, I would recommend that you freeze them, as the waffles stay fresher. You can just pop them into the toaster when you're ready to eat them.
If you have leftovers, the sauce, strawberries, chicken, and waffles should all be stored in separate containers in the fridge for up to 2 days.
🍽 Equipment
You'll want to use a waffle maker for this chicken waffle sandwich, and preferably a Belgian waffle maker. (affiliate link). This is the one I have, and I love it! However, it will also work with a regular waffle maker. Or simply use store-bought waffles.
❔ Recipe FAQs
What exactly is a chicken waffle sandwich?
It's a deconstructed, portable version of the Southern classic. Instead of a plate of fried chicken and waffles, I use lean chicken breakfast strips and fresh fruit tucked between two waffles. It gives you the perfect "sweet and savory" bite every time.
Absolutely! To make this a true 10-minute "The Lazy Way" meal, use high-quality frozen waffles. Just toast them until they are very crisp before adding the fillings to ensure they hold up to the sauce.
As written, it has a mild "zing." The red chili spread is balanced by the sweetness of the strawberry jam and the creaminess of the whipped cream. If you want zero heat, simply omit the chili spread-the strawberry-orange combination is still delicious!
The waffles are the bulk of the points. To lighten it up even further, you can use a "Chaffles " (cheese and egg waffle) base, and swap the whipped cream for a dollop of non-fat Greek yogurt mixed with the jam.
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Whether you're looking to impress guests at a holiday brunch or just want a fresh new way to enjoy "breakfast for dinner," this Healthy Chicken Waffle Sandwich is a must-try. It's proof that a few clever pantry swaps and a bit of culinary creativity can turn a high-calorie classic into a spectacular, nutritious win. Give it a try and see why this recipe took home the top prize in the family recipe challenge
🍳More Healthy Breakfast Recipes
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🧇 Healthy Chicken Waffle Sandwich Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Waffles
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
- 1 cup reduced fat milk 1%
- 1 medium sized orange - the juice and zest
- 4 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 egg yolks well beaten
- 2 egg whites
- ¼ cup maple syrup no sugar added
Sandwich Fixin's:
- 1 375 gram pkg. Zabiha Halal Breakfast chicken strips -original flavour *Any chicken or turkey bacon can be substituted
- 2 cups hulled and sliced fresh strawberries
- 1 cup whipped cream preferably light
- ½ cup Strawberry reduced sugar jam raspberry or mixed berry can be substituted
- 1 tablespoon red chili dip/spread
Instructions
- Cook chicken bacon strips on stove top until cooked through, as per package directions (about 5 minutes) and lightly browned. Set aside.1 375 gram pkg. Zabiha Halal Breakfast chicken strips -original flavour
- In a large bowl, stir flours, baking powder, sugar and salt together.¾ cup whole wheat flour, ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
- In a medium bowl, combine milk and vegetable oil with beaten egg yolk; stir in maple syrup, orange juice and zest.1 cup reduced fat milk, 1 medium sized orange - the juice and zest, 4 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 egg yolks, ¼ cup maple syrup
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir only until blended.
- Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold into batter.2 egg whites
- Pour waffle batter onto hot waffle iron and cook waffles until lightly brown. You will have 8 waffles.
- Once waffles are cool, lightly toast in toaster until desired crispness.
- Sauce for chicken waffles: Mix strawberry jam, whipped cream and chili dip/spread together1 cup whipped cream, ½ cup Strawberry reduced sugar jam, 1 tablespoon red chili dip/spread
- Assemble: Spread strawberry jam mixture on the inside of one waffle, top breakfast chicken strips, then with sliced strawberries. Spread the jam mixture on the inside on another waffle. And place on top of sandwich (jam side down) . Repeat for remaining 3 sandwiches.2 cups hulled and sliced fresh strawberries
Notes
- The "Fluffy" Secret: For the lightest, most spectacular waffles, don't skip the step of beating your egg whites separately! Folding them into the batter at the very end is the professional secret to waffles that are crispy on the outside and airy on the inside.
- Prevent a Soggy Sandwich: My favorite "The Lazy Way" tip is to lightly toast your waffles twice. Once in the waffle iron, then a quick 30-second pop in the toaster right before you assemble the sandwich. This creates a firm "crust" that prevents the jam and strawberries from making the bread soft.
- The Sauce Balance: The strawberry-chili sauce is the star of this dish. Taste it before you spread it! If you prefer a milder flavor, add a teaspoon more jam. If you want more of a kick, add an extra dash of the red chili spread.
- Keep it Warm: If you are cooking for a crowd, keep the finished waffles and chicken strips on a wire rack in a 200°F (95°C) oven. The rack allows air to circulate so the waffles stay crispy while you finish the rest.
Terri Gilson says
I've been making waffles with the same old iron for 25 years, and it still cranks out winners like this Healthy Chicken Waffle Sandwich. It's not your typical chicken and waffles - the low-fat chicken strips and spicy-sweet combo make it special. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner when you're short on time!
Sue Slaght says
I love the waffles and strawberries. I've never even owned a waffle maker. Sigh.
Food Meanderings says
Sue, you can have mine when I get my shiny new 4 iron 🙂
Sue Slaght says
I love the waffles and strawberries. I've never even owned a waffle maker. Sigh.
Food Meanderings says
Sue, you can have mine when I get my shiny new 4 iron 🙂