Chicken and waffles are a ridiculously effective combination. A shattering-skinned piece of tender meat meets the crisp edge and pleasing pillow of baked batter, and it all gets slathered in syrup. Glory. Buffalo chicken is also a brilliant thing, with the happy sting of hot sauce (this may feel like a paid ad for Frank’s RedHot, but it’s just pure love) mellowed out by melted butter. Chicken tenders, too—they’re just perfect in their finger-borne, dippable format. In these head-spinning, heart-racing times of large, televised sports events, political apocalypse, and The Bachelor, it just makes sense to consolidate as many good things as possible and stuff them into our mouths to maximize pleasure. That’s why I made Waffle-Crusted Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Spicy Maple Syrup for you.Gonna fess up here that they’re not technically chicken tenders because they’re not actually made from the tenderloin cut. I opted instead for dark thigh meat, which is infinitely more delicious, so perhaps you will pardon the imprecision. Toss them in a marinade of buttermilk and Frank’s (seriously, not sponsored—just accurate if you’re Buffalo-ing things), turn some frozen waffles into coating crumbs and fry away to a happier place. Oh, and the dipping sauce of Frank’s, maple syrup, and butter is so dementedly good that I licked the little testing bowl after I nailed the ratio I liked, and I am not ashamed to admit that.Waffle-Crusted Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Spicy Maple Syrup
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