Chicken and waffles casserole combines crispy fried chicken, waffles, bacon, cheese, and more to create a delicious chicken casserole overflowing with flavor.
A great chicken and waffle casserole is all about building it. The two main components just meld together to create a mouth-watering, decadent meal.
This play on the best chicken and waffle recipe is worth a try at least once in your life...if you don't find yourself adding it to your regular culinary roster!
This recipe was inspired by my best fried chicken and waffles recipe. Get some ideas for what to serve with chicken and waffles and you'll have a full meal the whole family will love.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- It's easy to make for simple weeknight dinners!
- Easy to change it up and make it vegetarian.
- A kid-friendly chicken casserole with flavors that are completely out of this world!
- Great combination of sweet and savory!
Ingredients
The ingredients for this dinner or breakfast casserole recipe are incredibly simple. You'll find everything you need easily at your local grocery store.
The ingredients that make this recipe pop are below, but you'll find the complete list along with amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Frozen Waffles: Your favorite brand or kind of waffle works great.
- Eggs: Perfect with large eggs!
- Hot Sauce: Use your favorite brand or make a homemade hot sauce.
- Pure Maple Syrup: Don't skimp out, for best results avoid pancake syrup which is made with corn syrup and artificial maple flavor extract.
- Pepper Jack Cheese: Melts great and gives this sweet and savory chicken casserole some spice.
- Bacon Bits: I prefer homemade over store bought. Just keep in mind that homemade bacon bits need a good drain on a paper towel after cooking to remove as much grease as possible.
- Honey: For a bit of sweetness along with the maple syrup.
- Frozen Chicken Tenders: Using your favorite brand of chicken tenders is a great time saver for this homemade chicken casserole.
Substitutions and Variations
- Frozen Chicken Tenders: U.se frozen popcorn chicken or chicken strips
- Change up the cheese: Cheddar, Havarti, Gruyere or Gouda will work in a pinch if you can't get your hands on pepper Jack or if you simply want something without some spice.
- Vegetarian: The chicken tenders and bacon bits can be replaced with a plant-based chicken tenders and vegan bacon to make this vegetarian.
- Don't like it spicy?: Just eliminate the chili pepper flakes and hot sauce.
- Amp up your spice level: Add jalapeno powder, smoked jalapeno powder, or chipotle powder to the mixture to imbue heat into the dish.
- Add Fresh Herbs: For more flavor season it with thyme, chives, green onions, parsley and sage taste great.
If recipes like this are where your heart is at, you might also enjoy my recipe for chicken and waffle tacos.
How to Make Chicken and Waffles Casserole
It doesn't take much to assemble this chicken casserole for dinner. The highlights below will show you just how simple it is. For the complete instructions, see the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Toast the waffles in a preheated oven or toaster oven and then cut them into 1-inch cubes.
- Combine all the wet ingredients in a large bowl and whisk everything together to scramble the eggs.
- Layer half of the cut chicken tenders and waffles in a prepared baking dish.
- Top with bacon and cheese.
⭐️TOP TIP: Make sure to cut your chicken tenders into 1" cubes before cooking to ensure that they cook properly and all the way through.
- Repeat the process adding a second layer of chicken, waffles, and cheese. But skip the bacon this time!
- Pour the egg mixture over the casserole and let it sit. Sprinkle with the remaining bacon, cover, and bake.
- Remove the foil from the baking dish and bake again for 15 minutes to brown the top. Remove from the oven when the top is golden brown.
- Garnish with herbs, drizzle with maple syrup, and serve it up!
Storage
- In Fridge: Store leftover baked casserole for 3 days. Cover it with a lid or some plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
- In Freezer: To freeze the baked casserole, bake as directed and cool completely. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil (ensuring that it's air-tight) and freeze for up to 6 weeks.
- To Reheat: When ready to bake, thaw it out in the fridge overnight. Then reheat covered in the oven or in the microwave until warm.
Can I make this recipe ahead? Yes, this is definitely a perfect make ahead breakfast casserole. Assemble it the night before and leave it covered in the refrigerator. I suggest letting it sit on the counter for about thirty minutes placing it in a hot oven to prevent the dish from cracking. Since it's cold in the center, you may need to extend the cooking time by 10-15 minutes for it to thoroughly cook.
How to Serve
We love this recipe so much that we created a collection of sides for chicken and waffles! Here's some of the most popular sides on the list:
- Add a fun, homemade syrup. We especially love this strawberry jalapeno jam.
- It goes great with a sweet side such as fruit salad or grape salad.
- Add a green veggie such as bacon wrapped asparagus or one of these asparagus recipes.
- Want more meat? Serve up candied bacon, air fryer bacon twists, or oven glazed bacon on the side.
This dish is perfect to serve for holiday mornings, brunch, morning potlucks, and even a great casserole to serve overnight guests.
Tips
- Use REAL maple syrup, NOT pancake syrup for the best flavor.
- Cut the chicken and waffles into one-inch cubes. This makes it easier to eat but also aids for more even cooking.
- Change it up using some of our suggestions!
- Add a little extra cheese if you want!
FAQ
Yes, for the best results you need the real stuff and not imitation pancake syrup.
Absolutely, just make sure that you drain all of the oil from the chicken after cooking it. Then cut it into one-inch pieces.
More Waffles Recipes
Chicken and Waffle Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 Frozen Waffles
- 6 large eggs
- ¼ cup half and half
- ⅓ cup hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 6 oz pepper Jack cheese shredded
- ¼ cup bacon bits
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ lb. bag frozen chicken tenders cooked according to directions and cut into 1" cubes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F
- Grease a 9x9" casserole dish or cast iron pan.
- Toast waffles on the lowest setting until crispy and hot. Cut the waffles into 1" cubes.
- Combine the eggs, half and half, hot sauce, maple syrup, red pepper flakes, honey, salt, garlic powder, and pepper in a bowl.
- Layer the chicken, waffles, ½ of the bacon and ½ of the cheese in the pan.
- Pour in the liquid mixture. Let the casserole sit for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese and bacon over the top of the casserole.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes
- Garnish with fresh herbs and drizzle with maple syrup or sriracha. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Dawn
Omg this so good for any time of day! My husband is a pretty good cook. He has used duck a couple of times instead of chicken! Soo good! My friend even used left over pulled pork! It came out a bit mucky but tasted amazing! Don't be afraid of extra cheese and you must use Real maple syrup!!! Soo good!
Karin and Ken
Thank you for your kind words! Glad to hear you’re enjoying this casserole as much as we do. Thank you for taking the time to let me know. All the best. Karin