Air Fryer Chicken and Waffles (30 Minutes!)

Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. For reliable results, use a meat thermometer and test the thickest portion of the chicken. If you’re cooking bone-in chicken, be careful not to let the thermometer probe hit a bone, since that can cause an inaccurate reading.

Air frying works differently than other cooking methods. Lightly spritz the chicken with cooking oil to help the coating set and develop a rich golden-brown color. If you want it to brown and turn crunchy, you may need to spritz it with oil a few times during cooking.

It’s best not to use cooking spray in the air fryer. The spray may break down the enamel on the air fryer tray. Instead, it’s recommended to get an oil mister—pour the oil into a spray bottle and mist the food you’re preparing or the trays.

Yes, definitely! This air fryer chicken and waffles recipe is great even without buttermilk. For the waffle batter, swap in regular milk in place of buttermilk—the waffles will still come out light, fluffy, and tasty. If you’d like to make a buttermilk alternative for a tangier taste, combine 1 cup of whole milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar, then let it sit for 5 minutes before using. You can also try plain Greek yogurt diluted with a small amount of milk to achieve a similar result. Plus, the chicken coating doesn’t call for buttermilk at all, making this a straightforward chicken and waffles recipe using common everyday ingredients.