What are Keto Chaffles? They are the biggest craze to hit keto foods because they are crispy with the perfect waffle-like texture. Make some keto chicken and chaffles tonight for an unforgettable keto meal. These chaffles are keto, low-carb, grain-free, and gluten-free!
Keto Chaffles - Cheese + Waffles
Cutting out all carbs used to mean giving up on one of the most indulgent brunch staples - waffles! But not anymore.
Chaffles are a gift from above.
They are crispy and flaky, just like their carb-filled counterparts.
Keto chaffles are essentially made up of just cheese and eggs.
There are a ton of variations out there. We experimented was a bunch of different versions and finally created the perfect combination of ingredients that tastes just like regular waffles.
Keto Chicken and Chaffles
Then to take it up a level, we paired these perfect chaffles together with keto fried chicken.
You won't believe how heavenly these two are together. With every crunchy bite, you'll feel like you are indulging, but you aren't!
Chicken and chaffles are a really fun keto lunch or brunch idea. When we first heard about this classic southern dish, we knew we had to find a way to make a keto version.
The secret is to make sure you get a really crispy piece of fried chicken and put it on top of a flaky chaffle. Then, top it with some sugar-free syrup.
Yup. It's incredible.
How to Make Chaffles: Keto Waffles
Chaffles is such a fun little word. Cheese + Waffles = Chaffles!
But we didn't want our keto chaffles to taste like fried eggs. We wanted them to resemble regular waffles, with all their flaky and crunchy goodness.
We combined two different kinds of cheese - both cheddar and cream cheese - and added them to eggs and almond flour. Then, sprinkled in some baking powder to make them flakier.
The result is pure keto chaffle perfection.
Almond Meal or Almond Flour?
This is very important. Buy almond flour. Not almond meal flour.
Both are basically ground up almonds. However, almond flour is ground up finer than almond meal flour. And almond flour has a lighter color.
You can use either one, but the almond meal flour will leave dark specks in your waffles and the texture will be grainier. It just won't turn out as enjoyable.
What's the Best Crispy Coating for Fried Chicken on Keto?
Take our word for it, finely processed pork rinds with shredded Parmesan cheese make the absolute best coating for keto fried chicken. They retain a really crispy texture after you fry them in the coconut oil.
When you buy pork rinds, look for the plain flavor. Some flavors have added sugars.
The Best Cheese for Chaffles
We used a combination of cheddar cheese with cream cheese for the chaffles. The cream cheese rounds out the sharpness of the cheddar with its rich and tangy flavor.
Plus, the cream cheese melts and makes a nice and thick chaffle.
Buy Grass-Fed or Organic Cheese
You are on keto to take care of your body. So treat it the best by choosing the best quality dairy products. Look for labels such as raw, organic, 100% grass-fed.
100% grass-fed dairy means exactly what it says: the dairy comes from cows that eat only grass. That means they are not eating corn, soy, and or any other grains, which can cause inflammation.
Grass-fed, organic cheese gives you essential omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).
In fact, grass-fed dairy has:
- 147% more omega-3 than non-organic, non-grass-fed dairy
- 125% percent more CLA than non-organic, non-grass-fed dairy
My Chaffles Aren't Crispy
There are a few things that could lead to soft chaffles (and no one likes that!).
- Keep the waffle iron closed the entire time. If you open it too soon to check on them, they won't crisp up correctly.
- Measure everything closely. If you use too much cream cheese it could make them softer.
- Leaving out almond flour. This is an essential ingredient. If you only use cheese and eggs, it will turn out either like an omelet or a thick fried cheese waffle.
Chicken Breasts or Chicken Thighs
Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for your fried chicken. They have more fat and flavor than chicken breasts.
Even though bone-in chicken thighs will cost less, buy the boneless ones. They will cook more evenly and quicker than bone-in. Plus they are easier to eat too!
How to Know When Fried Chicken is Fully Cooked
There are two ways to know when fried chicken is fully cooked - looking and checking the temperature. Obviously, the temperature option is the most reliable.
Plus, you don't want to cut into your beautiful fried chicken.
Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches the internal temperature of 165°F. Use a meat thermometer to check it when the skin gets that nice golden color. For dark meat (aka chicken thighs), we like the temperature to be 170-175°F so keep it in the oven a little longer to achieve this temperature.
Different Types of Chaffles
The most basic chaffle is made with just 1 egg and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. We added a few more ingredients to help them look, taste, and feel like regular waffles.
Take our basic recipe here and make your own variations and flavors. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Keto-friendly chocolate chips
- Everything Bagel seasoning
- Finely shredded zucchini
- Jalapenos
- Cooked bacon pieces
What Equipment You Need:
Keto Chaffles Step-By-Step
Are you ready to get in the kitchen and make your own? Here are step-by-step instructions to show you exactly how yo make your keto chaffles and fried chicken. P.S. It is so easy!!
Let's Start with the Chaffles First!
Step 1: Gather all of your ingredients for the keto chaffles:
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 oz. softened cream cheese
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Step 2: Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. The batter should look like the picture below.
Step 3: Pour the batter into a greased waffle maker on high heat. (Use 1/3 cup batter for a 7-inch round waffle maker or 3/4 cup batter for a Belgian waffle maker.)
Close the lid and allow the batter to cook for about 5 minutes (or according to your waffle maker's instructions).
On to the Keto Crispy Fried Chicken!
Step 1: Gather your ingredients and heat your oven to 350°F.
Step 2: In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper together. In another shallow bowl, mix together the crushed pork rinds, Parmesan cheese, paprika, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
Step 3: One at a time, dip your chicken thighs into the egg mixture and then dredge in the pork rind mixture to fully coat. Make sure to press the crumbs into the surface and crevices of the chicken firmly.
Step 4: Heat coconut oil in a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Once the oil begins to smoke, place in the chicken thighs in the cast iron. Fry the chicken thighs for 2-3 minutes on one side and then flip and fry for another 2-3 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
Transfer the chicken thighs to the baking sheet and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 170-175°F.
As you can see, it's pretty easy, even beginner cooks can make them. Let's get cooking!
Recipe:
Keto Chicken and Waffles
Ingredients
For the Chaffles
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 oz. softened cream cheese
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- sugar-free syrup optional
For the Fried Chicken (optional)
- 1 cup coconut oil
- 1.5 lbs chicken thighs Approximately 6 boneless skinless, patted dry with paper towels
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper divided
- 3.5 oz. pork rinds crushed in the bag or in food processor
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
For the Chaffles
- Grease the waffle maker with cooking spray, melted butter, or oil and turn it on to heat it.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together all the Chaffle ingredients until combined.
- Pour the batter into a waffle maker (use about 1/3 cup batter for a 7-inch round waffle maker and 3/4 cup batter for a Belgian waffle maker).
- Close the lid and allow the batter to cook for about 5 minutes (or according to your waffle maker's instructions).
- Please note: As your waffle cooks, it will release steam. Wait until the steam stops coming out before checking on the waffle for doneness. Do not peek while the waffle is cooking. If you lift the lid too early, you could rip the waffle apart!
- Remove cooked Chaffles from the waffle maker and top with sugar-free syrup.
For the Fried Chicken (optional)
- Heat your oven to 350°F.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper together.
- In another shallow bowl, mix together the crushed pork rinds, Parmesan cheese, paprika, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
- One at a time, dip your chicken thighs into the egg mixture and then dredge in the pork rind mixture to fully coat. Make sure to press the crumbs into the surface and crevices of the chicken firmly.
- Heat the coconut oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat. Once the oil begins to smoke, place in the chicken thighs in the skillet.
- Fry the chicken thighs for 2-3 minutes on one side and then flip and fry for another 2-3 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
- Transfer the chicken thighs to the baking sheet and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 170-175°F.
- Assemble your chicken and chaffles by plating a chaffle, followed by a piece of fried chicken. Top with sugar-free syrup and a dusting of confectioner erythritol.
Nutrition
We Can't Wait To See You Try It!
We love seeing our recipes come to life!! We can’t wait to see how you make these and loving seeing each person's unique spin on it! Tag us on Instagram @cleanketolifestyle or use the hashtag #CKLrecipe!
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