Chicken and waffles

Chicken and Waffles

Soul food style chicken and waffles, served with peaches and cream as dessert
Place of origin	United States
Serving temperature	Hot
Main ingredients	Chicken, waffles
Variations	Fried chicken with butter and syrup Stewed chicken with gravy

Chicken and waffles refers to either of two American dishes – one from soul food, the other Pennsylvania Dutch – that combine chicken with waffles. It is served in certain specialty restaurants in the United States.

The best known chicken and waffle pairing comes from the American soul food tradition and uses fried chicken. The waffle is served as it would be at breakfast time, with condiments such as butter and syrup. This unusual combination of foods is beloved by many people who are influenced by traditions of soul food passed down from past generations of their families. This version of the dish is highly popular in Baltimore, Maryland, enough to become a well-known local custom.

The traditional Pennsylvania Dutch version consists of a plain waffle with pulled, stewed chicken on top, covered in gravy. It is generally found in the Northeastern United States.

The exact origins of this dish are unknown, although several theories about its origin exist. Waffles entered American cuisine in the 1600s with European colonists. The food's popularity saw a notable boost after 1789 with Thomas Jefferson's purchase of a waffle iron in France.

In the early 1800s, hotels and resorts outside Philadelphia served waffles with fried catfish. Such establishments also served other dishes like fried chicken, which gradually became the meat of choice due to catfish's limited, seasonal availability. Waffles served with chicken and gravy were noted as a common Sunday dish among the Pennsylvania Dutch by the 1860s. By the end of the 19th century, the dish was a symbol of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, brought on in part by its association with tourism.