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Chicken and Sweetcorn Breakfast Waffles

4 breakfasts: one quarter of all waffles plus 60 g yogurt and its share of lemon and parsley; usually 8 modest waffles, 2 per serving · Active 30 min · Cook 40 min · Total 1 hr 5 min

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These savory waffles have little pieces of roast chicken and sweetcorn tucked into an oat-and-flour batter. A cool lemon-parsley yogurt dip belongs beside them, rather than syrup over the top. The batch makes four breakfasts; the number of waffles depends on the capacity of your iron, so portion the complete batch instead of assuming every machine produces the same size.

Jump to ingredients

Golden chicken and sweetcorn waffles with a small bowl of parsley yogurt dip.

A small filling closes the iron cleanly

Chop the cooked chicken into pieces no larger than a pea. Long strands catch between the grids and pull the waffle apart when the lid opens. Drain and rinse the corn, then blot it with a clean towel before weighing it. Extra can liquid makes the batter harder to judge and can leave a damp ring around the kernels. Fold the chicken, corn and scallions through only after the oats have rested in the batter. This gives the dry oats time to absorb liquid before the heavier filling goes in.

Read the iron, then divide the batter

A classic waffle iron that accepts about 1/2 cup/120 ml batter is a useful starting point, but its manual controls the fill. Weigh the finished batter and divide it into eight equal portions, roughly 110 g each. If a portion exceeds your machine's safe capacity, cook more, smaller waffles and divide the whole cooked batch into four equal servings. Set the first waffle on a rack while the others cook. Stacking hot waffles traps steam and softens the crisp corners that make this breakfast appealing. During a long run of individual waffles, keep the unused batter covered in the refrigerator and bring out only the next portion. Warm iron-side storage is unnecessary for a mixture containing raw egg and cooked chicken.

Build a useful freezer breakfast

After cooling promptly, separate the four portions before freezing or refrigerating. It is easier to take out one breakfast than to pry apart a frozen stack. Keep the dip in its own container; warm yogurt sauce is not the intended texture. This is a way to use deliberately saved roast chicken around a busy training schedule, but the chicken must still be within its original safe storage window. Turning it into waffles does not make older leftovers fresh again. The estimate includes two of the eight waffles and a quarter of all the dip.

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 oz all-purpose flour (100 g)
  • 2 1/8 oz rolled oats (60 g)
  • 2 large eggs, without shells (100 g)
  • 1 cup 2% milk (240 ml; use 240 g for the estimate)
  • 7 oz plain roast chicken breast, skin removed, finely chopped (200 g cooked edible weight)
  • 5 oz canned sweetcorn, drained, rinsed and blotted dry (140 g)
  • 2 scallions, trimmed and finely sliced (20 g)
  • 4 teaspoons olive oil (20 ml/18 g), divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (6 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika (1 g)
  • About 1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt (240 g)
  • 4 teaspoons lemon juice (20 ml/20 g)
  • A small handful fresh parsley, finely chopped (6 g)

Set out

Waffle iron with manufacturer instructions and capacity of about 1/2 cup/120 ml per waffle, or use smaller batches, Kitchen scale, two mixing bowls and whisk, Clean knife and board for cooked chicken, Pastry brush, cooling rack and rimmed tray, Thin-tip food thermometer, Covered batter bowl and refrigerator space at 40°F/4°C or below between waffle batches

Allergens

Wheat, Egg, Milk, Check oats and baking powder for allergen or cross-contact statements.. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Use plain chicken cooked today or yesterday and promptly chilled at 40°F/4°C or below; the 65-minute timing starts with cooked chicken. Do not use raw chicken. Whisk flour, oats, baking powder, salt and paprika in a bowl. In another bowl whisk eggs, milk and 3 teaspoons/15 ml of the oil. Stir wet into dry just until combined. Rest 10 minutes while heating the waffle iron according to its manual.
  2. Fold in the finely chopped chicken, dry corn and scallions. Weigh the batter and divide it into eight equal portions, about 110 g each. Follow the iron's fill limit: if those portions are too large, cook more, smaller waffles and later divide the complete batch into four equal servings. Cover the remaining raw-egg-and-chicken batter and refrigerate at 40°F/4°C or below between sequential waffles; remove only the next portion when the iron is ready.
  3. Use the remaining 1 teaspoon/5 ml oil to brush the grids lightly over the whole batch. Cook a portion for about 4–5 minutes, or the manufacturer's time, until browned and firmly set. A thin probe inserted sideways into the center should read at least 165°F/74°C. Keep the lid closed until the waffle releases readily. Transfer to a rack; repeat, allowing up to 40 minutes for eight sequential waffles. Keep the remaining batter covered in the refrigerator between portions. A slower iron, or more smaller batches, extends the total time; every waffle still needs the 165°F/74°C center.
  4. Meanwhile mix all the yogurt, lemon juice and parsley in a clean bowl. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Divide the entire cooked waffle batch into four portions and serve each with one quarter of the dip. With eight waffles, that is two waffles per breakfast.

A breakfast that can wait for the morning

Make the whole batch when there is time to run the iron, then keep the portions separate. The dip can travel cold in a small pot while the waffle portion is reheated at home; no special eating window is prescribed.

A useful detail

The chicken weight is measured after cooking and removing skin and bones. The base uses plain roast chicken, not breaded or sauced chicken. All the measured grid oil is included in the nutrition estimate even though a little may remain on the iron.

Another way

  • Replace the 20 g scallions with 20 g finely chopped chives for a milder onion flavor.
  • Replace the 6 g parsley in the dip with the same weight of fresh dill. These changes are outside the base estimate.

Keep it well

Cool waffles unstacked and refrigerate in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Keep waffles and dip at 40°F/4°C or below for up to 2 days, and never beyond 3 days from the chicken's original cooking date, whichever is sooner. Freeze separated waffles promptly for up to 2 months if needed; thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat only the portion needed on a rack at 350°F/175°C until its center reaches 165°F/74°C. Keep the dip cold; carry it in an insulated bag with two cold sources.