Wings & Waffles Recipe

Prep and season wings

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels. In a large bowl combine 2 tablespoons neutral oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, black pepper and kosher salt. Add the wings and toss to coat evenly.

Wrap with bacon

Cut bacon strips in half crosswise. Wrap each wing with a half slice of bacon (spiral around drumette or flat) and secure with a toothpick if needed. Place wrapped wings on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil (rack allows air circulation and crisping).

Roast wings

Roast wings in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Rotate the pan and roast an additional 8–12 minutes until bacon is crisp and wings reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and skin is nicely browned.

Glaze wings

While wings roast, combine 1 cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat and simmer 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. During the last 3 minutes of roasting, brush or spoon glaze over each wing and return to oven so glaze sets and becomes slightly sticky. After removing from oven, let rest 3 minutes to set.

Preheat and prepare waffle iron

Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer instructions and lightly grease with a little melted butter or oil.

Make batter

In a medium bowl whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt. In a separate bowl whisk egg, 3 tablespoons milk, 3 tablespoons additional whole milk (total 6 tablespoons milk), 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir just until combined; do not overmix. Fold in 3 tablespoons pearl sugar so the coarse sugar pockets remain intact.

Cook waffle

Spoon batter into the preheated waffle iron (amount depends on iron size) and spread evenly. Cook according to waffle iron instructions until golden brown and crisp, about 3–5 minutes. The pearl sugar will caramelize and create sweet pockets. Remove waffle and keep warm in a low oven (200°F / 95°C) while finishing wings if needed.

Assemble: place sugar pearl waffle on serving plate. Arrange three maple bacon wings atop or alongside the waffle.

Sauce & dust: Warm 1/4 cup maple syrup if desired and drizzle over the waffle and wings. Lightly dust waffle and wings with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar using a fine sieve for an even dusting.

Optional: add a small pat (1 tablespoon) of unsalted butter on the waffle to melt into the syrup. Serve immediately while wings are hot and glaze is tacky.