Southern, Buffalo, Unfried Turkey On a Waffle

Southern, Buffalo, Unfried Turkey On a Waffle
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By Chef Avi Nov 15th 2019

This is my take on the breaded and fried buffalo chicken on a waffle. Except, nothing is fried here; after all, breaded Buffalo fried chicken is so last year. This is also a healthy alternative as there’s no oil involved in the process and if you do this right it’s also gluten free. Yes, that’s right, gluten free waffles. And you’ll do it with nothing tricky or complicated up your sleeve. So let’s get going.

For the Turkey

I love using turkey breast fillets from KOL Foods - real taste that really comes through. Their poultry are all pastured, organically fed and of course, contain no growth hormones or antibiotics.

  • 3 or 4 KOL Foods, organic-fed, pasture-raised Turkey Breast Fillets (substitute chicken breast fillets)
  • Kosher Salt
  • Granulated Garlic
  • Orange Juice (Optional)
  • Honey

First lightly season the fillets with very little salt and some granulated garlic. Remember that your marinade is going to be either soy sauce or tamari based, both of which are salty.

For The Marinade

  • ½ cup of Soy or Tamari Sauce (Tamari is usually gluten free)
  • Juice of ½ Lemon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp of Honey
  • 1 tsp of Toasted Sesame Oil (I like the Organic Sesame Oil from De La Rosa)
  • Knob of finely grated ginger
  • Pinch of Toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 - Tbl of cut Green Onions (scallions)
  • Cayenne Pepper Powder to taste
  • Chipotle Pepper to taste

Simply whisk all of the marinade ingredients together. However, add the cayenne and chipotle slowly and taste as you go so that you can control the amount of heat. By the way, if you don’t like it spicy, don’t add the peppers. Simple.

Take a gallon zip lock bag and put in about three quarters of the marinade and then add the poultry fillets. Zip up the bag leaving a small opening. Then gently squeeze out the air from the bag and finish sealing the bag. Now lay the bag flat and let the poultry bathe in the marinade for about a half hour, then flip the bag over and let it go another half hour. Don’t worry if it goes a bit longer; you can even do this overnight. Just make sure you put it in the refrigerator to prevent any bacterial growth.


 

For the Waffles


  • 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 Cup Almond Milk
  • 1 Cup Oatmeal Flour or Wheat Flour
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Dash of Cinnamon
  • 1 Egg
  • ½ tsp. Brown Sugar

Combine all of the dry ingredients first and blend in order to integrate them well with each other. Then add the egg and slowly add the almond milk until you have a batter that is somewhat thick. Now your batter is ready. By the way, you can make your own oatmeal flour by simply taking regular or gluten free oatmeal and pureeing it in a high-speed blender, preferably in a dry blend container.

Getting it All Together

Preheat a grill to medium/medium-high heat. I like to use a barbecue, but you can also use a grill pan. At the same time, preheat a waffle iron. If you don’t have a waffle iron, you can try a non-stick grill pan or use the same batter and make pancakes instead of waffles.

Next gently lay the turkey fillets on the grill. Be sure to discard the zip bag and the marinade that’s left in the bag. Don’t move the fillets around. You want to get some nice grill marks on them.

Once the fillets are on, add the batter to your waffle iron. You may want to use a little spray oil if you don’t have a non-stick waffle iron. Most electric waffle irons are not only non-stick, but they beep when the waffle is done. You can easily remove the waffle from your waffle iron using chopsticks. This will avoid scratching the non-stick surface with metal and still allow you to grip the waffles. Pretty cool.

After about 2-3 minutes, sprinkle a little extra chipotle pepper on the fillets, this is optional, and flip them. Remember if you have a thick fillet you may need to give it a bit more time on the grill.

Once the waffles are done, cut a wedge and put it on your plate. Then take a fully cooked fillet and either slice it against he grain into strips or just leave it whole, either way simply lay the meat on top of the waffle. I like to top with a little bit of the reserved marinade and then drizzle with honey.

Then garnish with toasted sesame seeds and some more cut scallions. I pair this with Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir. For a side, I like to keep it simple and serve a mixed green salad that includes lettuce, spinach, arugula, maybe some kale, tomatoes, peppers and mushrooms.

This is not only a filling meal but also a great way to surprise your family and guests with a treat for dinner that looks a bit decadent but is really very healthy.