Crispy, Cheesy Hot Honey Chicken Sweet Potato Waffles
I’m back with another recipe from my Substack meal plans! This savory sweet potato waffles recipe is from May’s Sunday plan, which I walk you through in my 4 High-Protein Dinners Prepped in 1 Hour YouTube video. Everyone who has tried it has raved about this fun and unique recipe, and once you take a bite, you’ll understand why!
After all, who says waffles are just for breakfast? This savory spin on classic chicken and waffles starts with crispy, cheesy sweet potato waffles instead of traditional batter. Then, they’re piled high with various toppings for the ultimate combination of tastes and textures. They look like something you’d order at a trendy restaurant, but are surprisingly simple to make at home!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Satisfying Textures – With crispy waffle edges, fluffy waffle centers, tender chicken, crunchy slaw, and creamy avocado, every bite offers a lot to love.
- The Best Combination of Flavors – Sweet, savory, and perfectly spiced, these hot honey chicken sweet potato waffles satisfy all my cravings at once.
- High-Protein + Healthy – With 29 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and lots of vitamins and nutrients, these waffles taste comforting but are secretly so good for you!
- Great for Leftovers – This recipe was made for meal prep! Roast the sweet potatoes ahead of time and use leftover chicken or extra slaw to make assembly even easier.
RELATED: Vegetarian Jalapeño Bacon Waffles
Watch How to Make Sweet Potato Waffles
Ingredients
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes – You’ll need 4 1/2 cups of diced sweet potatoes. I leave the skins on, but you can peel them if you want.
- Avocado Oil
- Salt
Slaw
- Light Mayo and Plain Greek Yogurt – These form the base of the aioli for the dressing. I prefer light mayo for a slightly lighter option, but regular mayo is totally fine.
- Olive Oil – This combines the ingredients, creating a smooth, creamy aioli without diluting the flavor.
- Lime – Lime juice and lime zest add a bright, citrusy flavor that balances the fats.
- Garlic
- Dijon Mustard
- Honey – Adjust to taste, depending on how sweet you like your slaw. Also, feel free to substitute maple syrup if that’s what you prefer.
- Jalapeño – Remove the membrane and seeds of your pepper before using. Then, dice it, and use as little or as much as you want to add heat and crunch to the slaw.
- Cilantro
- Salt/Pepper
- Red Cabbage
- Shredded Carrots – I like to use matchstick carrots to keep this recipe super easy, but you can shred whole carrots if you have them on hand.
Waffles and Toppings
- Cheese – A combination of Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese adds salty, savory flavor to the waffles and acts as a “glue,” helping them hold their shape. For the best results, buy blocks of cheese and grate them yourself. I recommend using low-moisture part-skim mozzarella if possible!
- Eggs – These act as a binder, helping the waffles hold their shape.
- Rotisserie Chicken – Use leftover shredded rotisserie chicken or Instant Pot shredded chicken breast.
- Avocado
- Hot Honey – I always use the hot honey from my Hot Honey Salmon Bites, but store-bought hot honey also tastes great and saves lots of time.
How to Make Hot Honey Chicken Sweet Potato Waffles
For this recipe, we’re making the waffles from scratch (no box mix here), but I promise the process is so easy! All you need is a glass casserole dish, a blender, a mixing bowl, a fork or potato masher, and a waffle iron. Here’s how to make Hot Honey Chicken Sweet Potato Waffles:
- Roast the sweet potatoes – Toss the sweet potatoes with avocado oil and salt, and roast them in a glass casserole dish just until they’re fork-tender. I recommend tossing the potatoes frequently to promote even cooking and prevent them from burning!
- Prepare the slaw – While the potatoes cook, blend the slaw ingredients except the cabbage and carrots. Then, mix the veggies into the aioli, coating them completely.
- Mash the potatoes – Use a fork or potato masher to smash the potatoes until they’re mostly smooth. We don’t want large chunks, or the waffles won’t hold their shape!
- Cook the waffles – Add Parmesan, mozzarella, and eggs to the mashed potatoes, and mix to combine. Then, scoop the potato mixture, transferring it to a preheated waffle iron, and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions. I like to use a cookie scoop for equal-sized portions!
- Serve – Transfer the waffles to a cooling rack, and repeat, cooking all of the batter. Then, divide the toppings over each cooked sweet potato waffle, and enjoy warm!
Tips
- Steam the sweet potatoes to save time. Roasting creates great flavor, but steaming the sweet potatoes works well when you need a quicker option.
- Prep ingredients ahead of time. Roast the sweet potatoes and make the slaw a day in advance for faster assembly and easy meal prep.
- Don’t open the waffle iron too early. Let the waffles cook undisturbed for about 4 minutes before checking. Opening the waffle iron too soon can cause sticking or tearing, meaning your sweet potato waffles are likely to fall apart.
- Place waffles on a cooling rack. Instead of stacking them on a plate, let the waffles rest on a wire rack while you finish cooking to prevent the bottoms from getting soggy.
- Keep kitchen scissors nearby. Melted cheese can create connected edges as the waffles cook, so scissors make it easy to snip them apart cleanly.
- Blend instead of mash. For a smoother texture, blend the roasted sweet potatoes and eggs together before mixing in the remaining ingredients.
You’ll Also Love: Savory Protein Waffles
Variations
Swap the protein. Use shredded turkey, cooked steak, grilled chicken breast, pulled chicken, or even ground chicken instead of rotisserie chicken.
Make shortcut slaw. Short on time? Use a bagged coleslaw mix, and toss it with your favorite store-bought dressing for an easy slaw.
Add extra heat. Mix chopped jalapeños into the waffle batter or drizzle extra hot honey on top for more spice.
Try different toppings. Add sliced green onions, pickled onions, crumbled bacon, or extra cilantro for even more flavor.
Use different types of cheese. Swap the mozzarella for pepper jack, cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a Mexican blend for a different flavor profile.
Make vegetarian sweet potato waffles. Skip the chicken, and top the waffles with black beans, crispy chickpeas, or extra avocado instead.
How to Store
This recipe is best served right away while the waffles are still crispy around the edges. However, if needed, you can prep the components ahead of time or store them separately.
Once cooked and cooled, the waffles, slaw, and toppings will keep fresh in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Or, for longer storage, you can freeze the waffles for up to 2 months. I always place a piece of parchment paper between each waffle to prevent them from clumping together.
To serve, thaw frozen waffles in the fridge overnight. Then, warm them in a toaster. Or, heat the sweet potato waffles in the oven or air fryer at 350°F just until they’re warmed through. Then, heat the chicken in the microwave, and assemble all the ingredients as normal.
More Ways to Use Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Pancakes
- Carne Asada Sweet Potato Bowls
- Baked Sweet Potatoes w/ Chickpeas and Broccoli Pesto
- Skillet Sweet Potato Kale Hash
- Vegetarian Lentil & Sweet Potato Curry
- Chickpea Sweet Potato Bowls
Recipes with Hot Honey
- Vegetarian Pizza with Hot Honey
- Hot Honey Chicken Bowls
- Hot Honey Chickpea Bowls
- Baja Hot Honey Chicken Bowls
- Viral Hot Honey Ground Beef Bowls
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Hot Honey Chicken Sweet Potato Waffles
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- 4 1/2 cups sweet potatoes (diced)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons avocado oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Slaw
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons light mayo
- 3 Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 Tablespoons jalapeño (finely minced)
- 3 Tablespoons cilantro (finely chopped)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/4 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1 1/4 cups shredded carrots
Waffles
- 3 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
- 3 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese (low-moisture part-skim if possible)
- 3 large eggs
- 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 large avocado (finely cubed)
- 2 Tablespoons hot honey (or more!)
Instructions
- Mix the sweet potatoes, avocado oil, and salt in a glass casserole dish and roast for 35-40 minutes, or until they are fork-tender, tossing them 2-3 times throughout the process to make sure they don’t burn and cook evenly.
- While the potatoes cook, blend the slaw ingredients except for the cabbage and carrots (do NOT blend those). Mix the cabbage and carrots into the aioli and set aside.
- Once the potatoes are done and slightly cooled, mash them in a bowl with a fork until mostly smooth.
- Add in the parmesan, mozzarella, and eggs. Mix well until evenly combined.
- Preheat a waffle iron.
- Use a large cookie scoop (about 1/4 cup) to scoop the batter into the waffle iron.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Gently lift the waffles from the iron and place them on a cooling rack until ready to serve to prevent the bottoms from getting soggy.
- Divide the toppings over each of the waffles: shredded rotisserie chicken, avocado, slaw, and a good drizzle of hot honey. Enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to steam sweet potatoes instead to save time!
- If you’re roasting the sweet potatoes, you can also roast them the night before or ahead of time and store them away in the fridge until you’re ready to make these. Great for batch cooking!
- You can also blend the roasted sweet potatoes and eggs together if you don’t feel like mashing them. Then just mix with everything else!
- Keep food scissors nearby as you make these to snip connected cheese as you remove the waffles from the waffle iron.
- I recommend doing the first set of waffles at 4 minutes (without opening the lid to check). If they seem too burned, then go for 3 or 3.5 minutes next time!
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