The Grand Lux Cafe Chicken N Waffles is my favorite brunch item at the restaurant. If you have been to the Cheesecake Factory, you are going to love the Grand Lux Cafe. It is one of their sister restaurants. The first time I ordered this dish, I hesitated about combining sweet waffles and savory chicken, but one bite was all it took to convert me into a believer! Their unique approach using tender chicken strips instead of bone-in pieces makes this dish much more enjoyable. After several attempts in my kitchen (and a few helpful tips from a friendly server), I’ve finally recreated that perfect balance of flavors at home. Now, whenever we have weekend guests, this impressive brunch centerpiece never fails to wow them – especially when I mention it’s the famous Grand Lux recipe!
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Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Chicken N Waffles Recipe
- Restaurant-quality experience – Authentic taste of Grand Lux Cafe from home
- Unique approach – Uses chicken tenders for easier eating with fork and knife
- Perfect texture contrast – Crispy chicken meets fluffy, tender waffles
- Sweet and savory balance – The ultimate satisfying flavor combination
- Impressive presentation – Looks spectacular for brunch gatherings
- Customizable sweetness – Add as much or as little syrup as you prefer
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Belgian Waffles:
- Active dry yeast – Creates the airy, light texture that makes Belgian waffles special
- Sugar – Feeds the yeast and adds subtle sweetness to the waffle batter
- All-purpose flour – Forms the structure of the waffles
- Egg yolks – Add richness and help create a tender interior
- Egg whites – When beaten separately, they create the signature lightness
- Whole milk – Adds flavor and creates a rich batter
- Butter – Provides richness and flavor to the waffles
- Vegetable oil – Helps create a crisp exterior
- Vanilla and almond extracts – Add depth of flavor and subtle sweetness
For the Chicken Tenders:
- Chicken tenders – Provide the perfect portion size and cook evenly
- All-purpose flour – Creates the base for the crispy coating
- Seasoned salt – Adds flavor complexity to the coating
- Black pepper – Provides subtle heat
- Salt – Enhances all the flavors
- Buttermilk – Tenderizes the chicken and helps the coating adhere
- Vegetable oil – For frying the chicken to golden perfection
For the Sweetened Butter:
- Powdered sugar – Adds sweetness without graininess
- Butter – The rich base for the topping
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preparing the Waffle Batter (Start 1 Hour Ahead)
- In a small bowl, combine 1½ cups lukewarm water (105-110°F) with 1 package active dry yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Let stand for 5-10 minutes until foamy and bubbly.
- In a large bowl, stir together 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the yeast mixture, 3 egg yolks, 1 egg white, and remaining ½ cup sugar until well combined.
- Add remaining water, 1½ cups whole milk, 4 ounces melted and cooled butter, 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon almond extract to the egg mixture. Stir until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and beat until smooth.
- In a clean, dry bowl, beat the remaining 3 egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter using a spatula, being careful not to deflate them.
- Let the batter rest for 1 hour, stirring gently every 15 minutes to release air bubbles.
Preparing the Chicken Tenders
- In a medium bowl, combine 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons seasoned salt, and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Pour 3 cups buttermilk into a shallow 8×8-inch baking dish.
- Pat 2 pounds of chicken tenders dry with paper towels.
- Dredge each tender in the seasoned flour, shake off excess, then dip in buttermilk.
- Return chicken to the flour mixture for a second coating, shake off excess, and place on a wire rack.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes so the coating can adhere properly.
Cooking the Chicken
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot or fryer to 350°F.
- Carefully add a few chicken tenders to the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd.
- Fry for 5-6 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F).
- Remove to a clean wire rack to drain excess oil.
Making the Waffles
- Preheat your Belgian waffle maker to medium heat.
- Scoop batter onto the waffle iron and spread gently with a heatproof spatula.
- Close the lid and cook until the indicator shows the waffle is done.
- Remove and keep warm while cooking remaining waffles.
Preparing the Sweetened Butter
- In a small saucepan over low heat, melt 4 ounces of butter.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon powdered sugar until dissolved.
- Keep warm until ready to serve.
Serving
- Serve with warm sweetened butter and maple syrup on the side.
- Place one Belgian waffle on each plate.
- Top each waffle with 3-4 chicken tenders.
- Lightly dust with powdered sugar.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Waffles
- Store cooled waffles in an airtight container or zip-top bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- For longer storage, freeze waffles in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- Reheat waffles in a toaster or toaster oven until crisp and heated through.
Chicken Tenders
- Refrigerate leftover chicken tenders in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze cooked chicken tenders in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
- Reheat chicken in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes until crispy and heated through.
Sweetened Butter
- Store leftover sweetened butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Bring to room temperature or gently rewarm before serving.
Grand Lux Cafe Chicken N Waffles – Perfect Brunch Copycat
Crispy buttermilk chicken tenders atop fluffy Belgian waffles with sweetened butter – an irresistible sweet and savory brunch combination.
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Servings: 4
Calories: 1653kcal
Ingredients
Waffles
- 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided use
- 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large egg yolks
- 4 large egg white, divided use
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 4 ounces butter, melted and cooled
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- vegetable oil for frying
Chicken Tenders
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups buttermilk
- 2 pounds chicken tenders
Sweetened Butter
- 4 ounces butter
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the waffles
- Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water with 1 teaspoon sugar. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, until the yeast begins to bubble and foam.
- In a large bowl, stir the flour with the salt. In a medium bowl combine the yeast mixture with the 3 egg yolks, 1 egg white, and the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar; stir to blend. Add the remaining water, milk, melted butter, oil, vanilla, and almond extract. Stir until the batter is smooth and creamy. Stir the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Beat the remaining 3 egg whites in a clean, dry bowl. (If the bowl isn’t perfectly clean, the whites may not fluff up as much as they can.) Beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites gently into the batter. Let the batter stand for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Preheat a Belgium waffle maker to medium heat. Scoop the batter onto the waffle maker, you may want to use a heatproof spatula to spread the batter over the waffle iron. Close and cook until the waffle is done. Your waffle iron should have an indicator to let you know when the cooking has been completed.
Prepare Chicken
- Chicken Tenders In a deep pot or a deep fryer preheat the vegetable oil to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, pepper, seasoned salt, and salt. Pour buttermilk into a shallow 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Pat the chicken tenders dry with a paper towel. Dredge each tender in the seasoned flour, shake off the excess, and dip in the buttermilk. Dip back into the seasoned flour, shake off the excess flour, and set aside on a wire rack.
- Let the chicken tenders rest for about 5 minutes before cooking so the crust will form a nice crunchy outer layer. Fryer only a few chicken tenders at a time. Fry for 5 to 6 minutes, or until golden brown. Depending upon the depth of the oil you may need to turn over the chicken tenders at about 3 minutes of the cooking time. Place on a clean wire rack so they may cool when you remove them from the hot vegetable oil.
Make Sweetened Butter
- Sweetened butter instructions In a small saucepan over low heat, gently melt the butter. Stir in the powdered sugar. Serve warm.
How to Serve
- Place a waffle on a plate, top with 4 chicken tenders, dust with powdered sugar, and serve with the sweetened butter.
Nutrition
Calories: 1653kcal | Carbohydrates: 180g | Protein: 80g | Fat: 65g | Saturated Fat: 36g | Cholesterol: 425mg | Sodium: 2812mg | Potassium: 1367mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 1965IU | Vitamin C: 2.7mg | Calcium: 277mg | Iron: 9.9mg
This Grand Lux Cafe Chicken N Waffles recipe sounds like the perfect sweet and savory brunch treat! Love the idea of crispy tenders with fluffy Belgian waffles and that sweetened butter—definitely saving this to try soon.
I have made this recipe many times. It makes excelant waffles. I experimented with the recipe and was very pleased. I used instant sourdough yeast and substituted cake flour for all purpose. I also let it rest in the fridge for two days. The results were fantastic.
This yields a ridiculous amount of waffles. Unless you’re feeding a small village, I recommend cutting recipe in half. Besides the massive amount of batter the waffles are incredible restaurant style waffles! I’d use half the amount of almond extract next time, a bit overpowering, but just my preference. 😉
Thank you for your feedback, much appreciated.
Can I just say, everyone loved this when I made it for bruncb?
Wow, the cake looks delicious, I like this cake.
Your reply is very nice. Thanks
Somethings off in the recipe. No water mentioned in the ingredient list for the waffles , but is referred to in directions. Also bpnot clear on the amount of sugar. Ingredient list and directions are different. I’m making them as soon as I can. Thanks!
I really liked the sweetened butter in this recipe.
I agree with you. This recipe is awesome.
Can not wait to try it out! It looks so good to try..Thanks
My daughter loves cakes. Especially like the beautiful decorations like this. Me and my daughter will do it.
Can not wait to try it out! It looks so good to try..Thanks
Goodness! That waffle batter sounds divine! So do the chicken tenders…very nice to be able to use a knife and fork. Thanks, Stephanie, for a great recipe.