These Baked Nashville Hot Chicken & Waffle Sliders combine crispy, cornflake-crusted chicken with Nashville hot–inspired heat, brioche waffles, and a drizzle of hot honey butter for a fun, indulgent twist on the classic pairing. It's the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and savory!

They’re ideal for entertaining, game days, or casual gatherings, especially when you want bold flavor without deep frying. Using simple ingredients, store-bought waffles, and streamlined prep, these sliders are easy to make ahead, endlessly customizable, and designed to be assembled so everyone can build exactly what they want.

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Turning a fussy favorite into a crowd-pleasing Game Day snack (with far less hassle!)

I love luxurious, special-occasion food. I love simple, comforting food. But if I had to pick my all-time favorite category, it’s honestly just fun food -- the kind that feels indulgent and maybe even slightly ridiculous. You know what I mean?

The type of food that makes you just abandon all decorum and dive in with enthusiasm. That's my favorite.

For me, chicken and waffles live happily in that lane. They’re rich and deeply delicious, obviously, but there’s also something playful about them that makes them feel like a treat no matter when you’re eating them. Add Nashville hot–inspired heat -- spicy, buttery, and just a little over-the-top -- and you've got a real party on your hands. Or maybe I should say "party food." I'd rank Nashville Hot Chicken & Waffles right up there with French Onion Beef Sliders and Buffalo chicken!

The issue is that as much as I love fried chicken and waffles, I cannot stand deep-frying. I hate the way oil smells linger in the house, and I don’t want to spend the lead-up to party time desperately trying to mask the odor. I've done it too many times to not have learned from my mistakes.

Luckily, we've got a work-around.

Why this version works (especially for hosting!)

These Nashville hot chicken sliders keep everything that makes chicken and waffles exciting, without any of the parts that make them annoying to serve.

The chicken starts in a buttermilk brine that pulls double duty. It tenderizes the meat, adds flavor, and acts as the binder for the breading -- which means there’s no separate egg wash or complicated dredging station. The breading itself is a simple mix of crushed cornflakes, flour, and spices, all done in one bowl.

Instead of deep frying, the chicken gets baked or air-fried until golden and crispy. You still get that crunchy, craggy exterior, but without the oil smell or cleanup that comes with frying.

Nashville hot flavor, simplified

Traditional Nashville hot chicken gets its heat from a chili-infused oil brushed on after frying. Since we’re skipping the fryer here, that heat gets translated into a buttery hot honey sauce instead.

Butter carries the spice, hot honey adds sweetness, and brushing it onto the chicken while it’s still warm lets everything soak in without making the coating soggy. For an extra optional element, there’s also a simple creamy sauce made from mayo, Dijon mustard, and hot honey (plus a bit of pickle juice, which is a must for fried chicken in my opinion) which I find pairs wonderfully with both the spicy and sweet elements in the sliders.

The same core spices show up in the brine, the breading, and the sauce, which ties everything together without requiring an excessively long ingredient list or too much extra prep.

Why waffle sliders?

Turning chicken and waffles into sliders makes the whole dish feel more approachable for a party, and much more fun to serve. Mini waffles are easy, a little unexpected, and perfect for handheld portions -- and luckily, they sell fantastic brioche waffles at many grocery stores.

I got my brioche liege waffles from Trader Joe's, but honestly even frozen waffles from your local grocer could work here. You can even go all out and make your own waffles, but keep the fuss to a minimum. You want the focus to stay centered on the chicken and the sauces instead of turning this into a multi-day project.

That said, this recipe is flexible by design. If you’d rather use slider rolls, biscuits, or something else entirely, it still works deliciously!

Customization is the whole point

Like I mentioned, this is the kind of food that’s better when everyone gets to build their own.

Set out a few options:

Dill pickles for tang
Jalapeños or hot sauce for extra heat
Cheddar or pepper jack cheese
Crispy bacon
Extra hot honey or sauce
A light dusting of powdered sugar on the waffles

Everyone gets exactly what they want -- and you don’t have to micromanage a thing.

Make-ahead & timing notes

If you’re serving these for a group:

Bread the chicken a few hours ahead and refrigerate
Make both sauces in advance and gently reheat the hot honey butter
Toast waffles right before serving

It looks impressive on the table, but it doesn’t trap you in the kitchen while everyone else is eating.

Baked Nashville Hot Chicken & Waffle Sliders

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Author: Morgan
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 8-12 sandwiches 1x

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Ingredients

For the Chicken

~1 ¼ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 5 thighs, cut in half
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons pickle brine
1 tablespoon hot sauce
4 cups cornflakes, crushed
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons paprika, divided
2 ½ teaspoons garlic powder, divided
2 ½ teaspoons onion powder, divided
2-2 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper, divided, to taste
2 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 ½ teaspoons black pepper, divided

For the Hot Honey Butter

¼ cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons hot honey
¼-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

For the Creamy Dijon Sauce

½ cup mayonnaise
1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 ½ tablespoons pickle brine
1 tablespoon hot honey

For Serving

16-20 Liege brioche waffles, toasted
Dill pickles, sliced
Jalapeños, sliced, optional

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Instructions

1. Brine the Chicken. In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, pickle brine, hot sauce, and half of the spices (paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper). Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

2. Prepare the Baking Sheet. Line a baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack over top. Spray the wire rack generously with oil.

3. Bread the Chicken. In a separate large bowl, combine the crushed cornflakes, flour, and the remaining half of the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly so the seasoning is evenly distributed. One piece at a time, remove the chicken from the brine, letting the excess drip off, and then press firmly into the cornflake mixture until well coated. Arrange on the prepared wire rack.

4. Bake or Air Fry. Oven: Bake at 425°F for 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until golden and cooked through. Air fryer: Cook in batches at 400°F for 12-15 minutes, flipping once, until crisp. Let rest while you prepare the hot honey butter.

5. Make the Hot Honey Butter. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the hot honey, cayenne, and paprika until smooth. Brush generously over the warm chicken.

6. Make the Creamy Dijon Pickle Sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, pickle brine, and hot honey until smooth. Adjust to taste.

7. Assemble the Sliders. Place a piece of hot honey-brushed chicken onto the bottom half of a toasted Liege brioche waffle. Spoon over the Dijon sauce, if desired, add pickles or jalapeños if using, and top with the remaining waffle half. Serve immediately.

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 mins