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Chick N' Cone Copycat Recipe
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Chick N' Cone Copycat Recipe

This handheld version of chicken and waffles are a copycat version of the wildly popular Chick N' Cone restaurant. Tenders fried to crispy perfection and tossed in homemade sauces like Kickin' Ranch and Yella BBQ and stuffed into ice cream shop waffle cones. These are the ultimate combination of sweet and savory and perfect for a brunch!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Entree
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Author: Mallory Austin

Ingredients

Fried Chicken & Cone

  • 1 1/2 pound chicken tenders tendons removed
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
  • 1 teaspoons paprika
  • 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 eggs beaten w/ 1/4 cup milk + 1 tbsp hot sauce
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • 4 waffle cones from an ice cream shop store brand could work but they are too small and not fresh enough

Kickin' Ranch

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon buttermilk
  • 1/2 packet about 1/2 oz. of Hidden Valley spicy ranch seasoning (1 oz. packet) OR regular ranch seasoning can be used if looking for less spice
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped pickled sweet cherry peppers found in a jar in the pickle aisle
  • 2 tbsp pickled sweet cherry pepper juice
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped pickled nacho jalapenos

Yella BBQ Sauce

  • 3/4 cup yellow mustard
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoon ketchup
  • 2 Tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce I use Texas Pete or Louisiana

Instructions

Yella BBQ Sauce

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • Turn on heat to low and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes or until the brown sugar is dissolved
  • Once cooled, pour into a jar and cover. Refrigerate and allow flavors to mingle while preparing the rest of the dish. This can be made days ahead, it gets better the longer it sits.

Kickin' Ranch

  • In a bowl add mayo, sour cream, buttermilk and spicy ranch seasoning. Mix well to incorporate until all powdered mix is dissolved and well incorporated.
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • Add the diced pickled cherry peppers  + juice and jalapenos. Mix to combine.Taste and adjust if needed by adding more peppers, ranch seasoning, pepper juice, etc.

Fried Chicken Tenders

  • Prepare a landing station for the finished chicken setting beside the frying pan. I prefer a cooling rack lined with paper lunch bags or multiple layers of paper towels.
  • Fill a cast iron or standard skillet with about 2 inches of oil. Start heating it over medium-high heat while you bread the chicken. I use a candy thermometer to monitor the heat.
  • In a ziplock bag or bowl, mix the flour, paprika, seasoning salt and pepper.
  • In a large bowl, beat the egg, milk and hot sauce.
  • Dredge the chicken in the flour, coating well. Shake off excess flour and dip in the egg mix, then back in the flour.
  • Set the chicken to the side to rest for about 5 minutes as it helps breading to set on chicken.
  • Allow the oil to reach  somewhere between 365-375 degrees
  • To the skillet add 5-6 tenders at a time and cook until golden brown on that side, then turn chicken and repeat on opposite side (about 8 minutes total). Be sure to monitor oil temp, it will drop once you put chicken in, so you will need to be turning the temp up and down throughout frying.
  • Remove chicken, place on landing station, allow it to rest for 1-2 minutes, then place back into the oil for an additional minute on each side. This makes it twice as crispy and helps breading to stay crispy once sauce is added.
  • Cook the rest of the chicken in batches, repeating these above steps.
  • Taste chicken and sprinkle with a little more salt if needed.

Assembling Chick N' Cones

  • Once the chicken has cooled enough to handle, chop the tenders into 1-inch chunks.
  • In a large bowl, add 1/2 cup of your first sauce (reheating first if previously refrigerated), toss in chicken pieces and flip around in the bowl, tossing to coat.
  • Stuff chicken pieces into the waffle cones.
  • Clean out bowl and repeat with next sauce.
  • Serve immediately!

Notes

  • It's helpful to read through the entire recipe first to make sure you don't get surprised by any steps
  • Candy thermometer is recommended to maintain the correct temp and ensure chicken is fully cooked
  • The sauces can be made several days ahead of time, just be sure to heat them before tossing them with chicken otherwise it will make the dish cold.