Cut the chicken fillets into bite-sized nugget pieces, roughly 1 inch / 2.5cm each. Set up a breading station – flour in one bowl, beaten egg in another, and breadcrumbs mixed with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a third. Coat each piece in flour, dip in egg, then press into the breadcrumbs until fully coated.

Heat about ¼ inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, fry the chicken pieces in batches – about 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Don’t crowd the pan or they’ll steam instead of crisp up. Set aside on a paper towel to drain.

If you’re using store-bought waffles, just warm them up in the toaster or oven for a few minutes so they’re not cold. If you’re making your own, whisk together the dry ingredients, then mix in the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla until just combined (a few lumps are fine). Cook in your waffle maker according to its instructions, then cut into smaller squares if you want more bite-sized pieces.

To assemble – slide one piece of crispy chicken onto a skewer, then push a small waffle square on right after it. That’s honestly it. Repeat until your tray is full.

Right before serving, drizzle maple syrup over the whole tray and sprinkle with chopped parsley, thyme or rosemary if you’re using it. Serve immediately while the chicken is still warm and crispy. If you need to warm it later – you can put the whole tray with the skewers as they are in the oven for 5 minutes or in the air fryer for 2 minutes , but make sure to keep an eye on the wooden skewers.