A twist on chicken and waffles, Hot Chicken and Pancake Tacos are spicy, sweet, and completely scrumptious! The pancake tacos are fluffy, slightly sweet, and made with Krusteaz Buttermilk Protein Pancake mix.  This post is sponsored by Krusteaz, but all opinions are my own.

Pancakes are awesome aren’t they? Sometimes I crave those slightly sweet circles of goodness. “So just make some” you say! I know. They’re not difficult to make. But the hubs isn’t a waffle or pancake fan at all. If I’m going to make pancakes or waffles, the only way he’ll eat them is if they’re savory.

So, when Krusteaz reached out to me about their new protein pancake batter I just had to accept! And it’s not because I love their products. They’ve been in our pantry for years with their mixes. In fact, I have a bread mix in my pantry right now!

Their quality products go back to the 1930’s.

It all started with an easy to make pie crust. The 40’s brought about the just add water pancake mix. When ingredients were tight during the wars, I’m sure this mix was a hit and life saver.

In the 60’s they hit the road with a mobile pancake kitchen. They served up free pancake breakfasts across the Northwest. But their reach didn’t stop there! They expanded their line of products, their fan base, and their reliability! People are enjoying their mixes not just in their homes but they’re used at Army bases, too. So, you know they are tried and true mixes you can rely on to be not only consist but taste oh so good.

They make mixes for:

• Pancakes and Waffles
• Muffins & Crumb Cakes
• Cookies
• Breads
• Cobblers & Crisp Toppings
• Pound Cakes and Quick Breads
• Cornbreads
• Bar Desserts

They even have gluten free mixes! Of course, they still make the pie crust mix and even have a breakfast cereal mix. I’m telling you, they have just about thought of everything you can make a mix for. No wonder they are a household name.

I really thought about what recipe I wanted to make with their buttermilk protein pancake mix. I debated on putting something in the pancakes. Like ham, bell peppers, and cheese to make a Denver pancake. Or some bacon and chives for a loaded pancake. Actually, those sound really good. I might make those just for us.

But there’s a ton of recipes on Pinterest for savory pancakes. What else can I do with them? Maybe I can top them with something interesting. I could top them with crab and bearnaise sauce or just a drizzle of clarified butter. Or chili and cheese?

I know. I’m going a bit too far.

Then I was thinking about chicken and waffles. Why not chicken and pancakes? That could work. You could even make waffles with this mix. Just sayin. But that’s not what I wanted to do.

Since I’ve been putting everything in a taco shell lately it smacked me in the head. Why can’t you make pancake tacos? Of course you could easily make sweet ones. You fill them with fruit and top with some whipped cream or syrup. Or you could fill them with scrambled eggs and bacon to triple dose your protein for the morning.

But I was stuck on the chicken and waffles and decided I was going to make chicken and pancake tacos. But not just any chicken. I decided on Nashville hot chicken tenders made in the air fryer. Because I’m addicted to our air fryer.

Before you ask, let me tell you about the pancake mix. It’s easy to use. There are three options for mixing it. You can mix it with water, milk, or milk and an egg for added protein. I chose the last option just because.

Now, I made three pancakes for breakfast with the regular mix. They were super fluffy and delicious. The pancakes have the perfect amount of sweetness for me. I don’t like mine super sweet. And I don’t pour tons of syrup on them either. I spread them with butter and dip them into the syrup. This allows the flavor of the pancake to come through. My goal is to taste the pancake. It’s not simply a vessel to shovel mass amounts of syrup into my mouth.

The Krusteaz Buttermilk Protein Pancake mix boasts 15 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber per serving. Imagine how your day will go with that kind of energy!  Their new, better for you nutrition profile in this pancake mix means you don’t have to sacrifice on taste with these pancakes.

And for those who are health conscious about ingredients, not to worry!  It’s made with 100% whole grain flour and contains nothing artificial. Nope, there’s no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. It’s 100% pure pancake goodness!

After making those first three, I realized that I needed these pancakes to be wider for tacos.  So I added more milk to the mix. Yes, it says you can do this on the package. I used one cup of milk, one egg, and one cup of mix to make these pancake tacos. They also needed to be a bit bigger, so I scooped out about 1/3 cup of mix and poured it on my two burner griddle pan.  You can find out about the griddle pan in this post about apple jamon fontina grilled cheese.

Even with a thinner batter, these pancakes still fluff up!

They have plenty of delicious pancake flavor. And, they’re the perfect container to hold these hot chicken strips. They have that slightly sweet flavor, perfect density, and just enough fluff to make them delicious.

Now, I know you’re asking about the chicken.

I used my air fryer, but you can easily use an oil fryer or your oven to make these chicken strips. I used the air fryer because I’m addicted to using it. And everything comes out super crispy when I use it.

I marinated the chicken in buttermilk and spices to double the flavor punch. The marinade is also used in the dredging process. The chicken gets a dip in flour, the marinade, then the toasted panko. This keeps the crispy, crunchy crust that you expect from something that’s fried.

I marinated mine overnight, but you can marinate it for at least 2 hours. That should be plenty. Once the chicken gets the panko coating, it needs to refrigerate at least 30 minutes. This will allow the coating to stick to the chicken better. Trust me on this step and do not skip it. Your chicken tenders will come out perfect if you let the coating rest.

Then there’s the hot chicken sauce. Typically the chicken sauce is a combination of spices and some of the hot chicken oil. However, there is no hot chicken oil to use. So, I made my own and simmered the spices in some clarified butter. I caught a whiff of it while it was simmering and just exploded in sneezing.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

When the spices started to darken, then you want to turn if off. I strained the clear, spice infused butter and left the spice solids in the bottom of the pan. It makes for a cleaner and more appetizing sauce.

And it’s spicy! Even the hubs said so. So, the sauce did it’s job! Please feel free to adjust the spice level to your liking. Two tablespoons of cayenne was PLENTY hot for me. It wasn’t too hot to eat, yet, but if I had added any more it would be. If you’re super sensitive, feel free to substitute some paprika instead of the cayenne.

My tenders were a bit big. I chopped a few of them up to make for a more manageable bite of taco to chicken ratio. Speaking of chopping things up a bit, hot chicken is typically served on white bread topped with pickles. I topped mine with some bread and butter style pickles. It added more crunch and a slightly sweet topping to the tacos. I was skeptical, but it works.

Feel free to use sweet or dill pickles as you see fit.

I served these up with additional sauce to add more heat and some buckwheat honey. Some hot chicken places top theirs with some honey for a sweet and spicy kick. I made this optional. And the buckwheat honey stands up to all the bold flavors on these hot chicken and pancake tacos.

You can see how big those tenders were. Feel free to cut the chicken tenders into thinner or smaller pieces before you cook them. It would make them easier to eat in the taco. Or just do what I did and cut them up before filling the taco like I did for those last two in the holder.

I just had a thought! You could drizzle these with maple syrup. Duh. I’m not sure why I didn’t think of that before. I got so stuck on how hot chicken is typically served that I didn’t think about. But it makes sense right? Pancakes and syrup? It would flow with the chicken and waffles theme, too.

I love the crispy edges on pancakes, don’t you?

See what I mean about the fluff? That’s the thinnest of them all and it’s still got some fluff to it. This Krusteaz Buttermilk Protein Pancake mix is delicious. I can’t wait to make me some pancakes tomorrow for breakfast. And I can’t wait to make more pancake taco recipes. I feel like a whole new world has opened up for me.

I’m following Krusteaz on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.  They share recipes, ideas, and even coupons for their products.  You’ll want to follow them, too.  Their mixes are delicious, simple to use, and very budget friendly!

Hot Chicken and Pancake Tacos

A twist on chicken and waffles, Hot Chicken and Pancake Tacos are spicy, sweet, and completely scrumptious! The pancake tacos are fluffy, slightly sweet, and made with Krusteaz Buttermilk Protein Pancake mix. 

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Ingredients

For the chicken tenders:

• 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk and 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 pound chicken tenders
• 1 cup flour
• 2 cups toasted panko bread crumbs

For the tacos:

• 1 cup Krusteaz Buttermilk Protein Pancake mix
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg

For the sauce:

• 1 cup clarified butter
• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup diced bread and butter pickles

Instructions

For the chicken:

1. Combine the buttermilk with the 2 large eggs, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir with a whisk until combined.  
2. Remove the tendon from the back of the tenderloin. Cut them into smaller pieces to make them more taco friend (or leave them whole; your choice).
3. Marinate the chicken in the buttermilk at least 2 hours but overnight would be better.
4. Place the flour and the toasted panko into separate, shallow dishes.
5. Dredge the tenders in the flour, dip them back into the marinade mix, then dredge in the panko. Place on a plate and repeat until all the tenders are coated.
6. Cover the tenders with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
7. Preheat your air fryer to 400.  
8. Spray the chicken tenders with cooking spray or spritz with oil. Cook the tenders at 400 for 15 minutes making sure to turn and spray them again them halfway through.

For the pancakes:

1. Combine the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Do not over mix the batter.  
2. Heat a double burner griddle, electric griddle, or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Coat with butter, cooking spray, or oil.
3. Pour 1/3 cup of the batter into the surface and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until bubbles form. With the thinner batter you should see bubbles form. 
4. Turn the pancake and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Keep warm until you're ready to assemble the tacos.

For the sauce:

1. Combine the clarified butter with the rest of the spices in a small saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Once the spices begin to darken, carefully strain the mixture leaving the solid spices in the pan.

To assemble:

1. Use a basting brush to baste the chicken lightly with the sauce. Place the chicken on the pancake.
2. Drizzle with more sauce if desired or honey (or maple syrup).
3. Garnish with diced pickles before serving.

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