Crave-Worthy Chicken & Waffle Sliders

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Place 20 chicken nuggets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Reserve any remaining nuggets for another use.

3. Bake nuggets in the preheated oven for 6 minutes. Flip and bake until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes more.

4. Meanwhile, prepare sauce: Heat butter, maple syrup, canola oil, brown sugar, paprika, cayenne, kosher salt, garlic powder, and black pepper in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. If sauce thickens too much, reduce heat to low and whisk in 1 to 2 tablespoons water. Keep warm.

5. As the sauce is cooking, toast waffles, then separate each one into 4 mini waffles.

6. Assemble sliders: Place a chicken nugget on top of a waffle and top with 1 heaping teaspoon slaw. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon sauce, top with a pickle slice, and place a second waffle on top. Secure slider with a toothpick or skewer, if desired. Repeat to make remaining sliders. Serve with extra sauce.

Cook’s Notes:

Good quality chicken nuggets consisting of large bites of real (not processed or pureed) chicken breast meat are best for this. You could also cut large chicken strips or pick up some hot prepared nuggets from your favorite take-out spot.

The sauce tends to thicken as it sits. It may need reheating plus a small amount of water stirred in to loosen it back up.