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Pressure Cooker Buffalo Chicken Waffle Fries

sheet pan of waffle fries and Instant Pot buffalo chicken

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A bed of waffle fries meets buffalo chicken and then gets covered in a blanket of sharp cheddar and bleu cheese and a drizzle of Cilantro Lime Sauce.  Perfectly spicy and loaded with veggies too!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup small diced celery
  • 1/2 cup small diced carrot
  • 20 ounce bag Frozen Waffle Fries (I like the Alexia brand)
  • Buffalo Sauce (see below)
  • For topping: shredded cheddar cheese, blue cheese crumbles, diced avocado, Cilantro Lime Dressing (see below)

For the Buffalo Sauce

  • 1/3 cup tomato sauce
  • 1/3 cup Franks Red Hot Wing Buffalo Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

For the Cilantro Lime Dressing

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 1/2 cup greek yogurt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven and cook waffle fries according to package directions.
  2. Tip: Put the fries in the oven to cook at the same time you start the chicken cooking below and they should all be done about the same time.
  3. Weigh each chicken breast individually to find out how many ounces it weighs.  This will determine your cook time later and is important for moist chicken.
  4. In a small bowl, combine paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.  Sprinkle the seasonings all over the chicken breasts.  Place diced celery and carrots in a square of tinfoil and close to make a small pouch.
  5. Place chicken on a sturdy trivet or a pan with holes in the bottom.  If you don’t have either, simply use what trivet you have, place a piece of tinfoil on top of it to make it more stable, and poke holes into it with a knife or fork so that the extra juices of the chicken can drain while cooking.
  6. Pour 1 cup of water into the pressure cooker pot and place the trivet with chicken inside.  Top with a second trivet and place pouch of carrots and celery on top (or squeeze them in to the side of the chicken.
  7. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position.  Cook at high pressure for 1 minute per ounce of each chicken breast (for example if each of your chicken breasts weigh about 8 ounces, you’ll cook for 8 minutes.  If one weighs 8 ounces and the other 10 ounces, cook for 9 minutes).
  8. While the chicken and veggies cook, prepare the Buffalo Sauce by whisking together the tomato sauce, Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce, and Worcestershire sauce until smooth, set aside.
  9. Prepare the Cilantro Lime Dressing by placing all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor.  Pulse until smooth (this could be prepared up to 5 days in advance)
  10. When pressure cooking is complete, use a natural release (this will take 10-15 minutes).  Could do a quick release, but this can potentially dry the meat out.
  11. Remove veggie pouch and set to the side.  Place chicken on a plate or cutting board and shred or dice into bite size pieces.
  12. Discard the remaining liquid from the pot and give it a quick rinse.  Pour Buffalo Sauce ingredients inside pot and add the chicken and veggies back inside and stir to combine everything.  Use the saute function to warm everything through.
  13. Waffle fries should be done cooking at this point.  Top them with the buffalo chicken mixture, cheddar cheese, and blue cheese crumbles.  Place under the broiler to melt the cheese, 1-2 minutes.  Turn off the oven.
  14. Top the fries with diced avocado and a drizzle of Cilantro Lime Sauce.
  15. Serve immediately!  Enjoy!

Freezer Instructions

  1. Coat chicken breasts in seasoning mix then place in a freezer safe ziplock to freeze.  Don’t stack them on top of one another.
  2. When read to cook, cook them for 1 1/2 minutes of the thawed version.  Example:  If the chicken cooks for 8 minutes raw, cook it for 12 minutes frozen.

Notes

  • If more chicken is needed, steam the celery and carrots in the microwave or on the stove top and stack extra chicken on the rack instead.
  • Diced carrots and celery will still have bit of a crunch to them which I love.  If you want them more tender you can saute them in the pan prior to cooking the chicken.
  • Even though I completely adore the Cilantro Lime Sauce with all my heart and would drench just about anything in it, you can skip this step and drizzle it with ranch or dollops of sour cream.
  • Nutrition facts do not include the Cilantro Lime Sauce