Crispy Chicken Burgers with Buttermilk

So delicious and seriously loaded with flavour, these crispy chicken burgers are the ultimate dinner for fried chicken lovers! Ultra-crispy chicken fillets are sandwiched between soft burger buns with crunchy lettuce, mayo and tangy homemade coleslaw. Way better than takeaway and so easy to make!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• They are just SO GOOD! – Crispy, crunchy and perfectly seasoned fried chicken burgers with loads of BIG flavours.
• Versatile – make them as simple or as gourmet as you like. While I opt for a simple filling of fresh lettuce and tangy coleslaw, you can easily adapt them with your favourite salads and sides. The star of the show is that crispy chicken!
• So tender and juicy – marinating the chicken in buttermilk overnight ensures the chicken comes out perfectly juicy, tender and flavourful after pan frying.
• They are really simple – everything is so easy to prepare. The chicken is prepared ahead and marinated in the fridge overnight. Any salads can be chopped and stored in the fridge. And the chicken coating can be made ahead of time and stored in the pantry so that everything is ready to cook, assemble and eat when you are hungry!

Ingredients you will need

** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

• Chicken breast – I recommend boneless, skinless breast fillets for their larger size, which is perfect for burgers. The chicken breasts are sliced in half, pounded and marinated in a buttermilk mixture to tenderise before cooking. I recommend using fresh chicken rather than frozen/thawed.

• Buttermilk – is the not-so-secret key ingredient that is essential for juicy, tender and flavoursome fried chicken. It plays multiple roles in this recipe; it tenderises and infuses the spices into the chicken before cooking. And it also helps the flour coating mixture cling to the chicken. Store-bought or homemade buttermilk is fine.

• Flour – forms the base of the chicken coating. I recommend using self-raising flour, as the baking powder in it will add to the crunch of the coating when fried. But both plain flour and self-raising flour will work.

• Cornflour – lightens the flour coating and adds crispiness.

• Pantry spices- there is a large list of dried pantry spices like garlic powder, paprika and celery salt in this recipe, but I promise that it’s worth it! Every one plays a part in creating the ultimate chicken fillet burgers.

• Vegetable oil – with its high smoke point and mild flavour, vegetable oil is perfect for frying. Alternatively, use canola or sunflower oil. Olive oil or coconut oil are not suitable for pan frying chicken.

• Burger buns – choose your favourite. While I love brioche buns or plain white sesame seed burger buns, any kind will work.

• Toppings – your choice! Add some shredded iceberg lettuce, homemade coleslaw and mayo or add mix it up with some sliced tomatoes, pickles, burger cheese or any of your favourites.

Step by step instructions

Step 1 – Pound the chicken;

Pounding the chicken ensures even thickness, which means the fillets will cook evenly. It will also help to tenderise the chicken, along with the buttermilk.

Slice each of the breast fillets in half, to make four round(ish), burger-sized fillets. Place them on a board and cover with baking paper before using a rolling pin to pound them to about 1cm thickness. *Ensure that the chicken is evenly flattened so that they don’t take too long to cook. Otherwise, the coating will overcook before the chicken is ready.

Step 2 – Coat in buttermilk and spices;

Mix the spices and buttermilk together and add the chicken. Ensure the chicken is completely coated in the buttermilk, then cover and refrigerate. Marinate for as long as possible. Overnight is best, or at least 4 hours, but they should sit in the buttermilk for at least an hour if you are short on time. **Prepping the night before is optimal, because the chicken will be super tender and it will make dinner prep the following night much faster.

Step 3 – Make the chicken coating;

Mix the flour, cornflour and spices in a large bowl and stir until completely combined. *The coating can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in your pantry until ready for use.

Step 4 – Coat the chicken;

Remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk and coat in the flour and spice mixture. *Be sure to drain off as much buttermilk from the chicken as possible, or you’ll end up with a gummy coating that doesn’t crisp as nicely. Too much buttermilk on the chicken will also mean the coating may slide off.

Make sure the chicken is completely coated in the flour mixture.

To make the coleslaw;

Finely shred the coleslaw and carrot and combine in a bowl with a generous amount of coleslaw dressing or mayo. Stir to combine and refrigerate until ready to use.

Step 5 – Pan-fry the chicken;

Pan-fry the chicken in oil at about 175-180 °C/356 F. How long to pan fry chicken will depend entirely on the thickness of the chicken fillets and the temperature of the oil.

For chicken 1cm in thickness, aim for about 3-4 minutes on one side and then flip and fry for an additional 2-3 minutes.

For chicken to be safe to eat, it should be completely white and cooked through in the middle, with an internal temperature of 75°C/167 F.

Place the chicken on a wire rack to cool slightly.

Step 6 – Assemble the burgers;

Add the lettuce and coleslaw to the bottom of the burger bun and top with the chicken and some mayo, or any of your desired toppings. Add the top of the bun and enjoy with some crispy fries.

Tips for success

• Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before cooking. Adding cold chicken to hot oil will cause it to shrink slightly and become chewy.
• Be sure to drain any excess buttermilk from the chicken before adding the flour coating. Hold each piece over the bowl and let the buttermilk drip off as much as possible. Too much buttermilk will cause the flour coating to become “gummy” and not become crispy in some areas. It may also cause the coating to fall off the chicken in patches.
• Make a double batch of the chicken coating and keep half for next time! It makes prep so much easier.
• I recommend soaking the chicken in the buttermilk overnight, for best results. At least 4 hours is recommended, but at least one hour if you are short on time.
• Don’t over-handle the chicken while cooking. It will cause the coating to fall off in patches. Use tongs and only flip once before removing from the hot oil.
• Let the chicken sit on a wire rack for a few minutes to drain. Some fried food is ok to drain on paper towel, but in this case, it makes the bottom of the chicken a little soggy. We want crispy, crunchy chicken fillets here, so setting them on a wire rack is the best option. Place a tray underneath the wire rack to catch any stray drips.
• Prep ahead – you can chop the salads (including the coleslaw ingredients) and keep them in the fridge in an airtight container for 1-2 days until ready to assemble. I recommend leaving the coleslaw dressing off until you are ready to serve. The chicken coating mixture can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the pantry until you are ready to use it. And the chicken can of course be soaked in the buttermilk mixture the night before, making the cooking process so much easier!

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in April 2020, but was re-published with new information, helpful tips and photos in April 2022.