Ditch the drive-thru – these crispy chicken burgers are about to become your new favourite! Ultra-crispy buttermilk fried chicken is sandwiched between soft burger buns with crunchy lettuce and tangy mayo. Way better than takeaway and so easy to make!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Perfectly fried chicken that is crispy, crunchy and perfectly seasoned, with loads of BIG flavours.
- Versatile – make them as simple or as gourmet as you like. I opt for a simple filling of fresh lettuce and tangy mayo. But you can easily adapt them with your favourite salads and sides like pickles, coleslaw or tomato. The star of the show is that crispy chicken!
- So tender and juicy – a simple buttermilk marinade ensures the chicken comes out perfectly juicy, tender and flavourful after frying.
- Easy to make – everything can be prepared the day before, to cook and assemble when you’re hungry.
If you love this, you’ll love my homemade cheeseburgers, air fryer turkey burgers and crispy halloumi burgers.
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 – use boneless, skinless breast fillets for their larger size, which is perfect for burgers. The chicken breasts are pounded and marinated in a buttermilk mixture to tenderise before cooking. I recommend using fresh chicken rather than frozen/thawed.
- Buttermilk – just like my crispy fried chicken, buttermilk is the not-so-secret ingredient that is essential for juicy, tender and flavoursome 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 when frying. Store-bought or homemade buttermilk is fine.
- Self raising flour – forms the base of the chicken coating. The baking powder in the flour adds to the crunch of the coating when fried.
- Cornflour – (corn starch) lightens the flour coating and adds crispiness.
- Herbs and spices- dried herbs and spices like sweet paprika (not hot or smoked), pepper, ginger, celery salt and mustard powder.
- Vegetable oil – with its high smoke point and mild flavour, vegetable oil is perfect for frying chicken. Alternatively, use canola or sunflower oil.
- 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.
How to make crispy chicken burgers
Full ingredient notes and quantities can be found in the detailed recipe card below. But here is a brief overview of what you can expect;
Step 1 – Pound the chicken;
- Step 1: Slice each of the breast fillets in half, to make four burger-sized fillets.
- Step 2: Cover in baking paper and use a rolling pin or mallet to pound them to about 1cm thickness.
Pounding the chicken creates an even thickness along the entire chicken breast. This ensures that the fillets will cook quickly and evenly. Along with the buttermilk, pounding will also help to tenderise the chicken. Thin fillets cook faster, preventing a burnt coating.
- Step 3: Mix the buttermilk marinade ingredients together.
- Step 4: Add the chicken to the marinade mixture, cover and refrigerate. Leave overnight to tenderise (marinate for at least 4 hours).
- Step 5: Mix the flour, cornflour and spices in a large bowl and stir until completely combined.
- Step 6: Remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk. Drain as much of the buttermilk as possible and coat in the flour and spice mixture.
Tip: the chicken coating can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container until ready for use.
- Step 7: Pan-fry the chicken in oil at about 175-180 °C/356 F.
- Step 2: Place the chicken on a wire rack to drain.
*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. It should be completely white and cooked through in the middle, with an internal temperature of 75°C/167 F.
Assemble the burgers with shredded lettuce and mayo, or any of your preferred toppings.
Expert tips
- Rest the chicken at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before cooking. Adding cold chicken to hot oil will cause it to shrink slightly and become chewy.
- Drain 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 become soggy 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.
- Soak the chicken in the buttermilk overnight, for best results. If you are short on time, at least 4 hours is recommended.
- 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 soggy. We want crispy, crunchy chicken fillets here. So setting them on a wire rack is the best option. Place a tray or paper towel underneath the wire rack to catch any stray drips.
- Prep ahead – chop the lettuce and keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for 1-2 days until ready to assemble. 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 be soaked in the buttermilk mixture the night before, making the cooking process so much easier!
Crispy chicken burger FAQs
Try serving chicken burgers with potato fries or wedges, sweet potato fries, potato salad, mashed potato and gravy or even some grilled corn with paprika salt. Load them up with whichever crunchy salads and sauces you love. Pickles, burger cheese or bacon make great additions.
When fried in oil at 180 C, chicken fillets 1cm in thickness will take about 3-4 minutes on one side and then a further 2-3 minutes when flipped. When the chicken is firm and the juices run clear, the chicken is cooked. If you cut the chicken at its thickest part and it is still slightly pink, it needs more time. The internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken should reach 75C/167F before consuming.
Drain as much of the buttermilk marinade from the chicken as possible before coating in the flour mixture. Too much buttermilk on the chicken can cause the coating to become soggy. Once the chicken is cooked, rest it on a wire rack to drain, instead of paper towel.
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Crispy Chicken Burgers with Buttermilk
Ingredients
- 600 grams chicken breast – 2 large chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthways to make 4 fillets.
For the buttermilk marinade
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika – sweet Hungarian paprika (not hot or smoked paprika)
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder – or sriracha sauce. Optional.
For the chicken coating (make ahead and store in the pantry, ready to go!)
- ¾ cups self raising flour
- ⅓ cup cornflour – corn starch
- 1-1 ½ teaspoons salt – regular table salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried basil leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon ground sage
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons sweet paprika sweet Hungarian paprika (not hot or smoked).
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder – optional
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
Plus
- vegetable oil – or canola oil, for frying
- 4 burger buns – or brioche rolls
- mayonnaise – or smoky BBQ sauce or chilli mayo
- iceberg lettuce – finely shredded
Instructions
For the marinade
- Slice the chicken breast lengthways into 4 evenly-sized fillets and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Place the chicken on a chopping board and cover with baking paper. Use a mallet or rolling pin to pound the chicken to about 1cm thickness. *The thickness should be even to ensure it cooks evenly.
- Mix the buttermilk and marinade spices together and add the chicken. Ensure the chicken is completely coated in the buttermilk mixture, then cover and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 4 hours).
For the chicken
- Once the chicken has soaked overnight, remove it from the fridge and set aside. If you have time, rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Mix the flour, cornflour and other coating ingredients together in a bowl and whisk until completely combined.
- Pick up one piece of chicken at a time and hold it above the bowl to allow the excess buttermilk to drip off.
- One at a time, place each piece of chicken into the coating mixture and coat until thickly covered. Set aside on a plate while you coat the other pieces.
- When ready to cook, add enough oil to the pan to shallow fry the chicken. Heat the oil in the pan until it reaches 180°C/356 F. If you don't have a thermometer, test the oil by dropping a small piece of chicken coating into the pan. If it bubbles, the oil is ready.
- Place the chicken into the hot oil and cook for 3-4 minutes on one side. The temperature will drop to around 150-160°C when the chicken is added. Try to keep it at this temperature as the chicken cooks.
- Use tongs to flip the chicken and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, or until the coating is golden and crispy and the chicken is completely cooked through with an internal temperature of 75°C. *Make sure the oil doesn't get too hot, or the coating will burn.
- Place the chicken on a wire rack to rest and drain for 1-2 minutes.
To assemble the burgers
- Place a the lettuce on the bottom burger buns. Place the crispy chicken fillets over the top and add some mayo.
- Top with any additional fillings and the remaining top of the burger bun. Serve with fries or your favourite sides.
Notes
- 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 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 will cling to the chicken. Store-bought or homemade buttermilk is fine.
- Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before cooking. Adding cold chicken to hot oil will make it 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 will cause the flour coating to become “gummy” and not become crispy in some areas. It may also 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.
- Let the chicken sit on a wire rack for a few minutes to drain. Some fried food is ok to sit 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 above a tray to catch stray drips is the best option.
- 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 and stored in an airtight container in the pantry until you are ready to use it. And the chicken can of course be coated in the buttermilk mixture the night before, making the cooking process so much easier!
- How to tell when the chicken is done; When fried in oil at 180 C, chicken fillets 1cm in thickness will take about 3-4 minutes on one side and then a further 2-3 minutes when flipped. When the chicken is firm and the juices run clear, the chicken is cooked. If you cut the chicken at its thickest part and it is still slightly pink, it needs more time. The internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken should reach 75C/167F before consuming.
- Please note that the nutrition information is based on the ingredients being made into 4 burgers, with one burger being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the burgers. It is also difficult to calculate the amount of oil and buttermilk absorbed by the chicken in the marinating and cooking process. I have allowed for ¼ cup of oil to be retained, but if you need a more accurate reading you can measure the amount of oil before and after cooking (obviously be careful with hot oil!).
- This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.
Nutrition
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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 March 2025.
Linda says
Excellent recipe that has become one of the family favorites. Highly recommend it.
Rob says
I have cooked these 3 times so far for family dinner night and they are an absolute favourite.
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Rob! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoy them! They’re a favourite in our house too. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and let me know how you went. Andrea 🙂
Linda-Ann says
My daughter has made this for us at least once a week since 2020 as I’m not fond of red meat. It has become a family favourite. We live in South Africa and I’m visiting my son and his family in the USA at the moment. I’ll be making this myself for lunch as my one grand daughter who just turned 8 is also not fond of red meat. I hope they enjoy it as much as the South African side of the family do. Love this recipe. ❤️
Ken says
Awesome. Made some small personal choice changes, however everyone loved them
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Ken! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the burgers. Thanks for taking the time to comment and let me know! Andrea 🙂
Sha says
Hi, I’m just in the middle of making this and am excited to try. Just wanted to check the measurements though for the coating? It has a quarter of a tablespoon for a lot of the spices which I converted to teaspoons but wanted to confirm those were the right measurements and it’s not supposed to be a quarter of a teaspoon for example? I’ve already mixed it together but have until tonight to still make another coating batch. Thanks heaps! 🙂
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Sha! I’m so excited for you to try it! Yes, you have read the measurements correctly- a quarter of a tablespoon is correct. A teaspoon is a third of a tablespoon, but if this is what you used that will still be ok!
The coating mixture used to be double what it was, but I found a lot of coating mixture was leftover. So when I updated the recipe, the mixture was halved (making some of the spices a quarter of a tablespoon). I hope that helps and I hope you love the burgers!
Andrea 🙂
Sha says
Oh thank you so much for your reply! Now I understand why the measurements were a bit unique. I think I put in 3/4 of a teaspoon so close enough. Will let you know how they turn out. Can’t wait
Shara says
Just wanted to let you know that the burgers turned out amazing! Definitely a recipe to keep. I also subbed half the sweet paprika measurement for half smoked paprika because I love the smoky taste that gives. I also used GF flour and it worked perfectly. Thanks
Andrea Geddes says
That’s so great to hear! I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, and I appreciate you letting me know that GF flour works too; that will be really helpful for other readers. Thanks again! Andrea 🙂
Kylie says
Best burgers I have made! Super quick and easy, especially after the first time having the flour seasoning ready to go in the pantry!
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Kylie! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment – I’m SO happy to hear that you enjoyed them! Keeping a batch of the seasoning on hand makes them such an easy dinner. Thanks for your support! Andrea x
Gavin says
I literally just tried to jump into my computer screen! These look phenomenal – these are DEFO hitting the dinner list
Andrea Geddes says
Haha! Thanks Gavin! They are pretty tasty! I hope you enjoy them!
Jaimie says
You had me at ‘crispy chicken’. And ‘burger’. Hell, this whole thing is just perfect. Looks amazing!
Andrea Geddes says
Thanks Jaimie! I can’t pass up a good burger. Especially one with crispy chicken!
Adrianne says
WOW and yum!! I saw the pic of these and I had to come and check them out, they look SO GOOD!!! I wish I was having one for dinner or a weekend lunch. The coleslaw looks like the perfect pairing as well, delicious, can’t wait to try it!!
TheCookingCollective says
Thank you Adrianne! I hope you enjoy them!
Sylvie says
Got some chicken breasts in the freezer, and now I know exactly what I’m gonna make with them! I adore anything fried chicken, so put inside a burger… it’s heavenly!
TheCookingCollective says
That’s a great way to use up those chicken breasts Sylvie! Enjoy.
Alex says
Wow, how delicious – a good chicken burger is the way to my heart. I love this recipe!
TheCookingCollective says
Thanks Alex! I am so glad to hear that!
Sally says
Oh my gosh this is my perfect meal! I love make at home takeaway for a friday night and chicken burgers are my weakness. These look so crispy and perfect I can’t wait to try them!
TheCookingCollective says
Me too Sally! I make burgers as often as I can!