Look at fried chicken burgers, in all their fried deliciousness glory! The most satisfying of burgers (in my opinion) has quite a bad rep, and for good reason. A fried chicken burger can easily turn into a mushy bland greasy sandwich. But fear not, this recipe elevates fried chicken burgers to the sandwiches hall of fame, where they belong. It’s a quick comforting meal that can make you feel like a real chef.
Fried chicken burgers have everything you could hope for; tender breaded and fried chicken thighs, a very tasty burger sauce and crunchy pickles. The acidity of the pickles cuts through the fat of the meat, and the sauce covers everything in creamy goodness. It’s a match made in heaven! Serve with a salad to feel slightly less guilty about having fried chicken burgers for dinner.
WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER
I’ve been eating a couple of fried chicken burgers every week for 1 month to develop this recipe and what a month it was! In these scary and uncertain times, food can be a great source of comfort. And fried food? Even more comforting! It was a great month (although probably not for my arteries) and I learned a couple of things about how I prefer my fried chicken burgers! 1) chicken breast is too dry even though you leave it to marinate for ages, and 2) the skin doesn’t really bring out anything special other than more fat. So I ditched the skin and I used boneless chicken thighs.
Thighs are obviously more convenient than drumsticks and more flavorful (and tender) than chicken breast. But hey you do you. You can fry whichever part you prefer following these instructions. However, marinating the chicken overnight in buttermilk is imperative. The natural acidity present in buttermilk (fermented milk) will break down the meat’s collagen, rendering your chicken perfectly tender. So don’t skip this step. If you forgot or if you don’t have enough time to chill your chicken overnight, let it marinate for at least half an hour. Fried chicken burgers really benefit from tender meat.
EASY AND SATISFYING DINNER
➝ How to make sure your fried chicken is well cooked? Be sure to bring your chicken to room temperature before frying. Otherwise, it will drastically lower the temperature of the oil and the thighs won’t cook evenly. While cooking check the temperature of the oil from time to time to make sure it’s still around 170°C (338°F). If not, increase the heat. When you think your chicken is cooked, check its internal temperature with your thermometer. It should read 73°C (165°F).
➝ Can you make the fried chicken burgers in advance? Nope. If you assemble your burger in advance and let it sit around for a while the bun and chicken will get all soggy. You can prep the sauce and the breadcrumbs the day before but fry the thighs at the last moment. And eat the fried chicken burgers as soon as they are ready. They’re best eaten warm anyway 🙂 .
In the mood for another ‘sandwich’ recipe? Here are some of my favorites:
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Fried chicken burgers
- Prep Time: 50 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 4 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: American
Description
Fried chicken burgers have everything you could hope for; tender breaded and fried chicken thighs, a very tasty burger sauce and crunchy pickles. A match made in heaven!
Ingredients
For the fried chicken:
- 2 big boneless chicken thighs or 4 small, skinless (around 310g/11 oz)
- 500ml buttermilk (2 cups)
- 60g dried breadcrumbs (½ cup)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- canola oil, for frying
For the burgers:
- 100g greek yogurt (½ cup)
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise, heaped
- 1 tbsp dill (leaves only), chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- pickles *
- 2 burger buns, sliced in halves
Instructions
- Marinate the thighs. If your thighs are thick pound them with a rolling pin to an even ¾-inch thickness. Place the thighs in a deep bowl and cover with the buttermilk. Add a good pinch of salt and some ground black pepper. Mix well and cover with cling film. Chill overnight. The following day, bring the thighs back to room temperature before cooking.
- Make the yogurt sauce and prepare the breadcrumbs. Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, chopped dill and garlic in a bowl to make the sauce. Mix the breadcrumbs and spices on a deep plate.
- Fry the chicken thighs. Remove the thighs from the buttermilk, shaking off any excess. Dip in the breadcrumbs, properly coating all sides. Cover the surface of a frying pan with 2,5cm (1 inch) of oil. Place over medium heat and wait for the oil to reach 170°C (338°F). Check with a thermometer or if you don’t have one, drop a small piece of bread into the oil. The oil should sizzle and the bread should turn brown after 30 seconds. If your oil is smoking, you’ve cooked it too long and the fumes might be toxic so be careful. Fry the thighs in a single layer for 14 min, turning them often, until evenly golden brown.
- Rest the chicken thighs. Carefully take the thighs out and place them on a plate with paper towels to drain the excess oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt if desired.
- Build up each burger. Halve the burger buns and warm them through with your preferred method (toaster, oven, griddle,…). Add a generous amount of sauce to one of the bun bases, then top with as many sliced pickles as you can handle and half of the fried chicken. Rub the top bun with a teaspoon of sauce (or ketchup), then gently press together. Make the other burger and serve quickly, while still warm.
Notes
You can keep any leftover sauce in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 933
Keywords: buttermilk chicken thigh burger, breaded chicken thighs
*I make my own using this easy recipe
HAGRID’S BURGER
I’m pretty sure Hagrid would need to eat a dozen fried chicken burgers to feel full. The contrast between getting a first glimpse at the wizarding world, shopping for furniture in Diagon Alley, and finishing off the day eating a common burger bought from a railway station restaurant always stayed with me. I always imagined their burgers to be a bit cold and dry, but Hagrid’s attentions are always touching.
I’ve got to admit I used to be hell-bent on not considering fried chicken burgers as burgers. To me, a burger HAD to have a grilled beef patty (or a couple of them) and that was the end of it. Moreover, the only times I saw fried chicken burgers were in fast food chains and they looked like a mess. Wrinkly buns, greasy meat, a single lettuce leaf fighting with a sad-looking pickle. Not very appealing. But I suddenly got a weird craving and decided to work on a recipe until I was as satisfied as if I was served a traditional burger. And now I’m kinda starting to like fried chicken burgers as much as ‘normal’ ones. Thighs are less meaty than beef patties so they blend with the sauce and toppings better. And, if fried properly, chicken offers great textural contrast.
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