Chicken breast soaked in a buttermilk marinade, spices, and hot sauce then breaded and fried before being sandwiched between two hamburger buns...is your mouth watering yet? This crispy chicken burger recipe will be a weekly meal plan must-have in no time!
4smallchicken breaststhawed and raw (or 2 large breasts, cut in half)
32ouncesvegetable oil
Chicken Marinade
2cupsbuttermilk
2tablespoonshot saucebrand of your choice (our favorite is Frank's Red hot)
1tablespoongarlic powder
1teaspoonground paprika
1teaspoonsalt
1/2teaspoonground black pepper
1cupall-purpose flour
Flour Mixture for Breading Chicken
2cupsall-purpose flour
2 tablespoonsgarlic powder
2 tablespoonsground paprika
1teaspoonsalt
1/2 teaspoonground black pepper
1/2 teaspoonground cayenne pepper
Toppings
4largehamburger buns
4 slicescheddar cheese
2largetomatoessliced
1/2headiceberg lettucewashed
8pickle slices
Crispy Chicken Burger Sauce
3tablespoonsmayonnaise
1tablespoonketchup
1teaspoonhot sauce brand of your choice
1teaspoonground paprika
1/8 teaspoonground black pepper
Instructions
Wrap chicken breasts in plastic wrap/cling film and place them on a cutting board. Using a mallet or other kitchen tool (like a rolling pin), pound the chicken pieces until evenly thick (about ¾ inch).
Combine your marinade ingredients (buttermilk, hot sauce, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper) into a large bowl and whisk together. Optional - You can add the chicken breasts to the marinade and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Then remove the chicken from the marinade (reserving marinade to use when coating chicken breasts) and allow chicken to rest for 15 minutes at room temperature before moving on with the recipe.
Add remaining cup of flour to the marinade and mix. Set aside.
Add the ingredients for the batter to bread the chicken into a small bowl and whisk together. Pour this onto a large plate or into a shallow bowl.
Add oil to a large skillet on medium heat and let it heat up. Grab one piece of chicken at a time and dip it into the marinade/flour mixture until it's completely coated, then dredge chicken in the seasoned flour batter mixture (coat it, making sure all sides are covered). Use your hands to press firmly to ensure the batter mixture sticks. Repeat this process (dip in marinade, coat in batter mixture) twice for each chicken breast, gently shaking off any excess flour mixture when you are done.
Once all breasts are thoroughly coated, place them into hot oil making sure they are not touching each other (you may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your chicken and the size of your pan). Fry for 8 minutes, then flip and fry for an additional 7 minutes. The chicken patties should be golden brown when finished.
Remove the chicken from the oil and place on a wire rack that's sitting over a baking tray or pan (you could also place some paper towel on the baking tray/pan to catch the excess oil that drips off).
In a small bowl, add your sauce ingredients - mayo, ketchup, hot sauce, paprika, and ground pepper, then whisk until combined.
Open the hamburger buns and spread the creamy mayonnaise mixture onto the top bun. Place pickle slices, fried chicken breast, and a slice of cheese onto the bottom bun, then top with tomato slices and fresh lettuce.
Notes
Safety First! Always be careful when working with hot oil as it can splatter and has the potential to burn. Wear long sleeves and use caution when putting your chicken pieces into or taking them out of the hot oil. Storage: Store the crispy chicken burger patties, sauce, and toppings separately in airtight, sealed containers. When you are ready to eat, warm the patties up and then assemble your chicken sandwiches as specified in the recipe.