Buttermilk Chicken Burger

This Buttermilk Chicken Burger is crispy, juicy, spicy and bursting with flavour. Find our top tips on how to make the BEST chicken burger!

Buttermilk Chicken Burger

These chicken burgers are made with crispy seasoned chicken fillets. The chicken is soaked in buttermilk,  coated in a seasoned flour and fried until golden. This makes for the most crispy, juicy and delicious chicken burger.

Chicken Breast vs Thigh

I have tried these with Chicken Thighs because I thought they would make a better burger but actually this burger tastes far better with Chicken Breast, as long as you don't over cook it! 

The ULTIMATE Buttermilk Chicken Burger!

This homemade Chicken Burger vis even more satisfying, juicy and delicious than any chicken burger that you can buy. I have been making this recipe for 4 - 5 years now and it really is the BEST Chicken burger ever!

How to make the best Buttermilk Chicken Burger - Process

Pound the chicken

This is to ensure that the breast is an even thickness all over. Pounding the chicken also tenderises the meat making for a more tender burger. I cover the breast in cling film and use a rolling pin to do this. 

Buttermilk the Chicken 

You already know that I love to buttermilk chicken (see Buttermilk Roast Chicken, Spiced Baked Buttermilk Chicken). The reason for this is because it really tenderises the meat meaning juicy meat.

Marinate the chicken

The length of time you do this for is up to you. I recommend 30 minutes to over night. The longer you can manage, the better but even 30 minutes is pretty good. Just place in the fridge and take it out at least 30 minutes before you intend to use it.

Dredge 

Blend the spices evenly throughout the flour and make sure the chicken is coated all over.  Shake off any excess flour.

Fry the burger 

Deep frying is pretty straight forward but you can take it a step further by making sure you consider these points. Heat the oil to 180C/356F. Once the chicken hits the oil the temp will drop but you want to keep it at around 165 C/300 F and get it back up to 180C/356F between batches. Make sure you use an oil with a high smoking point like vegetable/sunflower. 

Fill a large pan no more than a third full with vegetable oil. Heat the oil to 180C/356F. 

How long to deep fry the chicken? This will entirely depend on the thickness and size of your chicken, but as a rough guide, I tend to fry for 4 mins, then flip and continue for another 1 - 3 mins until fully golden and crisp. The internal temp of the chicken should reach 75C/165F. The chicken will continue to cook slightly once removed from the oil. Cook the chicken in batches.

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Buttermilk Chicken Burger

This Buttermilk Chicken Burger is crispy, juicy, spicy and bursting with flavour with top tips on how to make the BEST chicken burger!

Course Chicken, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American, british

Keyword Buttermil chicken burger, Chicken Burger, kfc burger

Servings 4

Calories 586 kcal

Author Safira

Ingredients

Buttermilk Marinade

• 4 small Chicken Breasts Boneless
• 500 ml Buttermilk
• 2 tsp MSG See Notes
• 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tsp Garlic Granules
• ½ tsp Salt
• 3 Eggs

Dry Marinade

• 205 g Plain Flour
• 1 tsp Salt Adjust according to your taste
• 2 tsp MSG
• 1 ½ tsp Garlic Granules
• 1 ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• ½ tsp Black Pepper
• ½ tsp White Pepper

Other

• Veg or Sunflower Oil For Frying
• Pickles
• Salad
• Cheese Slices
• Sauces
• 4 Buns

Instructions

1. Pound the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of cling film to ensure they are even all over. You may need to slice the chicken breast horizontally on half to adjust thickeness first.

2. Combine buttermilk, MSG, Smoked Paprika, Cayenne, Garlic, Salt and Eggs in a bowl and add the Chicken. Marinade 30 minutes to overnight.

3. Add the Plain Flour to a bowl with Salt, MSG, Garlic Granules, Smoked Paprika, Cayenne Pepper, Onion Powder, Black Pepper and White Pepper. Mix through with your fingers to ensure the spices are evenly distributed throughout the flour. Remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk and dredge in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.

4. Fill a large pan no more than a third full with vegetable oil. Heat the oil to 180C/356F. Cook the chicken, in batches, for 4- 7 minutes turning half way, until deep golden brown.

5. Remove to a wire rack and build your burger!

Recipe Notes

Tips to make the best Chicken Burger

Most of these are covered above but here is a quick reminder:

• Pound the chicken to ensure that the breast is an even thickness all over.
• Buttermilk the Chicken - to make it even more tender and juicy.
• Marinate the chicken for as long as you can. Up to overnight is best.
• Remove Buttermilk Chicken Breast from fridge at least 30 minutes before you use it.
• Heat the oil to 180C/356F. Once the chicken is in the oil the temperature will drop slightly but try and keep it at around 165 C/300 F and get it back up to 180C/356F between batches.
• The internal temp of the chicken should reach 75C/165F. The chicken will continue to cook slightly once removed from the oil.
• You can sprinkle the fried chicken with a little salt once it is out of the fryer. This will draw out any final bits of moisture from the batter.
• Sauces - You can make a spiced Mayo by combining Mayonnaise with Hot Sauce, Paprika and Garlic Granules.
• Remove to a wire rack -  to keep the chicken crisp.

A note on MSG

Many people seem to have an issue with MSG (as I once did), however it is what makes this chicken so good. It is used by the likes of KFC, Quavers, Doritos, Pringles, Instant Noodles etc.

The reason they use it is because it gives that umami flavour that nothing else really can. It is up to you if you use it. I rarely use it myself but for recipes like this, I think it is the thing that gives the flavour that you expect from a really good chicken burger.

Note - You will need to adjust salt if adding MSG as MSG is quite salty.

If you can't find Buttermilk 

Make your own by adding 1 - 1 /2 tbsp Lemon Juice to Buttermilk and allowing ti to stand for a couple of minutes. 

Nutrition Facts

Buttermilk Chicken Burger

Amount Per Serving

Calories 586 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 281mg94%

Sodium 1316mg57%

Potassium 1181mg34%

Carbohydrates 49g16%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 62g124%

Vitamin A 1588IU32%

Vitamin C 4mg5%

Calcium 181mg18%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.