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Ultra Crunchy Fried Chicken Burger

Recipe video above. KFC, eat your heart out! Our Fried Chicken Burger is way crunchier than yours, the chicken is way juicier and it tastes way better! The trick is to mix a bit of marinade into the flour coating - this creates lumps that fries up into an awesome ultra crunchy crust. See my Fried Chicken recipe for ravings and musings about this method. (Thanks Kenji!)

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Marinating
3 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 730 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Chicken choices:
  • 2 x 250g/8oz chicken breast (I use this)
  • 4 boneless thigh fillets
Marinade:
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk (Note 1 for sub)
  • 1 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
  • 1 large egg
Burgers:
  • 4 soft buns , split and lightly toasted (mine are 10cm/4")
  • 2 - 3 cups iceberg lettuce , finely sliced (or other leafy greens of choice)
  • 2 tomatoes , sliced (optional, sometimes I do)
  • 2 gherkins / dill pickles , sliced on an angle
Garlic mayo:
  • 2/3 cup mayonnaise , preferably whole egg
  • 3/4 tsp garlic , finely grated (1 clove)
Crunchy coating:
  • 3/4 cup flour , plain / all purpose
  • 1/4 cup corn flour / cornstarch
Fried chicken seasoning:
  • 1/4 tsp celery salt (or heaped 1/8 tsp celery seed)
  • 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (inc to 1/2 tsp for spicy ZINGER burger!)
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp mustard powder
  • 1/4 tsp ginger powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
To fry:
  • 3 cups vegetable oil (or canola or peanut) (2.5cm/1" depth in cooking vessel)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Shortform recipe:
  2. Pound chicken to 1cm / 0.4" thickness, trim, marinade 3 - 24 hrs. Mix coating and seasoning, mix in 2 tbsp marinade. Coat chicken, fry at 180°C/350°F for 4 min (don't touch for first 90 sec). Assemble!
  3. Full instructions:
  4. Chicken - Cover the chicken with a freezer bag or plastic sheet and pound to 1cm / 0.4" even thickness. Trim to just a touch larger than the size of your bun. Save off-cuts for another use (stir fry - or Dozer, in my case!).
  5. Marinade - Whisk Marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add chicken, toss. Marinate in the fridge for 3 hours minimum, to overnight (don't go beyond 24 hrs).
  6. Garlic mayo - Mix in a small bowl and refrigerate until required.
  7. Prepare crunchy coating - Mix flour, cornflour and Seasoning ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle over 2 tablespoons of the marinade, then use fingers to mix through to form lumps - when this sticks to the chicken, it fries up into awesome crunchy bits!!
  8. Heat oil in a large heavy based pot over medium high heat to 180°C/350°F (Note 2).
  9. Coat chicken - Pick up a piece of chicken and allow excess marinade to drip off. Press to coat in flour coating. Shake off excess, then fry for 2 minutes on each side until golden. DO NOT TOUCH for the first 90 seconds to allow the coating to adhere. I fry 2 at a time. Drain on paper towels, cook remaining chicken.
  10. Assemble - Smear garlic mayo on the top and bottom of the buns. Pile lettuce on the base, top with tomato if using. Then chicken, gherkins and put the lid on. Sink your teeth into it immediately and enjoy!

Notes

  • Buttermilk is the traditional marinating ingredient for Southern Fried Chicken. Find it in near milk in large grocery stores. Sub with 1/2 cup yogurt + 1/4 cup milk, it works nearly as well (yogurt is an excellent marinading ingredient). Next best sub: stir 1 1/2 tsp white vinegar into milk, leave 10 minutes. Will curdle. Use per recipe.
  • Frying vessel - I feel safe using a heavy cast iron pot. For most oil efficiency, use a wok - shape means you will use about 30% less oil with same surface area for frying. If you have a deep fryer, I salute you!
  • Oil temperature - use a thermometer. If you don't have one, test by throwing in a small cube of bread, at 180C/350F it should turn golden in 15 seconds. OR stick a bamboo chopstick in and touch the base of the pot - if bubbles immediately rise from floor of pot, oil is hot enough.
  • Re-using oil - The oil gets a little too dirty with fried chicken, because of the heavy seasoning in the coating. You could re-use it once more for another batch of this recipe, but I wouldn't use it for another recipe.
  • Leftover cooked chicken will keep for 3 days but, well, you know. Soggy. :(
  • Nutrition per burger. Estimate assuming 1 tablespoon of the oil is absorbed into the chicken coating and takes into account residual flour and marinade that is discarded.

Nutrition Information

Calories 730cal (37%) Carbohydrates 43g (14%) Protein 31g (62%) Fat 48g (74%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 22g Monounsaturated Fat 17g Trans Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 121mg (40%) Sodium 1615mg (67%) Potassium 717mg (20%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 982IU (20%) Vitamin C 12mg (13%) Calcium 120mg (12%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 730

% Daily Value*

Calories 730cal 37%
Carbohydrates 43g 14%
Protein 31g 62%
Fat 48g 74%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Polyunsaturated Fat 22g 129%
Monounsaturated Fat 17g 85%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 121mg 40%
Sodium 1615mg 67%
Potassium 717mg 15%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 6g 12%
Vitamin A 982IU 20%
Vitamin C 12mg 13%
Calcium 120mg 12%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.