My tried and tested Crispy Chicken Burger with Honey Mustard Coleslaw is the best you're going to eat (did I tell you I worked in a fried chicken shop for many years when I was younger?). Using my secret recipe for making the perfect Crispy Chicken, served on a toasted brioche bun, with jalapenos, homemade honey-mustard coleslaw and crunchy lettuce. Way better than takeout!
Having just come back from the Big Feastival last weekend, and sampling the fab food on offer, I've been craving a great Chicken Burger. So I've been making crispy buttermilk chicken again! I can't help myself, it's so good!
I have perfected the coating for the buttermilk fried chicken over a number of years. Its super simple to make, REALLY tasty and I use it as a basis for this burger recipe but also some of my other fried chicken recipes, like my Korean Fried Chicken, my base recipe for Crispy Chicken Tenders or my Asian inspired Chinese Crispy Chicken With Honey Garlic Sauce.
How to make the Crispy Chicken
First we marinade the chicken in buttermilk, salt, white pepper and garlic salt for at least a hour (up to overnight).
Then we coat the chicken in my special secret mixture. Only joking, it’s not secret. Find the full mixture in the recipe card below.
Once the chicken tenders are coated then we fry them in vegetable oil until you get this this delicious golden crispy chicken:
Now you are ready to assemble your Chicken Burger.
What goes on a Chicken Burger?
To start with you have the Crispy Fried Chicken (of course), then I like to add:
- Lettuce, I use 'O' so sweet' variety but romaine or little gem work just as well.
- Cheese: You can use a nice gouda like I am here, sharp cheddar, swiss or american.
- Toppings: I like fresh jalapenos and thinly sliced red onion.
- The bun: It has got to be a Brioche Bun for me. I love making these at home for my burgers. If you don't want to make them yourself, buy them, and then it's a good idea to toast them too (it helps them stay together better, as well as adding a little more texture and flavour)
The BEST thing about a burger is that you can be really creative. **Let us know in the comments below what you like on your burger.**
I've said it before, but I spent a fair few of my teenage years working in a fried chicken shop - so I know my way around a flippin' good chicken burger.
Although I'm not sure it can technically be classed as a burger if it's made of chunks of chicken breast? Maybe it's a Chicken Sandwich? But it's served in a bun and topped with lots of goodies, so I'm going with Chicken Burger anyway!
Other AMAZING burger recipes for you to try
Here are a few of my faves:
...and two that are more like sandwiches, but I'm going to include them anyway:
- This roast chicken 'burger' with creamy garlic mushrooms (the best way to use up leftover roast chicken).
- And this slow-cooked brisket burger with garlic saute potatoes (the ultimate luxury burger treat - a great one for Father's day).
If you’ve tried my chicken burger recipe then please rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing your thoughts and add-ons to my recipes!
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Crispy Chicken Burger with Honey Mustard Coleslaw
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade:
- 3 large chicken breasts - sliced into long, thick strips
- 240 ml (1 cup) buttermilk
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic salt
Crispy Chicken Coating:
- 180 g (1 1/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp celery salt
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
Honey Mustard Coleslaw:
- 1/3 white cabbage
- 1 medium carrot - peeled
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- pinch black pepper
Also:
- vegetable oil - for deep frying
- 4 slices gouda cheese - I used the ready-sliced kind, or you can slice it yourself (approx
- 4 brioche buns - toasted
- 8 pieces crunchy lettuce - I used 'O' so sweet' variety - but Romaine or Little Gem are great too
- 1-2 jalapenos - sliced
- 1/2 red onion - peeled and thinly sliced
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the chicken in a bowl. Add the buttermilk, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Mix together, cover and place in the fridge to marinade for at least 1 hour (up to over night)
- Preheat the oven to a low heat (to keep cooked chicken warm). Heat a large pan of vegetable oil (or preheat your deep fat fryer) until hot (you can test by dropping a small cube of bread in there, if it rises immediately to the top and starts to bubble rapidly, it’s hot enough). You’ll need at least 1 litre (4 cups) of oil - but make sure your pan is no more than one third full.
- Mix together the crispy coating ingredients in a small bowl. Take the chicken out of the fridge. Lift a piece from the buttermilk and allow the excess to drip off. Dredge the chicken in the crispy coating mixture – ensuring it’s fully covered. Place on a tray and repeat until all of the chicken is coated.
- Once the oil is hot enough, add in 5 or 6 of the chicken tenders. You can add more or less depending on the size of your pan, just be sure not to overcrowd the chicken. Cook for 3-5 minutes until golden brown and cooked in the middle. You can check this by cutting open a piece of chicken, if it’s no longer pink in the middle, it’s cooked.
- Place on a tray in the oven to keep warm whilst you cook the rest of the chicken.
- Make the coleslaw by using a mandoline to julienne the cabbage and carrot (or you can slice thinly by hand). Place in a bowl with the mayonnaise, mustard, honey, lemon juice and black pepper. Stir together, then cover and refrigerate until needed.
- Now it's time to assemble. First, arrange the chicken tenders into four piles and place the gouda on top. Grill or place into a hot oven for a couple of minutes until just melted.
- Place the bottom of the brioche buns on four plates. Top with the lettuce leaves, followed by the cheesy chicken pieces.
- Spoon on the coleslaw, then sprinkle on the red onion slices and jalapeno slices. Place tops of the buns on top and serve.
✎ Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was first posted in August 2017. Updated in August 2019 with added photos, step by step process, tips and for general housekeeping.
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Michael Hepburn says
Love this recipe, very crispy and great flavour in the batter 10/10
Printed off and filed away one family favourites.
Thank you
Amber Thorne says
I was just wondering if there is an air-fryer conversion for this?
Nicky Corbishley says
Sorry Amber, I don't have an airfryer, so I really can't help with this one.
Jake Howlett says
Had this last night and can't stop thinking about it! My wife was away and I had to feed myself and 3 kids (12, 11 and 9). It's rare I manage that without at least one of them complaining. None did this time.
My cooking skills are average, but managed to pull this off ok. Thanks for sharing,
Nicky Corbishley says
So glad you and your kids liked it. Thanks for the comment Jake 🙂
Meeta Patel says
Looks really yummy. Instead of frying, could they be baked in the oven? Any tips? Thanks
Nicky says
Hi Stephen,
This particular coating won't work in the oven. If you wanted to cook it in the oven, you'd need to fry it first (so the chicken is just cooked), then it could be cooled and refrigerated for a day or two. It could then be cooked in the oven from that point to brown the coating.
I do have an oven cooked version using panko breadcrumbs (rather than a southern-fried style). You can check it out here:
https://www.kitchensanctuary.com/crispy-chicken-strips-chimichurri-dip/