This burger is a beast. It tastes better than what you can find at your local takeaway without the bloated regretful feelings. Also, you won't be up all night drinking water. It is also better than what you will find at a restaurant as it can be customised using the ingredients below to make the burger exactly how you like it. The best ingredients you can choose from are coleslaw, barbecue sauce, bacon rashers, lettuce, tomato, cheese, gherkins, and red onion.
This recipe is enough to serve four people, and honestly, the burger is so filling that you will not need fries with it. If I do not have the right ingredients, I do some substitutes, and the results work perfectly fine. For example, I substitute onion powder and garlic powder for two fresh crushed garlic cloves. Typically, buttermilk is the best for marinating the chicken, but regular milk will be just as good if this is not available. Another thing I tend to substitute is the oregano as well, simply because I make an Italian seasoning blend from 1 part parsley, 1 part basil and 1 part oregano. About the coleslaw, homemade is so much better as it tastes fresher. The problem with shop brought coleslaw is that they usually add single cream to it but using mayonnaise instead improves the flavour. A great thing to do to get the sauce right is mix 1 part mayo with 1 part barbecue sauce, then top that on both sides of the bun after toasting it.
Ingredients
Chicken breasts (4)
Coleslaw (1 cup)
Bacon rasher (8)
Barbecue sauce
Mayonaise
Brioche burger buns (4)
Iceberg lettuce
Gouda cheese slices
Sliced tomato
Red onion
Gherkins
Groundnut or vegetable Oil (750ml)
Wet Mix
Milk (300ml)
Smoked paprika (1tsp)
Salt (1tsp)
Onion Powder or chopped spring onion (1/2 tsp) or 1)
Garlic cloves or garlic powder (1/2 tsp or one clove of garlic)
White Pepper or black pepper (1/2 tsp)
Cayenne Pepper (1/2 tsp)
Dry Mix
Plain flour (250g)
Smoked paprika (2tsp)
Baking Powder (1tsp)
Oregano (1tsp)
Salt (1tsp)
Onion Powder (1/2 tsp)
Garlic Powder (1/2tsp or two crushed garlic cloves in the pestle and mortar)
Black Pepper (1/4 tsp)
Instructions
Start by creating your wet mix with the milk and spices. Then put your chicken breasts on a flat surface and cover them with cling film or baking paper.
Using a rolling pin, bash the chicken breasts to flatten them. If the chicken breast becomes too long, you can trim the end. Once flattened, soak them in the wet mix to marinate them for a few hours if possible and then place them in the fridge. Even 10 minutes is better than nothing as it will help tenderise the meat.
Make sure to remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before you need it. This is to bring it back to room temperature before frying. If you cook the chicken from cold, it will become tough and chewy.
In a bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients, and when you are ready, coat the chicken breasts. Making sure you thoroughly cover each one and then place it to one side, ready for frying.
In a large saucepan, heat the oil to 180C and cook the chicken breast in batches. Carefully place your chicken in hot oil. Make sure the temperature stays near 165C as the chicken cooks.
Cook the chicken breast for 5 minutes on one side and then turn it over and cook until golden. It should then be cooked, depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts.
The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 75C. Remove the chicken breast and place it on a chopping board. You can cut the chicken breast to check that it is cooked inside. Place a slice of cheese on top and put it on an oven tray in the oven on low heat whilst you cook the rest of the chicken burgers.
Assembling the burger
Of course, you can assemble the burger how you would like, but here is how we do it. Toast the bun for a few minutes on both sides, then once toasted, top with 50/50 mayo and barbecue sauce—place lettuce on the bottom bun, then the chicken fillet on top with the melted cheese. Then squirt a round of barbecue sauce, then a few slices of red onion, finally a tomato and the top bun.
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