This Buttermilk Chicken Burger might just be your new favorite chicken burger. Who can resist a double dipped buttermilk battered fried chicken breast. Add a Kaiser roll and a topping of Jalapeno slaw and you’ve got a superstar sandwich.
Crispy, juicy and full of flavor, this buttermilk chicken burger makes for one special meal. And topped with a spicy cabbage slaw kicks this one over the top on the flavor scale.
This recipe comes from Saveur Magazine. And I’ve taken a few liberties with their process and ingredients to make the recipe a bit easier.
Fried Chicken, on a bun, with a crunch of zesty slaw … just the right balance of moistness, crunch, flavor and excitement. Let’s take a look.
Ingredients You’ll Need
I’ve made this buttermilk chicken burger several times now and have alternated the topping using either Jalapeno Slaw, or Jalapeno Aioli. Either option offers a nice layer of heat.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- Flour
- Buttermilk
- Canola Oil
- Chile Powder: New Mexico red chile powder preferred.
- Hamburger Buns
- Jalapeno Aioli. An alternative to Jalapeno Slaw
Ingredient Subs and Swaps
- Flour: Make this gluten free by using an all purpose gluten free flour.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, simply add 1 Tablespoon lemon juice to one cup of milk. Let it sit for about 10 minutes before proceeding with recipe.
- Burger Buns: A sturdy Kaiser roll is preferred for this recipe, but a regular hamburger bun will work just fine.
- Chile Powder: If you don’t have access to New Mexico Chile Powder, substitute Ancho chile powder, or cayenne.
Ingredients to Make Jalapeno Slaw
- Shredded Cabbage: Use either green or red cabbage here.
- Sliced Onion: Use a sweet onion or a red onion.
- Vinegar: I like red wine vinegar for this recipe. Cider Vinegar will also work.
- Jalapeno Pepper: Thin sliced.
- Dijon Mustard.
- Olive Oil.
Step by Step Instructions
Make the Jalapeno Slaw.
- Step 1: Prepare the dressing for the jalapeno slaw. Whisk 2 1/2 teaspoons of the vinegar, the mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified (well blended).
- Step 2: Add the remaining vinegar to the onions and let sit for 5 minutes. Discard vinegar and proceed.
- Step 3: Combine shredded cabbage, sliced jalapenos and onions to the dressing and stir so dressing is coating the ingredients.
Pro Tip: Making sure the cabbage is finely shredded is an important step here. A fine shredded cabbage free of large chunks will simply stay on the burger better, for a less messy eating experience. Easiest way to fine shred cabbage? Use the slicing side of a box grater. Or a Mandolin works well here.
Make The Buttermilk Chicken Burgers
- Step 4: Add salt and pepper and chicken breasts to buttermilk. Stir well, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- Step 5 : In the meantime make the flour mixture. Whisk flour, chile powder, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl.
- Step 6: The double dip: Working with one chicken breast at a time, dip chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Then dip in buttermilk and, once again in flour. This double dip = the ultimate buttermilk fried chicken sandwich .
- Step 7: Heat 2″ canola oil or vegetable oil in a saucepan until a thermometer reads 325°. Fry chicken, flipping once, until golden and cooked through, about 8 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 165°. Remove chicken and place on a paper towel or better yet a wire rack. Then build the fried chicken burger.
Pro Tip: Making sure the oil is at 325 degrees is an important step here. If the oil is not hot enough, the breading will absorb the oil instead of browning for a crispy chicken end result. Use a candy thermometer or a digital read meat thermometer.
FAQ’s Chicken Burgers
Yes. However, you won’t have that same perfect shape that a chicken breast will bring. And boneless, skinless chicken thighs tend to be very uneven. Use a meat mallet to pound the higher points of the chicken thighs for a more even piece of meat.
Use an instant read digital thermometer to make sure the chicken has an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, inserting it only half way through. If you insert the thermometer too far and it reaches the bottom of the pan, the heat from the pan will cause an inaccurate reading.
The slaw can be made up to one day in advance. Just keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Recipe for Buttermilk Chicken Burger
I hope you give this Buttermilk Chicken Burger (buttermilk chicken sandwich) a try. It’s definitely a treat of a meal and especially if you’re craving a comfort food sandwich. An indulgent chicken burger that the whole family will love.
Side Dishes To Consider
A simple side salad is always a good choice. Fries are a popular choice, check out these Smoked Paprika Oven Fries. And everyone loves a pasta salad with a burger. How about this Old Fashioned Classic Macaroni Salad?
And if you’re looking for more chicken recipes, don’t miss my Chicken Category. You’ll find lots of dinner recipe ideas including the most popular chicken recipe on my site for Chicken Mushroom Spinach Skillet.
More Burger Recipes
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Buttermilk Chicken Burger with Jalapeño Slaw
Ingredients
- For The Jalapeno Slaw
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar divided
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion red or sweet, thinly sliced
- 2 cups green cabbage finely shredded
- 1 large jalapeno pepper thin sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
- For The Buttermilk Chicken Burger
- 1 cup buttermilk
- salt and pepper to taste to taste
- 1 cup flour
- ½ teaspoon New Mexico Red Chile Powder or Cayenne
- 8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast 2 4-ounce chicken breasts
- 1/4 Cup Canola oil for frying
- 2 Hamburger buns
Instructions
- For The Jalapeno Slaw
- Whisk 1 1/2 teaspoons of the vinegar, the mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly, until vinaigrette is emulsified.
- Pour the remaining vinegar over the onion in a bowl; let sit 5 minutes, then drain, discarding vinegar.
- Add onion, shredded cabbage, jalapeno peppers, salt and pepper to the bowl of the reserved vinaigrette. Stir well so that the dressing coats the ingredients. Cover the slaw with plastic wrap and chill until ready to use.
- For The Buttermilk Chicken Burgers
- Add salt and pepper and chicken breasts to buttermilk. Stir well, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- In the meantime, whisk flour, chile powder, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl.
- Heat 2" canola oil in a large saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer reads 325°.
- Working with one chicken breast at a time, dip chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Then dip in buttermilk and, once again, in flour.
- Fry chicken, flipping once, until golden and cooked through, about 8 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 165°. Transfer chicken to paper towels to drain; season with salt.
- To assemble sandwiches, place chicken on bottoms of rolls; top with coleslaw and and then add the top bun.
Notes
Nutrition
Buttermilk Chicken Burger … It’s What’s For Dinner.
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
What a terrific sandwich! Love chicken, and that slaw looks great. Thanks!
There was a restaurant in my little town a long time ago that made a sandwich like this one (only without the lovely slaw) . I think I need some fried chicken one night and enough for leftovers for this gorgeous creation!
Two thumbs up – that sounds fan-freaking-tastic! I’ll have to try the jalapeno slaw on a grilled version of this.
The cookbook I received for Mothers Day has a wonderful-looking recipe for buttermilk fried chicken. What a great way to eat it in a sandwich! My favorite quick sandwich is a few thin slices of hard salami on a pretzel bun with mayo 🙂
Bologna, squishy white bread, lots of Miracle whip….That’s the meal I always looked forward to making for my grandmother and me when it was going to be just the two of us for lunch or dinner. You made me remember witha smile!
The words buttermilk, fried, and chicken just go so well together and this sandwich sounds super good, especially with the jalapeno slaw. My mom tried to get us on Miracle Whip, but I soon discovered that I was a mayo guy.
OMG, the old MW/bologna on white. My childhood favorite too. Thank goodness we both grew up and were able to experiment with sandwiches like this one. It looks so good. Great photo too!
Bologna and Miracle Whip were common for me also back in the day. Good stuff. But not nearly as divine as this chicken sandwich. Bravo!
Thank you Adam!