Buffalo Crispy Chicken Burger with Blue Cheese
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and America's Test Kitchen.
Crisp buttermilk-fried chicken tossed in a glossy buffalo sauce and finished with a chunky blue cheese sauce, lettuce and celery for crunch.
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Method
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Equipment
- large heavy pot or deep casserole (at least 24 cm wide)
- frying thermometer
- wire rack set over a tray
- tongs
- instant-read thermometer
- small saucepan
- large mixing bowl
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 786 kcal |
| Protein | 42.1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 52.2 g |
| of which sugars | 7.1 g |
| of which free sugars | 4.5 g |
| Fat | 44.6 g |
| of which saturates | 13 g |
| Fibre | 2.3 g |
| Salt | 2.95 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
5.4 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 4 servings
Chicken and marinade
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs about 600 g total
- 250 ml buttermilk
- 2 g fine sea salt or table salt about ⅓ tsp
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
Coating
- 150 g plain flour
- 30 g cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1.5 g fine sea salt or table salt about ¼ tsp
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1.5 l neutral frying oil (sunflower, rapeseed or vegetable) enough for 5 cm depth
Buffalo sauce
- 40 ml hot pepper sauce (vinegar-based, such as a Louisiana-style sauce)
- ¼ tsp cornflour (cornstarch) keeps the sauce from splitting
- 40 g unsalted butter
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
To assemble
- 4 soft burger buns or brioche-style buns about 60 g each
- 10 g unsalted butter, softened, for toasting
- 60 g shredded iceberg lettuce
- 2 celery sticks, very thinly sliced
Blue cheese sauce
- 40 g blue cheese, crumbled
- 40 g mayonnaise
- 40 g fat-free Greek yoghurt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1
Marinate the chicken. Submerge the chicken thighs in buttermilk mixed with salt, garlic powder and paprika, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. The acidity in the buttermilk tenderises the meat as it seasons it.
- 2
Build the dredge. Mix flour, cornflour, baking powder, salt and pepper, then rub in 2 tbsp of the buttermilk marinade to create craggy clumps. These damp clumps are what turn into the extra-crunchy bits once fried.
- 3
Coat and rest the chicken. Let the excess buttermilk drip off each piece, press firmly into the dredge, then rest on a rack for 10 minutes so the coating hydrates properly. This resting step is what stops the crust shattering off in the hot oil.
- 4
Fry the chicken. Heat 5cm of oil in a heavy pot to 170°C and fry the chicken two pieces at a time for 6-8 minutes, turning once and keeping the oil between 160-170°C. It's ready when deep golden and 74°C in the thickest part; drain on a rack so the underside doesn't go soft.
- 5
Make the buffalo sauce. Stir the cornflour into the hot sauce until smooth. Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat, then whisk in the hot sauce mixture and garlic powder and warm gently, whisking, for 2-3 minutes until glossy and slightly thickened. A few small bubbles at the edge are fine, but don't let it boil hard. The cornflour holds the butter and hot sauce together, so the sauce stays silky and doesn't split into oil.
- 6
Toss the chicken. Toss the just-fried chicken in a bowl with the buffalo sauce right before serving. Coating it at the last minute means the sauce clings well without softening the crisp crust underneath.
- 7
Make the blue cheese sauce. Mash the blue cheese with mayo, yoghurt and lemon juice, leaving some chunks of cheese rather than mashing it completely smooth. Those chunks give pockets of sharp flavour through the sauce.
- 8
Toast the buns. Butter the cut sides of the buns and toast them cut-side down in a frying pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until golden. The toasted surface keeps the crumb from soaking up sauce and juices.
- 9
Build the burger. Spread blue cheese sauce on the bottom bun, add lettuce and celery slices, then pile on the buffalo chicken and a little more sauce on top. The cool, crunchy celery is a classic match for the heat of the buffalo sauce.
Storage
Fried chicken keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days unsauced; add the buffalo sauce only when reheating and serving. Reheat in the oven until piping hot and 74°C at the centre so the coating stays crisp. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
