Crispy chicken burgers (air fryer or pan-fried)

These crispy chicken burgers are a quick and easy crowd pleaser that your whole family will love. Ready in just 30 minutes, they’ll soon become one of your go-to meals! Make them in your air fryer, or pan fry if you prefer.

My favourite meals are the ones that I know the whole family will enjoy. Safe bets for us are anything chicken – the plainer the better (click here for easy chicken dinners).

AND anything crispy. Check out these basic crispy salmon fish cakes and this mustard parmesan crispy chicken if you’re crispy addicts like we are!

These Mediterranean-style crispy chicken burgers are beautifully crispy, and so also a regular feature on our dinner table!

What else we love about them

• Everyone REALLY enjoys them. The little guy picks them apart and eats the bun then the chicken, but I’m OK with that 😉
• It’s a budget friendly meal. I use chicken thighs, which are a bit cheaper than breasts, and juicier, too.
• They’re really simple. No fancy sauces or super special ingredients. And you can easily adapt them to what you already have.
• You can air fry the chicken (my choice) or pan fry it. You can even bake it, but I find the chicken doesn’t get as crispy.

What ingredients you need

As I said, this is not a fancy burger! I find you can make a very delicious chicken burger (in just 30 minutes!) with just a few carefully chosen ingredients, and plenty of seasoning.

Note there’s no cheese! You can add it if you like, but it really doesn’t need it.

chicken: I use chicken thighs. I usually open them out a bit before covering in the panko crumbs. But yes, you can use chicken breasts if you prefer!

Japanese panko breadcrumbs: You can find these in any supermarket these days. But you can use ordinary fine breadcrumbs if you prefer. Why not make this delicious chicken katsu curry with the leftover crumbs?

herbs and spices: To mix into the panko crumbs. I give some suggestions in the recipe, but whatever you have is fine. I like to use lemon pepper seasoning (or lemon zest), paprika, garlic and/or onion powder, and Italian herbs.

avocado, fresh lettuce and sundried tomatoes: Compulsory. Only kidding, of course. You can definitely skip any of these, but for me they’re key for an exceptionally yummy chicken sandwich.

brioche buns: The supermarket I go to stocks two kinds. I have to admit I usually go for the expensive ones because the ingredients list is much shorter. The very best are homemade, of course. They’re surprisingly easy! I’ve made them from this recipe in the New York Times and they were fantastic! (make ahead and freeze)

How to make crispy chicken burgers

As I said, it ‘aint fancy! But it’s delicious. You’re basically making a fried chicken burger, but you aren’t deep frying (win-win).

Step 1: Coat chicken. You need 3 dishes. Put flour in one, whisked egg in another, and panko crumbs mixed with spices in the third. Press into flour first, then egg, then crumbs.

I find it’s best to use one hand to dip the chicken into the flour and egg, then your other hand to press it into the crumbs.

You can coat the chicken ahead of time if you like. Just pop onto a plate, cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you’re ready to make dinner.

Step 2: Cook chicken. Spray lightly with oil on both sides first. Cook for about 20 minutes in an air fryer, or 15 minutes in a frying pan.

Tips for pan frying: If you pan fry your chicken, place a splatter cover over the pan. The key is to cook on a medium to high heat for the first 5 to 7 minutes WITHOUT MOVING IT. Then flip over and cook for another 7 or 8 minutes until crispy and cooked through.

If in doubt, check the temperature of the meat with a basic meat thermometer. Temperature in the thickest part of the meat should be 74C or 165F.

Step 3: While the chicken is cooking, get your burger buns and toppings ready. Lightly toast the buns, and grab the mayonnaise, lettuce and sundried tomatoes.

How to assemble the burgers

Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes I’m not sure which order to add things on a burger! There are no strict rules, but this is how I assemble my crispy chicken burgers:

1. Spread both sides of the toasted buns with mayonnaise.
2. Put a piece of crispy chicken onto the bottom half of each bun.
3. Top the chicken with a pile of fresh lettuce/other salad greens.
4. Lay 2 or 3 sundried tomato halves over the top of the lettuce.
5. Cover with the top half of the burger.

Easy ways to make them differently

I usually make these burgers exactly as I’ve described, but here are some ideas for varying them a bit:

• Add a sprinkle of feta cheese over the lettuce and sundried tomatoes
• Add a pinch of chili flakes to the panko breadcrumbs to make the burgers spicy. Or squeeze a tiny bit of sriracha or other chili sauce into the mayonnaise.
• Add the zest of a lemon to the panko crumbs and/or a handful of parmesan cheese.
• Add a rasher or two of crispy bacon. Mmm!
• Use a store-bought creamy dressing instead of mayonnaise for extra tangy flavour.
• Use sliced olives or marinated artichokes instead of sundried tomatoes.
• Add some kimchi to your burger instead of sundried tomatoes for a Korean style chicken burger.
• Got a vegetarian in the house… or just more in the mood for a veggie burger? Roll thick slices of halloumi cheese in flour, then pan fry for a few minutes on each side until crispy.

What to serve them with

If I’m making these chicken burgers for lunch, I just serve them as they are. Yum.

If I’m making them for dinner, I serve them in several ways. I pan fry or air fry some asparagus if it’s in season. If not, I might quickly pan fry another quick-cooking veggie, like snow peas/mange tout or sliced zucchini/courgette.

Other times I make a quick and simple salad to go on the side. A Greek salad always goes down well at our house, and you can make it ahead so you can just grab and plonk on the table at dinner time.

If I’m feeling really fancy (which is not very often) I make some homemade chips/fries or potato wedges. But mostly that feels like too much effort, and the burgers are quite filling.

Making ahead, leftovers and freezing

Sometimes I crumb the chicken earlier in the day to get ahead. I put them on a plate, cover them with plastic wrap/cling film and store them in the fridge until I’m ready to cook dinner.

As long as you remember to spray both sides of the chicken lightly with oil before cooking, they’ll still be nice and crispy.

You can even freeze the breaded chicken as long as it hasn’t been frozen before. Just store in sealed containers between layers of baking paper. Let defrost in the fridge, then spray lightly with oil on both sides before cooking as from fresh. For best results use within 1 to 3 months.

Leftovers reheat really well in an air fryer! I usually reheat at 160C/320F for about 5 minutes. You’ll have nice and crispy chicken thighs again!

You can reheat in your normal oven too. Take the chicken out of the fridge about 20 minutes before you’re going to reheat it. Then reheat for about 20 minutes at 160C/320C or until hot and crispy again. It might not be quite as crispy as when you cooked it fresh but it will still make a delicious burger.

Should you get an air fryer?

I started experimenting with an air fryer sort of by accident after being given a basic one from Kmart. It worked pretty well for the price and I enjoyed making things like this mini banana bread and Greek style crispy smashed potatoes in it.

Like anything it’s a personal choice but I love my air fryer and can’t imagine living without it now. You can cook anything in it that would benefit from a bit of a crunch or crisp on the top, and generally the cook time is about a third to a half faster than a normal oven.

A budget air fryer will get you started, or if you’ve been thinking of getting an electric pressure cooker too (also very cool!), this Ninja foodie multi-cooker combines the best of many worlds. {affiliate link}

More easy burgers and sandwiches

• Try these 15-minute crispy halloumi burgers for when you’re in the mood for a quick and easy vegetarian meal
• These bacon-wrapped turkey burgers with gruyère sound a little fancy but they only take about 30 minutes to pull together. And they’re worth the effort!
• Another vegetarian option. For something a little different (and another veggie option), try these spicy beetroot and blackbean burgers.
• This artichoke and bacon toasted cheese sandwich is a legend!
• Last but definitely not least. This roasted eggplant, mozzarella and pesto panini has to be my favourite sandwich ever. You have to try it.

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