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:
- Spread both sides of the toasted buns with mayonnaise.
- Put a piece of crispy chicken onto the bottom half of each bun.
- Top the chicken with a pile of fresh lettuce/other salad greens.
- Lay 2 or 3 sundried tomato halves over the top of the lettuce.
- 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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Crispy chicken burgers (air fryer or pan-fried)
Equipment (affiliate links)
Ingredients (UK/Australia? Click below for grams/ml)
for the crispy chicken
- 4 chicken thighs opened out so they are mostly flat
- salt and pepper
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons Italian herbs (can be mixed herbs or just basil, oregano, thyme)
- ⅓ cup flour
- 1 large egg
for the rest of the burgers
- 4 brioche buns I prefer the good quality ones with minimal ingredients!
- 8 tablespoons mayonnaise or to taste
- 1 avocado sliced (you need about ¼ small avocado per person)
- 4 small handfuls mixed salad
- 4 sundried tomatoes Sometimes I use sundried tomato strips or sundried tomato halves – it doesn't matter.
Instructions
Crumbing the chicken
- Put the flour, egg and panko crumbs in 3 separate bowls.
- Add all the spices and herbs to the panko crumbs and mix well.
- Fold out each chicken thigh so it's mostly flat. Grind over plenty of salt and pepper.
- Press each chicken thigh first in the flour, then in the egg, then in the crumbs. Use one hand to dip in the flour and egg, and the other hand to press into the crumbs.
Air frying the chicken (If pan frying, see below)
- Preheat the air fryer to 390F/200C for 3 minutes. Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket lightly with oil. Put the chicken in the air fryer basket (it's OK if it overlaps slightly) and spray the chicken lightly with oil.
- Air fry for 8 minutes. Turn the chicken over and spray lightly with oil again. Air fry for another 7 minutes. At this point the chicken might be golden and crispy, or it might need another 5 minutes (it depends on your particular air fryer). In my air fryer I usually cook for another 5 minutes (so 20 minutes in total).
Pan frying the chicken (if air frying, see above)
- Heat up about 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan. When the oil is quite hot, add the chicken.
- Let cook for about 5 minutes without moving the chicken. Turn chicken over and turn down the heat to medium. Cook for about another 10 minutes or until golden and crispy on both sides.
Assembling the burger
- Lightly toast the burger buns.
- Spread 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise on each burger half (top and bottom).
- Put one crispy chicken thigh on top of each burger bottom.
- Top each chicken thigh with a handful of lettuce and a sundried tomato. Put the tops on the buns and serve immediately.
KGL Staff says
This looks absolutely delicious! Thank you for you recipes! Can’t wait to try it! Can we expect more recipes once autumn has officially arrived
Helen says
Hello! So glad you like the look of this recipe! Have you tried it yet? Do let me know how you get on if you do. I’ll be continuing with my usual posting schedule this Autumn which is roughly 1 new recipe every week. I hope you continue to enjoy the recipes!
ann says
On the subject of fish and chips – I have been in Australia (from Scotland and England)for 52 years and have yet to find a decent feed of Fish and chips. We have the fish but not the know how, I live in Far North Queensland and I would love for someone to tell me how wrong I am.
Meanwhile, I will try your chicken burgers in my NEW airfryer.
Helen says
Hello Ann! Oooh dear! That doesn’t really give me much hope. Although I don’t mind the fish and chips here on the whole. I’ve decided to just accept that they’re different and to try to enjoy them for what they are. I really like Australian barramundi, although I think it’s a shame to waste it on fish and chips. Nice to hear from you, and good luck with the air fryer. I think you’ll love it. Our air fryer has certainly been a surprise hit!