Crispy Chicken Burgers (With Ground Chicken)
“Tried these for the first time last week and my family can’t get enough of them! They’re so flavorful and crispy and decadent! …nice change from a regular ol burger!” Kassie
Sink your teeth into juicy, crispy chicken burgers made with ground chicken and a crunchy panko coating. Minimal effort, no deep frying, and packed with flavor.
What to expect
Our recipe is different: Most crispy chicken burger recipes use deep-fried chicken breasts or thighs. Our version swaps in ground chicken for a lighter, easier, and less messy option -without sacrificing flavor or crunch.
- No marinating or brining necessary
- No deep frying or large amounts of oil
- Lower in calories and fat
- No special equipment needed
This ground chicken burger is a fresh twist on the classic, with tips on how to keep it juicy, crispy, and packed with flavor. Read on…
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
- Ground Chicken: Dark meat is the juiciest and most flavorful, but can be hard to find. White meat works too in this recipe, especially with the addition of a panade to keep it moist. Look for ground chicken with a 90:10 meat-to-fat ratio. Avoid 99% lean chicken unless you’re adding extra fat, as it can turn out dry.
- Panade (the secret to juicy burgers): A simple paste made from milk (or mayo) and breadcrumbs or soft bread. It locks in moisture and improves texture.
- Seasonings: Salt, black pepper, garlic powder, minced green onion, Worcestershire sauce, and fresh parsley give these burgers flavor without overpowering the chicken.
- Oil: Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point like vegetable, canola, peanut, or light olive oil for pan frying.
- Breadcrumbs for Coating: Panko crumbs create a light, crispier crust and absorb less oil. Regular breadcrumbs work too, but the texture will be slightly denser.
Substitutions
- Ground Meat: Ground turkey, beef, veal, or pork can all be used instead of chicken.
- Milk in panade: Swap with mayonnaise for a richer flavor or use a non-dairy milk if needed.
- Green onion: Replace with chopped chives or shallots
- Parsley: Use cilantro or basil for a flavor twist.
Variations for burger mixture
- Add herbs like thyme or oregano to the mix
- Stir in a spoonful of BBQ sauce, ketchup, pesto, or a bit of lemon zest
- For heat, mix in a dash of sriracha, hot sauce, or red pepper flakes
Step-by-step instructions
Prefer baking or air frying? See the recipe notes below for oven and air fryer instructions.
Tips for crispy, tender burgers
- To make tender burgers: Avoid overworking the meat. Handle the meat lightly when forming the homemade chicken patties to help keep the burgers light and juicy instead of dense and firm.
- To keep chicken burgers moist: Mix the ground chicken with the panade mixture of breadcrumbs and mayonnaise (or milk).
- To get the crispy factor:
- Don’t omit the flour as it acts as a moisture barrier. Moist breading will steam and not crisp up well.
- Let the breaded burgers sit at room temperature for 7 minutes (no longer than 30 minutes) before pan-frying them so that they don’t lower the temperature of the oil. (You can put them in the fridge for longer, but let them come to room temperature).
- Transfer the crispy chicken patties to a wire rack over a baking sheet after pan-frying. Keep them warm in a low-heat oven if you are making another batch.
Recipe FAQs
What is panade?
According to America’s Test Kitchen, a panade is a milk-and-bread paste that’s incorporated into ground meat before shaping it to keep the meat moist and tender. You can use mayonnaise instead of milk (as we do in this recipe) to add extra flavor and moisture to the meat.
What is the difference between panko crumbs and regular breadcrumbs?
Panko crumbs are a Japanese-style type of breadcrumb made from white crustless bread. They are drier and coarser, create a crunchier texture when fried, and absorb less oil than regular breadcrumbs.
Do homemade chicken burgers need an egg to help bind them?
No, chicken burgers do not need an egg to bind them, especially if you use a panade (milk-bread paste) in the filling.
What temperature is safe for a fully-cooked chicken burger?
Chicken burgers should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165F/74C as measured by an instant-read thermometer. Don’t go by color. Even a little bit of pink is ok. It’s the temperature that matters.
Shortcuts
Fresh seasoning is best for these ground chicken patties, but you can use garlic powder, onion powder and dried parsley if you don’t have fresh herbs and aromatics.
What to serve with crispy ground chicken burgers
I love serving the burgers in brioche buns or regular hamburger buns with some great toppings such as:
- the traditional mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, cheese and lettuce
- BBQ sauce or pesto
- grilled eggplant slices
- red pepper sauce
- sriracha aioli or another aioli like lemon, garlic or herb
- coleslaw including our yummy grilled purple cabbage slaw or spicy Asian coleslaw.
And check out these sides and salads to complement the crispy chicken burgers:
More ground chicken recipes
- grilled chicken burgers with mango salsa
- chicken meatloaf with vegetables
- Hungarian chicken paprikash with meatballs
- saucy baked chicken meatballs
- wedding soup recipe with zest
Please leave a 5 star rating ***** with a comment in the recipe card below if you like the recipe, Thank you so much!
Crispy Ground Chicken Burgers
Sink your teeth into juicy, crispy chicken burgers made with ground chicken and a crunchy panko coating. Minimal effort, no deep frying and packed with flavor.
Servings: 5 burgers
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken, Note 1
- 1/4 cup neutral oil for pan frying vegetable, peanut, canola, olive oil
Panade and seasoning mixture
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (or regular bread crumbs or 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs)
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (or milk or broth)
- 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (about 2 tablespoons dried)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions (or 1 teaspoon onion powder)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
Breading
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 egg mixed with a tablespoon water
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (regular breadcrumbs ok, but texture less light and crispy)
Serving options
- hamburger buns and toppings, Note 2
Instructions
- PREPARE BREADING STATION: Place a beaten egg with a splash of water into a shallow bowl. Place flour into another shallow bowl. Place panko crumbs on a plate. Place a plate or cutting board nearby for the breaded chicken patties.
- MAKE CHICKEN MIXTURE: In a large bowl, mix panade (Note 2) and seasoning ingredients together. Let stand a few minutes if using milk or broth to allow liquid to absorb. Add ground chicken to the panade mixture. Using a clean hand formed like a claw, combine lightly. Try not to overwork the mixture.
- FORM BURGERS: Roughly divide chicken mixture into 5 parts. Wet your hands and lightly make a patty (about 1/3 pound/150 grams each). Patties will be wet and sticky, approximately 1 inch/2.5 cm thick. Dip each patty into flour to coat lightly. Shake off excess flour. Then dip patty into egg mixture, and finally into panko crumbs to cover entire surface. Repeat for all 5 chicken burgers. Let sit for 7 minutes to allow crumbs to adhere, flour to absorb moisture and burgers to come to room temperature.
- PAN-FRY BURGERS: Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet or other nonstick skillet to medium-high heat. Add the number of burgers that fit comfortably. Don't overcrowd the pan. Pan-fry burgers for 4 minutes, then turn and continue cooking another 3-5 minutes , depending on thickness, until golden brown. If panko coating is browning to quickly, lower heat to medium heat. The internal temperature on an instant-read thermometer should reach 160F/71C. Temperature will rise 5 degrees on resting. To bake, Note 3. To air fry, Note 4.Transfer the crispy chicken patties to a wire rack over a baking sheet after pan-frying if you are making another batch. Keep them warm in a low heat oven.
- SERVE: in brioche buns or regular hamburger buns with toppings of your choice. Note 5. Or skip the buns and just use toppings.
Recipe Notes
- Ground chicken: I prefer dark meat ground chicken – juicier and more flavorful. But hard to find. With the panade, white meat will work fine too. Try to get ground chicken (or turkey) with a 90:10 meat-to-fat ratio. This means 90% chicken and 10% fat. Even 93% meat. The 99% lean chicken in my experience is too dry. Substitute ground turkey.
- What is a panade? a panade is a milk-and-bread paste that’s incorporated into ground meat before shaping it to keep the meat moist and tender. You can use mayo instead of milk.
- To bake: Place the breaded chicken burgers on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Lightly spray both sides with oil. Bake at 425F/218C for 15–22 minutes (depending on thickness), flipping halfway through, until the internal temperature reaches 160F/71C. Let rest 5 minutes before serving (temperature will rise to 165F/74C).
- To air fry: Preheat air fryer to 375F/190C and lightly spray both sides of the breaded patties with oil. Air fry in a single layer for 10–14 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and the internal temperature reaches 160F/71C (it will rise to 165F/74C after resting). If the patties are thicker, they may need an extra minute or two.
- Topping possibilities:
- the traditional mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, cheese and lettuce;
- BBQ sauce or pesto;
- grilled eggplant slices;
- red pepper sauce;
- sriracha aioli or another aioli like lemon, garlic or herb;
- coleslaw like our yummy grilled purple cabbage slaw
- Seasoning variations: Try adding thyme or oregano, a dollop of ketchup, pesto or BBQ sauce, lemon zest or sriracha for heat. Chopped cilantro instead of parsley will infuse a different flavor profile as well..
- To lower calories and carbs:
- use light mayo or low-fat milk instead of full-fat mayo,
- skip the bun or use a low-carb bun,
- use leaner chicken e.g only 5% fat (if you must!),
- make smaller burgers – 6 quarter-pound burgers instead of 5 third-of-a-pound burgers.
- Alternatively, try our grilled chicken burgers with no breaded coating.
- Make Ahead:
- Make the burgers a couple of hours or a day ahead, then reheat them in a 350F/177C for 10 minutes or until heated through.
- Leftover burgers will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Or freeze them for up to 3 months and defrost them before reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 151mg | Sodium: 764mg | Potassium: 804mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 416IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?We’d love you to rate it above under ‘rate this recipe’ or in the comment section below. Thanks!
Can these be cooked on a grill?
No, the breadcrumbs would burn on the grill. You can grill the burgers if you leave off the breadcrumb topping (also delicious). Or, if you only have a grill available, you can pan-sear them in a cast iron pan on top of your grill (using the same instructions as in the recipe). I hope that helps Marianne.
I’ve seen this several times and would like to try them. Can these be baked versus fried to reduce the fat?
Hi Joanne. Great question. I haven’t tried to bake the burgers myself, but I think they will be fine that way. Here’s what I would do: Place them on a wire rack over a baking sheet, spray them on both sides with oil and bake them at 425F for 15-22 minutes (depending on thickness), flipping halfway through until the internal temperature reaches 160F (the temp will rise with 5 minutes resting).
Alternatively, as I mentioned in the recipe notes, you can reduce the fat by using lower-fat mayo, lower-fat ground chicken (about 5% fat), and making slightly smaller burgers. I hope that helps. Let us know how they turn out if you decide to bake them. I may try them myself that way – thanks for the nudge 🙂
Thank you for the suggestions. Here is anothe question…could they be done in the air fryer and if so, I would again welcome your comments.
Either way, I will try them and be sure to let you know how they come out.
Hi Joanne. You can definitely air fry them. Preheat your air fryer to 375°F and lightly spray both sides of the breaded patties with oil. Air fry in a single layer for 10–14 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and the internal temperature reaches 160°F (it will rise to 165°F after resting). If the patties are thicker, they may need an extra minute or two. I will add this to the recipe notes for other readers.
Fairly easy to make & downright delicious! Will 100% make again!
The sign of a happy customer – thank you!
Tried this recipe back in the summertime and was skeptical whether it would taste good! Well oh my goodness it was so tasty and I managed to get the slaw in the picture by using a kale salad mix and making my own dressing! In fact we all loved this recipe so much that I’ve made it nearly a dozen times more since! Perfect “sandwich” whatever the weather outside! We love it!
Wow – a real fan I see! Thanks so much for the endorsement Sarah – much appreciated!
Recipe had a good taste. My only problem was the burgers would not stay together. Flipping them over caused them to breakup. I’m wondering if maybe I used to much mayo. After mixing the ingredients and then adding the meat (I did use turkey in place of the chicken), it seemed like they were just a gooey mess. I put them in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm them up before going thru the flour, egg and panko bread crumbs. But they even started falling apart when flipping them in the last process before frying. They just weren’t firm enough.
Hi Mike, Thanks for your feedback. Sorry to hear about your burgers falling apart. Glad you like the taste at least. The mixture can be quite sticky. You had a good idea to firm them up in the freezer, but I understand that didn’t help much. Since fat helps with binding, is it possible you were using turkey with only 1% fat? I always suggest 90% meat to 10% fat or at least 93% meat to 7% fat. You mentioned that maybe you used too much mayo – if it was a lot, that could make a difference. You can always try adding a touch more breadcrumbs next time (not too much). I don’t often use an egg as a binder, but you can try that too. It’s hard to nail down what happened – I suspect it was the turkey meat, but I can’t be sure. I hope your next try will work better. We get really good feedback on the burgers – they are very popular – so I hope you will give them another try. Best of luck 🙂
Screaming flavor!!🎉🎉🎉Amazing recipe quick and easy. Substituted white grated onions in the meat like a kabob for extra flavor and then some grilled onions after cooked made siracha mayonaise lettuce and cheddar ,grilled our brioche buns face down with a light mayo spread to help grill bread added some cheddar cheese on top each one. I opted for a cheddar cheese with bbq sauce mayo,lettuce on brioche was amazing
So glad you like the burgers. Thanks for sharing your tweaks!
WOW. I was amazed at how tasty these burgers were. Definitely making these again. Thank you so much.
You are so welcome Josephine. Thanks for the lovely comment. Always appreciated.
I never leave reviews and I’ve made thousands of recipes off Pinterest, felt the need to finally leave one. These burgers are absolutely phenomenal!! My 10month old and husband both devoured them!! Thank you this will be in our rotation!
Aww – what a lovely comment Courtney – thank you so much! So glad the young and old like the recipe 🙂 I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment, especially with a 10 month old (I know how that can be).
I am new to your site, but I am thrilled to have found you. I have already made several of your recipes. One of the best is your Crispy Chicken burgers. They were made with turkey instead of chicken and I added fresh diced onion and garlic to replace the ground seasoning. This recipe was FABULOUS!! It was tasty, and CRUNCHY, with a reasonable cost to make. Better yet…all ingredients were at hand. Served on a bun with condiments, home made coleslaw and chips. Many, many thanks for sharing such a great dish. I cannot wait to try more from your home to mine.
PS- Leftovers were just as great!!!